Arosa winter activities beyond the pistes: what to do without skis

This guide covers Arosa winter activities for guests who do not ski, such as partners of skiers, grandparents and walkers who want snow without a piste: how far each one is from Hotel Altein, what it costs, when it runs and what needs booking ahead. Arosa is not car-free, but you do not need a car here in winter. The railway station is 500 m from the hotel, the Obersee 300 m, and most of what follows is within 1 km or one short bus ride.

On foot: winter hiking, the Squirrel Trail and snowshoes

Arosa has more than 60 km of groomed walking and winter hiking trails. The trails are packed and signposted, they reach every serviced mountain restaurant in the area, and they cost nothing to walk; the valley routes around the two lakes start at the hotel door. Our guide to winter hiking in Arosa covers the routes by length and difficulty.

The Squirrel Trail (Eichhörnliweg) starts on Tomeli-Strasse, 1.2 km or 15 minutes on foot from the hotel, and ends at the Maran bus stop. It is open all year, and in winter the squirrels eat unpeeled walnuts from your hand; the nuts are sold in small bags at the Sports and Congress Centre. Peanuts and almonds harm the animals. Allow about an hour with children and take the bus back from Maran.

Marked snowshoe routes run above the village, for example from Maran towards Prätschalp. Carmenna Sport gives Altein guests 15 percent off equipment hire, snowshoes included. Walkers who want to start high use the winter hiking ticket, which covers the Weisshorn, Brüggerhorn, Kulm, Hörnli-Express and Urdenbahn lifts for pedestrians: about CHF 56 a day for adults, CHF 37 for ages 13 to 17 and CHF 19 for ages 6 to 12 in winter 2026/27.

On ice: rinks, curling and the Untersee ice bath

The public rink in winter is the open-air artificial rink at Ochsenbühl, next to the Sports and Congress Centre, 400 m or 6 minutes from the hotel. It runs from 7 November 2026 to 29 March 2027, daily 10:00 to 17:00 from 14 November, weather permitting. Entry is about CHF 7 for adults and CHF 4 for children aged 6 to 16, skate hire is CHF 7, and skating aids are free. Evening skating runs from 28 to 30 December 2026 and then on Mondays and Thursdays from 4 January to 4 March 2027, 20:00 to 22:00. The indoor ice hall inside the centre is mostly booked for training and matches in winter. Our page on outdoor ice skating in Arosa has the route from the hotel. The Obersee, 300 m away, has frozen into a natural rink in cold, snow-free spells in past winters, but never on a schedule.

Curling is on the same rinks, 400 m from the hotel. A group session costs about CHF 150 per rink for 2 hours, for at least 4 people aged 14 and over, with instruction at CHF 60 an hour on request. Sessions are booked through the Sports and Congress Centre at sportanlagen@arosa.swiss or +41 81 378 70 36.

Ice bathing happens at the Untersee, 800 m or 11 minutes from the hotel, where a volunteer association has run Europe's first dedicated ice bath since 2021, with a sauna beside it. The 2026/27 season opens on 1 November. A guided first bath lasts about 40 minutes and costs about CHF 20, a public sauna slot is about CHF 20 in the afternoon and CHF 24 in the evening for up to 8 people at 90 degrees, and non-members pay a CHF 5 contribution per bath. Slots are booked online at eisbadi.ch and the evening slots are booked out first.

All prices and times in this guide are approximate and given as a guide. Arosa Tourismus, Arosa Bergbahnen, the Eisbadi association and the carriage operators set their own opening times and fares and adjust them from season to season, so check the current details on arosalenzerheide.swiss before you go.

On runners and wheels: sledging, fat bikes and carriage rides

Arosa has 3 toboggan runs with a combined length of 4.7 km, all free to use. The Tschuggen run ends at the Kulm gondola valley station in Innerarosa and the Prätschli run comes down to the Obersee, 300 m from the hotel. Sledges cost CHF 8 a day at the Altein reception. A sledging day ticket for the Weisshorn first section and the Kulm gondola is about CHF 33 for adults and CHF 11 for children, valid until 16:30, and our page on sledging in Arosa lists the runs and where each one starts.

Fat bikes have oversized tyres and can be ridden on the packed lower trails. Hire runs through the Bike Kingdom network that links Arosa, Lenzerheide and Chur, and a first outing takes about 2 hours.

Horse-drawn carriages wait at the railway station, 500 m from the hotel, on winter days. A ride costs about CHF 120 to 170 an hour, waiting time is CHF 60 an hour and a night tariff applies after 18:00. There is no online booking: speak to the coachmen at the station or call ahead. Current details are on arosalenzerheide.swiss.

Up the mountain without skis: Weisshorn, Bärenland and Hörnli

Altein is not ski-in, ski-out. The Weisshorn cable car valley station is 600 m away, 9 minutes on foot, and the free ski bus stops outside the hotel. Pedestrians ride the same cabins as skiers. In winter 2026/27 a return to the Weisshorn summit is about CHF 32 for adults, CHF 21 for ages 13 to 17 and CHF 11 for ages 6 to 12; a return to the middle station is CHF 16. The valley station ticket office is open 08:00 to 17:30 from 28 November 2026 to 11 April 2027. The 360° panorama restaurant is on the summit and the Brüggerstuba at the middle station.

Arosa Bärenland is at the Weisshorn middle station, 2.4 km from the hotel. The bears go into winter rest, so in winter 2026/27 it opens only on Thursday afternoons, 13:00 to 16:00, from 3 December 2026 to 25 March 2027.

The Hörnli gondola valley station is 2.8 km from the hotel, 7 minutes by car, and a return is also about CHF 32. Walkers use it for the high trails towards the Urdenbahn, which crosses to Lenzerheide and is included in the winter hiking ticket.

Current lift fares and operating times are on arosalenzerheide.swiss.

Evenings: the spa, the bar and evening ice

The 950 m² spa at Altein is included for hotel guests: indoor pool, lazy river, saunas, steam bath and a fitness room, with treatments booked at reception. Outside guests pay CHF 35 for a winter day pass. It is open until 19:00 most days and 21:00 on Fridays.

The Alchemilla Parlour Bar opens for the winter season only and is the hotel's evening room, with a circular marble bar and brass shelving. It is 400 m from the Ochsenbühl rink, which runs to 22:00 on its evening dates. Our overview of the winter season in Arosa lists the dated events, and the top 10 winter activities in Arosa page gives a shorter list.

What to book ahead

Curling sessions need a booking through the Sports and Congress Centre, evening sauna slots at the Eisbadi are booked out first, and carriage rides in Christmas week should be arranged a few days ahead. Skating, winter hiking, sledging and the lifts need no reservation, and the winter hiking ticket costs less online than at the desk. Bring winter boots with grip: the groomed trails are packed snow.

Come and spend a winter week with us in Arosa without skis.

Altein, Arosa, a Faern Collection Resort.