Arosa or Lenzerheide: which side to base a ski week

Arosa and Lenzerheide share one ski area of 225 km of pistes and 43 lifts, joined since January 2014 by the Urdenbahn cable car between the Hörnli ridge above Arosa and the Urdenfürggli above Lenzerheide. One pass covers both sides, so choosing Arosa or Lenzerheide means choosing which valley to stay in, and that comes down to altitude, access, village layout and what you do on the days you do not ski. This guide sets out the numbers for each side, then explains where Hotel Altein sits in Arosa and how it connects to the lifts.

The ski area in numbers: 225 km, 43 lifts, one pass

The Arosa Lenzerheide ski area runs from 1,229 m at its lowest point in Churwalden to 2,865 m on the Parpaner Rothorn. Of the 225 km, about 110 km are graded easy, 87 km intermediate and 28 km difficult, and 60 percent of the slopes have snowmaking. The 43 lifts split into 14 on the Arosa side, 12 on the eastern Lenzerheide side around the Rothorn (including the Urdenbahn), 13 on the western Lenzerheide side around Scalottas and Stätzerhorn, and 4 in Churwalden. Arosa Bergbahnen maintains about 70 km of the pistes, which leaves roughly 155 km on the Lenzerheide side. The Arosa side is one valley head above one village; the Lenzerheide side spreads across two valley flanks and 4 villages.

The Urdenbahn: 1.7 km across the Urden valley in about 5 minutes

The link between the two sides is the Urdenbahn, opened on 18 January 2014. Two cabins carrying 150 people each cross a single 1,682 m span without a pylon, from the Hörnli station at 2,496 m to the Urdenfürggli at 2,562 m. The crossing takes about 5 minutes including the stop in the stations. From Arosa, you reach it via the Hörnli-Express gondola from Innerarosa; from Lenzerheide, via the Rothorn lifts and the Urdenfürggli chairlift. In the first weeks of the season the operator opens the Hörnli lifts and the Urdenbahn first on the Arosa side. Our Urdenbahn page covers the crossing in detail.

Season dates and lift hours 2026/27

The 2026/27 winter opens in stages. Weekend operations under the November Bonus Days start on 31 October 2026, the pre-season with daily partial operation runs from 28 November to 18 December 2026, full operation is scheduled from 19 December 2026 to 4 April 2027, and a reduced programme continues from 5 to 11 April 2027, when most Arosa lifts and the Rothorn side of Lenzerheide stay open. Lifts generally run from about 08:30 to 16:30, and the Weisshorn valley station ticket office in Arosa is open from 08:00 to 17:30 through the winter.

Ski pass prices 2026/27

Arosa Lenzerheide uses dynamic pricing: the earlier you buy online, the lower the price, and the ticket office rates below are the highest you will pay. For winter 2026/27, a 1-day adult pass costs about CHF 89, a young adult (18 to 26) about CHF 75, a youth (13 to 17) about CHF 59 and a child (6 to 12) about CHF 29; children under 6 ski free. A 6-day adult pass is about CHF 401. A beginner and snowpark ticket for the practice lifts costs about CHF 49 per day, and from 4 days the fourth and every further child in a family skis for about CHF 5 per day. Every ski pass except single rides also includes 2nd class travel on the Rhaetian Railway between Chur and Arosa and on the PostAuto between Chur, Lenzerheide and Tiefencastel on the day of skiing. All prices and times here are approximate and given as a guide. Arosa Lenzerheide Bergbahnen sets its own fares and opening times and adjusts them from season to season, so check the current details on arosalenzerheide.swiss before you go.

Getting there: Chur to Arosa by train, Chur to Lenzerheide by bus

Both sides are reached via Chur, 1 hour 15 minutes from Zurich by train. Arosa has its own railway: the Rhaetian Railway's Arosa line climbs 1,000 m over 26 km in 1 hour 3 minutes and ends at Arosa station beside the Obersee. Trains run hourly. By road, the Schanfiggerstrasse from Chur covers 30 km and 360 signposted curves with a 1,320 m climb, about 40 minutes in good conditions (48 minutes from the A13 Chur Nord exit); snow chains are sometimes required. Lenzerheide has no railway. PostAuto line 182 runs from Chur to Lenzerheide in about 30 minutes, every 30 minutes, and the drive from the Chur Nord exit is 19 km, about 24 minutes. From Zurich, plan about 1 hour 35 minutes by car to Lenzerheide and about 2 hours to Arosa, or about 2 hours 20 minutes to Arosa by train with one change in Chur.

Altitude and snow: Arosa at 1,775 m, Lenzerheide at 1,473 m

Arosa village lies at 1,775 m at the head of the Schanfigg valley, where the road ends. Lenzerheide village sits at 1,473 m on the pass road between Chur and Tiefencastel, with its built-up area between 1,450 and 1,600 m. The 300 m difference matters in December and from mid-March: Arosa's lowest lifts start above 1,700 m, while the lower Lenzerheide and Churwalden runs at 1,229 to 1,500 m rely more on snowmaking. The highest points on each side are the Weisshorn at 2,653 m above Arosa and the Rothorn at 2,865 m above Lenzerheide.

Village layout: Arosa at the end of the road, Lenzerheide on the pass road

Arosa is not car-free. The road and the railway both end here, and the village is arranged around two lakes, the Obersee by the station and the Untersee below it. Parking is paid everywhere in the resort, and the local bus between the Hörnli-Express, Prätschli and the Untersee is free all year. Lenzerheide is a through-village: the Hauptstrasse 3 runs its full length, the Heidsee lies at its northern end, and the neighbouring villages of Valbella, Parpan and Churwalden string along the same road with lifts on both valley sides. It is the shorter drive from Chur, 19 km against 30 km to Arosa, and the village centre carries the pass traffic.

Beginner and family terrain on each side

In Arosa, the Tschuggen area above Innerarosa is the family sector, with the Beerenland Kulmwiese children's area, the free Honigland conveyor belt at Prätschli, and blue runs served by the Tschuggen-Ost chairlift and the Kulm gondola. In Lenzerheide, the family slopes are on the Heidbüel and Scalottas side: Globi's slope no. 45 at the Tgantieni chairlift, the Safari slope no. 73 at Stätzertäli, and the Auarara, Fastatsch and Heimberg children's areas, most of them free. The free ski school for children is an Arosa-side offer: children and teenagers aged 4 to 17 staying 2 nights or more at Altein get one free half-day group lesson per night, redeemed at the Swiss Ski and Snowboard School Arosa or the ABC Snowsports School.

Days off the skis

Across the whole area there are 140 km of prepared winter hiking trails, 103 km of cross-country tracks and 11.5 km of sledging runs. In Arosa the ice sports hall and the open-air curling rink are 400 m from Altein, night sledging runs from Tschuggen, and the Humorfestival runs in early December. Lenzerheide has 56 km of cross-country trails, a large natural ice field on the Heidsee and the Roland Arena biathlon stadium in Lantsch/Lenz. Our winter season in Arosa page lists the dated events.

Where Altein sits

Altein is not ski-in, ski-out. The Arosa-Weisshorn cable car valley station is 600 m away, 9 minutes on foot, and the free ski bus stops outside the hotel. Arosa station is 500 m away, an 8-minute walk. The hotel stands between the two lakes, 300 m from the Obersee, with 126 rooms, a 950 m² spa with indoor pool, lazy river, saunas and steam bath, a ski room with 186 boot warmers and sledge hire for CHF 8. The Hörnli gondola, the start of the crossing to Lenzerheide, is 2.8 km away, 7 minutes by car. The hotel's winter season runs from 2 December 2026 to 4 April 2027. If you want the higher village, the railway station 500 m away and the Weisshorn cable car 600 m away, come and spend your ski week with us at Hotel Altein in Arosa.

Altein, Arosa, a Faern Collection Resort.