Wengen

Wengen Ski Resort

The scenery is spectacular and the Swiss hospitality is second to none, so it’s no surprise that so many people, including all of us at the Ski Club, love the ski resort of Wengen.

Wengen sits at the heart of the Jungfrau Region above the Lauterbrunnen valley, opposite Mürren and on the other side of the Männlichen ridge from Grindelwald. It is perhaps best known for hosting the famous Lauberhorn downhill race, but the ski area is in fact an intermediate paradise – almost 90% of the resort’s runs are rated blue or red. The Jungfrau Region is home to 213km of pistes and 49 lifts (most of which are now fast) – so read on for the Ski Club’s comprehensive guide to this fantastic Swiss ski resort.

Our new Ski Club Reps service will be in Wengen this season from December until April – and with three Ski Club Freshtracks holidays heading out here, there’s no better way to experience this iconic Swiss resort than with the Ski Club.

Don't forget to also join our community of like-minded skiers on the Ski Club's Wengen Facebook Group for the most up-to-date resort info.

Our Wengen Resort Ratings

• Beginner ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
• Intermediate ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
• Advanced ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
• Snow Reliability ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
• Fast Lifts ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
• Resort Activities ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
• Après ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
• Value ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Wengen Skiing and Snowboarding

Although Wengen is famous for the fearsome Lauberhorn Downhill course – the longest and one of the toughest on the World Cup circuit – its slopes are best suited to intermediates.

• Total Pistes: 102 km (206km in Jungfrau Region)
• Blue: 32%
• Red: 55%
• Black: 13%
• Lifts: 24 (49 in Jungfrau Region)
• Altitude: 944m – 2320m

For Beginners

There's a nursery slope in the centre of the village – convenient and gentle, but it gets afternoon sun and at this modest altitude the snow can suffer. However higher up there are beginner areas at both Männlichen and Kleine Scheidegg. There are then plenty of good, long, gentle runs to progress to on the slopes above Grindelwald, reached either by train to Kleine Scheidegg or cable car to Männlichen.

For Intermediates

Wengen and Grindelwald share superb easy intermediate slopes. Nearly all are long blue or gentle red runs (though there are genuine reds too). For tougher pistes, head for the top of the Lauberhorn chair or to Wixi (following the start of the Downhill course). You could also try the shady runs from Eigergletscher, which often has the best snow late in the season. Or head for Mürren – well worth it for adventurous intermediates for a day trip.

For Advanced/Expert & Off Piste

Wengen is quite limited for experts. The only genuine black runs in the area are parts of the Lauberhorn World Cup Downhill and a couple of pistes from Eigergletscher towards Wixi. There are some decent off piste runs from under the north face of the Eiger and the Eigernordwand lift helps with access to these. For more challenges it's well worth going to nearby Mürren.

Wengen Piste Map

The local area map can be downloaded here. If you're looking for a day trip to Mürren, the piste map can be downloaded here.

Wengen Ski Pass Prices

For shorter trips, skiers and boarders are most likely to only need the local pass, covering the 155km of slopes in Wengen and Grindelwald. Keen piste bashers or those looking for day trips to Mürren should consider a Jungfrau Region pass – which covers the entire 206km network of pistes. Pre-book your passes online three weeks in advance to save 20% on the prices listed below – visit the website here. Note that these prices may change, so check with the resort for the latest or give the Ski Club’s expert info & advice team a call on 020 8410 2009.

Season passes cost 666 CHF if bought before 16th December 2019, before rising to 950 CHF. The season pass also covers the resorts of Mürren, Gstaad, Adelboden and Meiringen – for more information visit the Top4 Skipass website.

Wengen Season Dates

• Kleine Scheidegg: 8th December 2019 (will open at weekends before this if conditions allow) – 22nd April 2020
• Männlichen: 16th December 2019 – 31st March 2020
• Grindelwald-First: 7th December 2019 – 31st March 2020

For full details see the resort's website and note that these dates are subject to change. The Ski Club’s expert info & advice team are also on hand to help – call 020 8410 2009.

Wengen Resort

The village was a farming community long before skiing arrived; it is still tiny, but dominated by sizeable hotels, mostly of Victorian origin. So it is not exactly chocolate-box pretty, but it is charming and relaxed, and almost traffic-free. The short main street is the hub. Lined with chalet-style shops and hotels, it also has the ice rink and village nursery slopes right next to it.

For Families

Wengen is an attractive and reassuring village for families. The nursery slope is in the centre and the Playhouse kindergarten is in the tourist office nearby. There’s loads to do off the slopes, in including tobogganing, curling, ice skating, swimming and winter walking.

For Après Ski

If you're used to raving in Kitzbühel or Val Thorens, Wengen is quiet on the après scene, especially for young people. But a number of bars are still popular at the end of the day, including the Pickel Bar, the 'cosy' bar of the Silberhorn Hotel, the traditional Tanne and the 'lively' Rocks Bar, with plasma screens showing Sky Sports.

On the mountain, the outdoor Läger Bar, next to the Männlichen chair, is good for sitting in a deckchair in the sun. Tipirama (a wigwam at Kleine Scheidegg) is a fun place immediately after skiing 'if not too cold', sometimes with DJs and live bands. The Wäsch bar at the Bumps section of the home run is a popular final-run stop-off.

How to get to Wengen

The efficient and scenic Swiss Railways system is the easiest way to get up to Wengen – just be prepared to change trains a few times. Zürich and Basel airports are around three hours away, with the trip from Geneva taking around four hours. Driving from the airports takes a similar amount of time, but it is a long trip from Calais – also be sure to pre-book parking in Lauterbrunnen during busy weeks.

• Zürich airport: 3 hours
• Basel airport: 3 hours
• Geneva airport: 4 hours
• Calais: approximately 10 hours driving (544 miles)

Wengen Contact Details

• Website: www.wengen.swiss
• Email: info@wengen.swiss
• Telephone: +41 33 856 85 85
• Facebook: @wengen.swiss
• Instagram: wengen.swiss
• Twitter: @WengenSwiss