Off-season · Deep Winter
The coldest, driest snow of the year and the valley at its most hushed, broken once, spectacularly, by the World Cup circus rolling into Wengen.
Yes, it is the heart of winter, with the driest, coldest snow of the season and, after the New Year crowds leave, a remarkably quiet valley. The Lauberhorn World Cup races bring one spectacular busy weekend in mid-January; the fortnight after is one of the calmest, best-value ski windows of the year.
The longest, fastest downhill in the World Cup, 4.4 km, 160 km/h, tens of thousands of fans in a car-free village. Wengen sells out a year ahead.
Official source →A groomed 4.5 km toboggan run that shadows the legendary Lauberhorn downhill course. Ride the race line at your own pace.
Route details →The Jungfrau Eiger run after dark, head-torches, cold air and the north face a black wall above you.
Both villages keep outdoor ice rinks through winter. Lace up for a skate or try curling high above the valley, a good call when the light is flat or the lifts are on wind hold.
Also in January
18 to 24 January 2027
Just up the valley in Grindelwald, international teams carve giant figures from three metre blocks of snow over five days. You can watch the artists at work in the village squares and up on Männlichen, the finished sculptures lit in colour each evening and often standing well into February. Admission is free, and the 2027 motto is Animal Worlds.
Common questions
Yes. Beyond skiing there are winter walking paths, sledging, the Jungfraujoch railway, frozen waterfalls and the simple beauty of the snow-covered valley. Many visitors come purely for the scenery.
Cold, valley-floor lows around −10°C and highs near freezing, colder than the months either side. Dress in warm layers; the cold comes with the driest, most reliable snow up high.
The two weeks after the New Year holiday and after the mid-January Lauberhorn weekend are among the quietest of the whole year, with low rates to match.
On the valley floor, steps from the trailheads and the village, the practical, best-value base whatever the season (and right by the winter ski shuttle).