Accommodation
Quick answer: Arosa suits families, thanks to a genuinely excellent free ski school deal for children and dedicated kids’ programmes, intermediates who want huge amounts of confidence-building cruising terrain, and skiers who value high, snow-sure altitude and a traditional, historic Swiss resort atmosphere. It is less suited to those wanting a big, rowdy après-ski and nightlife scene, or expert skiers seeking extreme steeps or extensive off-piste.
Quick resort facts
Ski area: Arosa Lenzerheide, 225km of pistes, 13 lifts (Arosa side) · Altitude: 1,800m, skiing up to almost 2,980m on the Aroser Rothorn · Ski pass area: Arosa Lenzerheide · Nearest airport: Zurich (170km)
Arosa is one of Switzerland’s classic high-altitude resorts – a historic mountain town at the head of the Schanfigg valley that has been drawing winter visitors since the 1890s, when Sir Arthur Conan Doyle famously skied down from Davos to lunch at Arosa’s first hotel. Since 2013 it has been linked by cable car to neighbouring Lenzerheide, creating Arosa Lenzerheide, one of the largest connected ski areas in the eastern Swiss Alps.
Set around 1,800m, with lifts climbing to almost 2,980m on the Aroser Rothorn, Arosa combines genuine altitude and snow-sureness with a strong family-friendly reputation, excellent mountain restaurants, and a state-of-the-art lift system including the remarkable Hörnli-Urdenfürggli cable car that links the two resorts.
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Terrain split: wide, well-groomed cruising runs dominate across Arosa Lenzerheide’s 225km of pistes, with enough varied red and black terrain, off-piste bowls and high-altitude bowls to keep stronger skiers entertained too.
Best for: families, thanks to a genuinely excellent free ski school deal for children and dedicated kids’ programmes; intermediates who want huge amounts of confidence-building cruising terrain; skiers who value high, snow-sure altitude and a traditional, historic Swiss resort atmosphere.
Not for: those wanting a big, rowdy après-ski and nightlife scene, as Arosa is quieter and more traditional in character; expert skiers seeking extreme steeps or extensive off-piste, which are more limited than at Switzerland’s bigger freeride destinations.
Arosa’s local ski club dates back to 1903 and its ski school to 1933, giving the resort more than a century of winter sports heritage. At the end of 2013, a cable car link with Lenzerheide created Arosa Lenzerheide, combining the two resorts’ terrain and lift passes into one of Switzerland’s biggest ski areas at around 225km of pistes.
The resort sits high in the Grisons at around 1,800m, with the lift system climbing to nearly 2,980m at the Aroser Rothorn, meaning reliably good snow and long views over the surrounding peaks. Arosa also has a hi-tech streak: some runs feature automatic filming for skiers, speed-check zones, and lift tickets that track your movements around the mountain for a printout at the end of the day.
Arosa Lenzerheide spans around 225km of pistes, making it one of the largest ski areas in Switzerland. The standout piece of infrastructure is the Hörnli-Urdenfürggli cable car connecting the two resorts, an engineering feat whose huge cabins carry up to 150 people across a mile-wide span in just over three minutes – and unusually, both cabins can travel in the same direction simultaneously.
Fast, modern chairlifts and gondolas serve the wider area, with terrain suited to every ability, from gentle nursery slopes to high-altitude bowls and varied black runs for stronger skiers. Comparing options before you book? Our ski holiday deals and ski resort search tools make it easy to weigh up Arosa against other Swiss bases.
Beginners are well catered for with dedicated nursery areas and a long-established ski school, while families benefit from Arosa’s standout “ski school included” deal, giving free group lessons to children born in 1998 or later, provided their parents book two or more nights in a participating hotel or apartment. Intermediates have the run of the resort, with huge amounts of wide, well-groomed cruising terrain across both Arosa and Lenzerheide’s slopes.
Advanced skiers will find a fair spread of red and black runs plus some off-piste opportunities, particularly around the higher bowls, though this isn’t primarily an extreme-terrain resort in the way Andermatt or Verbier are.
Arosa benefits from being established at notably high altitude compared with many Swiss villages, with lifts climbing to almost 2,980m, and the resort receives abundant natural snowfall through the winter. Extensive snowmaking also helps build an early-season base. January and February bring the most reliable cold snow, while March offers longer daylight for scenic high-altitude cruising.
A single lift pass covers the whole of Arosa Lenzerheide, giving access to all 225km of combined pistes. Novel extras include the chance to buy first tracks before the lifts officially open to everyone else, and night skiing until 10pm on selected evenings.
Arosa’s ski school dates back to 1933 and offers lessons for all ages and abilities, including the resort’s well-known free lessons deal for children of qualifying ages staying with participating accommodation. Supervised kids’ programmes such as the Arosa JUNIOR Club and the Globi children’s programme add extra options for families, and several hire shops in the resort cover equipment for all levels. Our ski gear guides are worth a look if you’re buying your own kit.
Arosa has over a century of hotel tradition, ranging from grand historic properties to family-run guesthouses and self-catered apartments, many with easy access to the lift system. Its long tourism history means an especially well-developed range of accommodation for a resort of its size.
Arosa is known for excellent regional cuisine, best sampled at the many appealing mountain restaurants and huts dotted across the ski area. Après-ski is generally relaxed and refined rather than raucous, in keeping with the resort’s traditional, family-oriented character.
Arosa has one of the strongest family reputations in the Swiss Alps: Lenzerheide received the official “Families Welcome!” seal of approval more than a decade ago, and Arosa’s free ski school deal for children makes it excellent value for family groups. Snow play areas, supervised kids’ clubs, and the resort’s twin lakes (the Obersee and Untersee, the latter sometimes used for winter horse racing) add to the appeal beyond the pistes. Planning a family trip? Our family skiing guide has more advice on choosing the right base.
Arosa Lenzerheide is quick and easy to reach from Zurich Airport through the spectacular scenery of the Grisons. Take the train from the airport to Chur, then a short bus connection for Lenzerheide, or continue by rail on the scenic hour-long branch line to Arosa itself, which climbs around 1,000 vertical metres through the Schanfigg valley and crosses the famous Langwieser Viaduct.
Arosa Lenzerheide is a superb choice for families and intermediate cruisers wanting huge amounts of high-altitude, snow-sure terrain in a historic, welcoming Swiss setting. It’s not the resort for extreme off-piste or big nightlife, but for value, family-friendliness and sheer scale of cruising terrain, it’s one of the best all-rounders in the eastern Swiss Alps.
Yes, exceptionally so – Arosa offers free ski school group lessons for qualifying children staying at participating accommodation, plus supervised kids’ clubs and snow play areas.
The combined Arosa Lenzerheide ski area covers around 225km of pistes, making it one of the largest connected ski areas in Switzerland.
The two resorts were joined at the end of 2013 by the Hörnli-Urdenfürggli cable car, creating the combined Arosa Lenzerheide ski area and shared lift pass.
Fly into Zurich, take the train to Chur, then continue by the scenic branch-line railway up to Arosa itself, a roughly one-hour journey through the Schanfigg valley.
Yes, with dedicated nursery slopes and a ski school dating back to 1933, Arosa is a comfortable place to learn, especially for families.
Very much so – the resort sits at high altitude with lifts reaching almost 2,980m, and extensive snowmaking backs up naturally abundant snowfall through the season.
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