Cable Cars: 3
Chairlifts: 6
Draglifts: 7
Main skiing area reached by bus or car.
The Fellhorn and Kanzelwand ski areas are located outside the immediate Oberstdorf area around 8 km from the town. Skibuses leave regularly for the bottom of the Fellhorn cable car from the bus station in the centre of Oberstdorf next to the railway station.
The cable car into the main ski area is split into two sections. Exiting at the top of the first still allows access to the main area via the Scheidtobel chairlift. However most visitors will continue in the summit cable car to the Fellhorn top station.
This gives a good view of the surrounding area as well as the main skiing bowl on the Fellhorn side of the ski area. The runs themselves are open intermediate pistes, mostly above the tree-line. A slow traverse taking the linking lifts over to the Kanzelwand access at the top of the Zweiländer chairlift will provide a full taste of the variety available.
There are a variety of mountain huts and restaurants available on this side of the area for refreshments and meals.
The Zweiländer chairlift, as its name suggests ("two countries"), gives access to the other side of the mountain - the Kanzelwand run which leads down into the Kleinwalsertal.
The Kleinwalsertal is one of the oddities of European geography - officially part of Austria, but for most people only accessible through Germany. The run down to the hamlet of Riezlern at the bottom is like most of the runs in this area - a long intermediate cruise (with some narrower sections which can become crowded in busy periods).
A couple of short runs off the draglifts at the bottom provide an alternative diversion until it is time to head back to Germany proper by taking the Kanzelwand bubble to the top station.
Traversing the runs back towards the Fellhorn leads to the Schlappold run and the descent into the valley - an interesting tree-lined descent in good conditions. Those who wish to repeat the top section can take the Höfle draglift halfway down, while the Faistenoy chairlift provides an alternative to waiting for the next cable car at the bottom.
One of the most extensive and challenging ski areas in Germany - the Fellhorn and Kleinwalsertal provide enjoyable and varied intermediate runs.
This live image is taken from the Fellhorn ski area. Click the image for a live webcam stream which opens in a new window:
