Ifen is a strikingly scenic ski area in the Kleinwalsertal, an Austrian valley reached only from Germany, known for the extraordinary tilted plateau beneath the Hohe Ifen peak and its snow-sure high slopes.
- 1,257 m Base
- 2,019 m Top lift
- 762 m Vertical
- 16 Pistes mapped
- 4 Lifts
Best known for
Après & vibe
A quiet mountain-hut atmosphere on the hill, with the wider Kleinwalsertal and Oberstdorf providing villages, dining and evening life.
The resort
Ifen sits in the Kleinwalsertal, a geographic curiosity — an Austrian valley in the Vorarlberg that can only be reached by road from Germany, and marketed hand-in-hand with neighbouring Oberstdorf. The area's signature is its remarkable terrain beneath the sheer, table-topped Hohe Ifen: a broad, gently tilted high plateau that gives distinctive, open skiing quite unlike a conventional piste layout. Its height makes it one of the more snow-sure spots in the region, and it stays refreshingly quiet compared with the busier valleys nearby. The mood is scenic and unhurried, best suited to intermediates and those who savour dramatic mountain surroundings.
Snow & weather
Live conditions from the mountain, plus the average snow you can expect month by month.
- Feels like
- —
- Conditions
- —
- Wind
- —
- Fresh snow (3-day)
- —
Live data © Open-Meteo.com
Good — its high elevation beneath the Hohe Ifen makes it one of the more snow-sure areas in the Oberstdorf–Kleinwalsertal region.
Average monthly snowfall
Snowfall climatology unavailable.
Terrain & aspect
- Novice
- Easy
- Intermediate
- Advanced
- Flat / ungraded
Slopes mostly face E — 21% on snow-holding, poleward-facing slopes.
Aspect derived from run bearings · OpenSkiStats / © OpenStreetMap (ODbL).
Skiing & terrain
Some gentle terrain, though the area is better suited to those past their first turns.
Its strength — open, scenic plateau and mountain pistes for confident cruisers.
A few steeper sections and off-piste possibilities in a dramatic setting.
Limited dedicated expert terrain beyond the ski-touring potential of the massif.
The tilted Ifen plateau
The area's hallmark is the broad, gently sloping high plateau beneath the sheer Hohe Ifen, giving unusually open, panoramic skiing found almost nowhere else.
On the map
Legend
Run difficulty
- Novice
- Easy
- Intermediate
- Advanced / Expert
- Freeride / Extreme
- Unknown
Run types
- Downhill — groomed
- Downhill — ungroomed
- Downhill — gladed
- Nordic (groomed)
- Ski tour
- ☾Lit (night)
- △Not patrolled
- →One-way
- ❄Snowmaking
Lifts
- Operating
- Operating (private)
- Non-operating
- Lift station
Slope-gradient grading
Downhill / ski tour
- Flat<3°
- Easy3–14°
- Intermediate14–22°
- Advanced / Expert22–45°
- Freeride / Extreme>45°
Nordic
- Easy<6°
- Intermediate6–9°
- Advanced>9°
Aspect (sun exposure)
- N — least sun
- E — morning
- S — most sun
- W — afternoon
Legend after OpenSkiMap
Stay in Skigebiet Ifen
Base in the Kleinwalsertal villages such as Hirschegg and Riezlern, or in Oberstdorf on the German side, both linked to the wider ski region.
Lifts and pistes from the door — the point of a high, purpose-built resort.
Self-catering residences, the bulk of the beds and the flexible-budget option.
Catered and self-catered chalets for groups wanting the whole place.
From simple to high-end, with pools and spas to thaw out in.
How to get there
Memmingen (FMM) is the nearest airport, with Munich (MUC) and Friedrichshafen also serving the region; the Kleinwalsertal is reached by road only from the German side via Oberstdorf.
Drive in through Oberstdorf, as the valley has no through-road from Austria; local ski buses link the villages to the Ifen base.
Best time: January to March, when the high plateau holds the coldest, most reliable snow of the season.
Nearby resorts & areas
Other resorts within reach.
Balderschwang – Hochschelpen/Riedberger Horn
- Vertical
- 485 m
- Pistes (mapped)
- 17
- Lifts
- 11
Getting to Skigebiet Ifen
Book an airport transfer up to the resort, or pick up a car at Zürich (ZRH) — search and compare without leaving the page.
Ski data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), via OpenSkiMap & Skimap.org. Basemap © OpenFreeMap / OpenMapTiles. Editorial: mynext.holiday. Accommodation via Stay22; transfers via Kiwitaxi; car hire via Travelpayouts.