Skiing in Malbun, Liechtenstein's small ski resort

Liechtenstein has a single ski resort and you can cover all of it in a day. I don’t see that as a flaw. Malbun is small, friendly and half an hour by bus from the capital, and for some trips that’s exactly what you want. Here’s what it has, when it opens and who I’d send there.

What’s there, in numbers

According to the tourist board, Malbun has 23 km of runs, from easy cruising to steeper stuff, served by three chairlifts and a double T-bar that top out at about 2,000 metres. The village sits at about 1,600, so the vertical is modest. The lifts are the Täli, a six-seater with heated seats and a wind bubble, the Hochegg and Sareis four-seaters, and the Schneeflucht T-bar. Since the 2006-2007 season there’s been snowmaking along the main runs. Bergbahnen Malbun doesn’t publish a count of runs by colour, and I’d rather not invent one.

The 2026-2027 season and lift hours

The season starts on 19 December 2026 and ends on 4 April 2027. The Hochegg starts at 8:30 and stops at 16:00, the Täli and Sareis run from 9:00 to 16:15, and the Schneeflucht and malbi-park from 9:00 to 16:00. The operator reserves the right to stop lifts in strong wind or very bad weather. An adult day pass is CHF 55 and a child’s CHF 30, with half-day and afternoon tickets too. I break the lot down on the Malbun ski pass page.

Is it good for beginners and children?

That’s where it shines. The malbi-park is right in the village and it’s free. It has a snow carousel for first wobbles, a magic carpet so nobody has to climb, and the malbi-express, a children’s tow for that first go on a real lift. There’s a bistro next door for warming up. For lessons, the tourist board lists two schools, the Schneesportschule Malbun, an official Swiss ski school, and Skicoach.li. Children born in 2020 or later ski free if you show ID.

It has pedigree, too. Bergbahnen Malbun calls itself a cradle of champions, because Hanni and Andi Wenzel, Paul and Willi Frommelt, Tina Weirather and Marco Büchel all learnt here. The country’s first Olympians trained in Malbun back in the winter of 1935-1936.

A resort that nearly closed

The lift history explains a lot about the place. Malbun got its first T-bar in 1962, the Sareis chairlift in 1963 and the Täli and Schneeflucht tows in 1966, run by two separate companies that merged into Bergbahnen Malbun in 2000 because of money troubles. In 2003 it became clear the lifts would lose their Swiss federal operating permit after the 2004-2005 winter. Parliament and the municipalities then backed a CHF 26 million project, 75 % paid from public funds, and on 8 December 2006 the new chairlifts and snow cannons opened. At heart, it’s a resort the country chose to keep.

Beyond the pistes

For those who can already ski, the Täli fun park has rollers, turns, boxes and rails and a snail with a tunnel. Every afternoon from 16:00 to 16:15 the Täli and Sareis chairs carry sledges up, and you ride down the runs once the skiers have gone, with a valid ticket. There’s an ice rink at the village entrance, guided snowshoeing and, a short drive away, the cross-country trails at Steg. I’ve gathered it all in Liechtenstein in winter.

Getting there and parking

Bus 21 climbs from Vaduz in about 30 minutes. With a season or annual pass the bus and ski buses are free in 2026-2027; with a day pass you pay like any other passenger, by card or app. By car, the car parks fill up on sunny days, and then a free shuttle runs up from Steg, according to the operator. Ski, snowboard and snowshoe hire is at Malbun Sport in the centre.

My honest take

If you’re after big mileage, Malbun will feel small after a couple of days, and there’s no point coming to Liechtenstein for a week just to ski. But for a weekend with children who are starting out, for someone getting back on skis after years off, or for anyone who wants to say they’ve skied in Liechtenstein, I’d recommend it without hesitation. The resort is also holding a public Stöckli ski test on 20 and 21 February 2027, a good excuse if you fancy trying new kit. If you’re staying over, look at the hotels in Malbun, as several are right by the slopes.