Meiringen Hasliberg Ski Resort Switzerland
Meiringen-Hasliberg is a quiet but expansive ski resort in canton Bern, Switzerland. Relatively unknown outside Switzerland & Germany it makes a fabulous alternative to the popular & nearby Jungfrau ski region. Easily accessible by train from Lucerne or Interlaken, the resort sits above an alpine 'bench' above the valley, and all terrain is generally west to southwest aspect, allowing for cold, crisp mornings and sun-soaked afternoons.
Pros & Cons for Meiringen Hasliberg Ski Resort
Pros
- Fabulous alpine ski terrain in an under-stated resort.
- Over 1,400m skiable vertical.
- Snow-sure in the high alpine zone.
- On piste trails for all abilities
- Fun & varied off-piste & freeride terrain above the treeline.
- Uncrowded during the week.
- Vast amount of non-ski winter activities available.
- Numerous mountain restaurants to choose from.
- Easy public transport access from Zurich & Lucerne by train to Meiringen, plus buses from the Brünig Hasliberg station.
Cons
- Busy on weekends
- Lack of snow-making into Twing makes its valley trail more of an ‘off-piste’ expedition!
- Some lifts are showing their age.
- Paying for parking out in the open sucks - why do they do it? (Wouldn’t happen in Austria; well most places anyway!)
Pro or Con (depending on your perspective!)
- Accommodation spread across several centres (mainly Twing, Reuti & Meiringen).
- Meiringen cable bar base is an uphill walk from the centre of town.
Skiing & Snowboarding, Lifts & Terrain
The resort is by no means a lightweight. Meiringen-Hasliberg has 60km of ski trails on south-west aspect slopes, a skiable vertical of nearly 1,400m, highest lifted point of 2,433m & a longest run approaching 9km long. Whilst there is no valley trail all the way down to the major (& low elevation) town of Meiringen, a cable car connects it to the resort via the hamlet of Hasliberg-Reuti.
Check out the ski trail map for Meiringen Hasliberg below.
Journeying all the way to the top of the resort reveals a supremely impressive, expansive alpine bowl below the Glogghüs & Rothorn peaks. Despite visiting on the busiest day of the year piste trails were not overtly busy, and the off-piste was deserted (Yay!). Whilst the piste trails are as good as anywhere, for us the real juice in the resort is from the top of the quad chair up to Glogghüs, the sidecountry chutes accessible from a bootpack along the ridge to the Rothorn summit, plus all the terrain from the Alpen Tower gondola in to Reuti. Despite some aspects being sun-baked and cruddy, we still found fresh, dry snow (including untracked) without too much effort. And we are sure that with a little more time, we would have discovered loads more. Given the numbers of skiers on the hill, the off-piste was relatively lightly tracked (except the obvious zone directly under the Alpen Tower gondola!). A visit on a midweek powder day would reap untold rewards!
The valley trails to the Rueti base area are long, rollicking beauties and a perfect way to finish (or start) a day! If taking the cable car up from the valley station at Meiringen, start early. It is at least a 10 to 15min walk from the centre of town to the cable car's discreetly located valley station. Skiing down to Hasliberg Wasserwendi/Twing below the Lischen gondola mid-station is more like an off-piste run due to a lack of snow-making and sunny afternoon aspect. Whilst we didn't ski it, we suspect the trail to Hohfluh (piste #20) is similar.
The ski lifts in the resort are mostly well positioned to make the best of the sometimes-awkward terrain. Despite some large crowds during our visit, lift lines were swift. The busiest points are the mid-mountain zones of Käserstatt, Mägisalp & Bidmi. Mägisalp is awkwardly located on a small rise with long flat sections leading to it from the upper mountain. Snowboarders will want to 'straight line' the lower sections of piste trails 6, 12 & 13 to get to it without walking. During our visit (on a sunny weekend) it seemed most people in the resort were large family groups, hanging about on a few easy piste trails and around the super-busy mid-mountain area of Bidmi.
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Where is Meiringen-Hasliberg Switzerland?
The Meiringen Hasliberg ski resort is in the canton Bern in central Switzerland, just east of the Lake Brienz & the Jungfrau region. Centred on the main valley town of Meiringen and the 'alpine terrace' broadly known as Hasliberg, it is only 50km (45min) by road from the fabulous city of Lucerne. However, being in the Swiss Alps, we recommend taking the train to the resort.
Gateway international airports to the region are at Zurich (ZRH) or, at a stretch, perhaps Geneva (GVA). Travel to the resort is easiest from Zurich airport which is only 115km (1½hr) by road to the northeast of Meiringen, or 2½hr (for the best connections in the early morning) by train via Luzern (Lucerne). From Lucerne, the train journey is fabulous as one journeys through classic Swiss countryside into the mountains. Alternative (and equally fascinating) train journeys can be undertaken from the north & west via, Bern, Spiez & Interlaken Ost. Trains via Bern are far more frequent and take around 3hr to reach Meiringen. Regardless of which way one travels, the journey usually involves 3 to 4 different trains. That’s not a problem though, connections are usually seamless - this is Switzerland after all!
There are two main access points to the resort by train. The obvious one, as mentioned above is via the large station at Meiringen, adjacent to the town’s accommodation & only 700m from the cable car base up to Hasliberg and the skiing. The other is via the Brünig Hasliberg station at Brünig Pass and then taking the route 158 PostBus to one of the villages higher up the mountain. Trains to the Brünig Hasliberg station take a little over 2hr from Zurich airport via Lucerne, or 10min from Meiringen. From Bruenig Pass the bus leaves once every hour through the day & takes 11min to get to the lifts & hotels at Hasliberg Wasserwendi - Twing, or 27min to get to the lifts & hotels at Hasliberg Reuti.
Search & book train tickets to Meiringen or Brünig Pass. From Bruenig Pass, buy a bus ticket to Hasliberg from the driver.
Once in the area, local buses between the town centre & cable car base in Meiringen, plus a local 'taxi' up in the Hasliberg hamlets are free for holders of the resort's ski pass.
By rental car, there are large car parks at the three main base areas - two on Hasliberg (Reuti, Twing) & the valley town of Meiringen. There are no direct road connections between Meiringen & Hasliberg. Access to Hasliberg from Meiringen is via the Brünigpass. All parking is paid (WTF!). The Twing car park is a huge undercover facility discreetly situated in the mountainside. The roads to the resort area generally good but note that ascent of the Brünig Pass from the Lucerne side might be challenging in heavy snow/ice conditions.
If train or rental car are not your style, search & book here for all airport transfers to Meiringen Hasliberg.
For hints, tips & warnings about getting to Swiss ski resorts in winter, see our Travel in Switzerland page.
Meiringen & Hasliberg Accommodation
Accommodation at the resort is split between two distinct sectors - the valley town of Meiringen & the 'alpine terrace' located Hasliberg. Each has their merits. Meiringen has all the benefits of a large town, and Hasliberg has a more alpine resort, small village vibe, plus better access to the ski lifts.
Search & book all Meiringen-Hasliberg ski accommodation.
Meiringen is a medium sized town of around 4,500 people at 600m elevation & with a convenient railway station near its centre and convenient to all hotels. From the station, the Meiringen-Reuti cable car is a short 700m (10 to 15min) stroll away through the centre of town. Meiringen has all relevant services, bars and restaurants. The stately looking Parkhotel du Sauvage would be the place to stay, though it is 4-star and comes with the price-tag to go with that.
Hasliberg is split between four lower-mountain hamlets, all between 1,000m to 1,200m elevation - Hohfluh, Twing-Wasserwendi, Goldern & Reuti.
Hasliberg-Reuti is the most convenient of the hamlets with good ski trail & gondola lift connections, plus the cable car down to Meiringen & the valley. Two hotels located adjacent the Rueti gondola station are the best places to stay on the mountain (Hotel Panorama & Hotel Rueti Hasliberg). Only a few steps from the lift station or valley trail, Hotel Rueti has some lively après ski available too. A modern, comfortable & affordable hostel option in the hamlet is Hostel C'est la Vie, where one can get private or shared rooms.
Hasliberg-Wasserwendi/Twing has equally good gondola lift access, but no cable car connection to Meiringen, plus the valley trail to it has no snowmaking, making it a questionable skiing proposition below the mid-station.
Around the train station at Brünig Pass are a few decent 'overflow' accommodation locations. Similarly, Interlaken or Brienz could also be a convenient base, particularly if one has their own rental car.
Review
The Powderhounds reviewed Meiringen Hasliberg in February 2022 and had a great time despite being a sunny, busy Sunday. Click on the review link in the left column (or top of the page if on a mobile) to read all the reviews.
See how Meiringen Hasliberg compares to the rest of the European ski resorts on the Europe ski resort ratings page.
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