Germany, Europe
Belchen
Season 2025 - 2026
Opens
24 Dec 2025
Closes
9 Mar 2026
Days open
75
Annual snow
1m
The Overview
Belchen delivers a quintessential Black Forest skiing experience with 9km of diverse slopes catering to all ability levels. This historic resort occupies one of the most prominent peaks in the southern Black Forest, offering spectacular 360-degree views extending to the Alps, Vosges Mountains, and even the distant Bernese Oberland on clear days. The uncrowded pistes and authentic southwestern German character make Belchen particularly appealing for those seeking quality skiing combined with exceptional natural beauty.
263m
Vertical
30
Runs
8 km
Piste
1m
Annual snow
The Terrain
30 runs across 8 km of piste
Belchen spreads 30 runs across 8 km of piste of terrain. It leans beginner at 75%, with 23 beginner runs to find your feet.
Terrain split
30
runs
30 runs across 4 grades
Beginner23 runs · 75%
Intermediate8 runs · 25%
Advanced0 runs · 0%
Expert0 runs · 0%
Time it right
When to visit Belchen
Belchen typically operates from December through March, with the most reliable conditions in January and February. The resort benefits from its elevated position in one of the snowiest regions of the Black Forest, receiving substantial natural snowfall supplemented by strategic snowmaking on key runs. The varied slope aspects include north-facing sections that maintain excellent snow quality throughout the season, often preserving good skiing conditions when lower areas struggle with thawing conditions.
Season 2025 - 2026
24 Dec 2025
Opens
9 Mar 2026
Closes
75
Days open
1 m
Annual snow
Getting there
Getting to Belchen, and where to stay
Located in Baden-Württemberg approximately 150km south of Stuttgart and 40km from Freiburg, Belchen offers an accessible mountain escape in Germany's beautiful southern Black Forest. The resort sits within the stunning Belchen Nature Reserve, surrounded by pristine woodland and traditional farmhouses. This convenient location makes it easily reachable for day trips and weekend visits from major cities. The surrounding Black Forest region offers exceptional cross-country skiing, winter hiking trails, and access to traditional villages known for their distinctive architecture and cuisine.
Where to stay
Search all stays →Hotels and lodges near Belchen, powered by Stay22.
Latest News
From the SnowStash desk
Thredbo Is 'On the Table' as EVT Reviews Its Whole Business
Thredbo is officially 'on the table.' EVT Limited, owner of Australia's most decorated ski resort, has hired Rothschild & Co to review its entire corporate structure - and confirmed Thredbo isn't off limits, even as it books a stronger year of earnings. The resort's own valuation has nearly halved after a brutal 2026 season, and speculation is already running toward Vail Resorts, Alterra, or a New Zealand operator picking it up. Here's what EVT actually said, and who could buy it.
25 Aug 2026
Ski-E-O! Is the Ski Resort Tycoon Game We Didn't Know We Needed
I'm not a gamer. I'm a skier and snowboarder who happens to have a laptop. So when a ski resort management game called Ski-E-O! landed on Steam, I wasn't expecting to lose an afternoon to it - but here we are. Real mountain terrain, a full weather system, storms that roll in and wreck your snow base, avalanche danger, and enough depth to make RollerCoaster Tycoon feel simple by comparison. Early access lands in November. Here's what a few hours in the free demo actually looks like.
23 Aug 2026
Sugar Bowl, California, Rebuilds Its Historic Village Gondola
The rumours are true: Sugar Bowl is tearing out its Emerald gondola, in place since 1983, and replacing it with a new 8-person Doppelmayr system - nearly doubling uphill capacity to 1,800 people an hour. It's the fourth generation of a gondola line that dates back to 1953, when Sugar Bowl became the first resort on the West Coast to run one at all, and it's just one piece of a $100 million overhaul touching lodges, parking and snowmaking. Here's what's changing, and what's staying the same.
23 Aug 2026
Two Confirmed Dead as Search Continues After Swiss Alps Fire
The death toll from Thursday night's fire at Restaurant Beverin in Thusis, Switzerland, has begun to firm up. One Swiss outlet, citing Graubünden Cantonal Police, reports that two of the five people initially reported missing have now been confirmed dead, leaving three unaccounted for. The building's collapsed stairwell and structural instability have slowed recovery efforts throughout. Here's what's changed since the fire broke out, and what's still unconfirmed.
22 Aug 2026
Selwyn Snow Resort Closes Early as Rain Ends Its 2026 Season
Selwyn Snow Resort has called an early end to its 2026 season, a day after Victoria's Mount Baw Baw did the same. Rain on Thursday stripped what was left of the snowpack, and the cold nights needed to rebuild it through snowmaking never arrived. It's a rough result for a resort that only just found its footing again after being burned to the ground in the 2019-20 Black Summer bushfires and a multi-year rebuild. Here's how the season fell apart, and where Selwyn's been since the fire.
22 Aug 2026
Mt Baw Baw Becomes First Australian Resort to Close for 2026
Mt Baw Baw is calling time on its 2026 season this Sunday at 5pm, becoming the first Australian resort to close for the year after warm spells and rain wore through its snowpack. Lifts stop, but the resort stays open, entry fees get waived, and there's one last Bollywood Weekend before the lights go out. Fifty-seven days after opening, here's how the season ended and what it means for the rest of Australia's struggling snowpack.
21 Aug 2026
Arosa to Replace 40-Year-Old Hörnli Lifts With New Gondola and Chair
Arosa's Hörnli sector is getting its biggest overhaul in decades. The 1986 gondola and 1994 chairlift linking toward Lenzerheide are both being replaced, with capacity up, tower count down and a new base station lower on the hill. At roughly CHF 67 million, it is the largest single investment Arosa Bergbahnen has ever made - and the target opening has already slipped a year, to December 2028. Here is what is changing, and why the timeline moved.
20 Aug 2026
Sundance Mountain Resort Is Getting a New High-Speed Quad and More Back Mountain Terrain This Winter
Sundance Mountain Resort's back mountain is finally getting a proper lift. The Electric Horseman Express opens for 2026-27, unlocking a new bowl next to Bishop's Bowl and three expert gladed chutes across roughly 105 fresh acres - on top of the Storyteller ridge run that debuted in preview form last season. It's Sundance's biggest expansion since 1985, and it turns a three-lift slog into a single six-minute ride to Bearclaw Summit.
19 Aug 2026
Trail map & terrain
Terrain split
30
runs
Beginner75%
Intermediate25%
Advanced0%
Expert0%
8 km of piste
Resort Stats
Elevation
Base1100m
Summit1363m
Annual snowfall
1m
Season
2025 - 2026
24 Dec 2025 - 9 Mar 2026
Trail coverage
30 runs
8 km
About Belchen's trail map
Explore Belchen's full trail map with 30 runs across the mountain, colour-coded by difficulty and shown alongside the terrain split. Use it to plan a day that matches your ability, find lift-served pockets of your favourite grade, and see how the resort links together. Download the piste map (PDF) ↗
More Belchen intelligence: snow report, lift system, webcams, resort overview.