We live in Germany, but we are far from the Alps. Instead, we found a pretty great alternative for a day in the snow at an indoor ski facility. With a family ski trip coming up, we needed one more practice day with our oldest son, who is ten. He wanted to switch from his usual snowboarding to skiing for this trip due to an arm injury, but I did not want him to feel like a complete beginner. I knew he was capable of catching up to the skill level of his younger brother on skis, but I also wanted a fun one-on-one mother son snow day with him before putting him into an advanced level class during our holiday.
I assumed we could find some type of slope within an hour of our house in Germany. Unfortunately, even in January, everything nearby was closed due to low snow levels, which is common since we live far from the Alps region. During my search, I came across SnowWorld, an indoor ski facility just over the border in France, and knew we had to try it. It turns out it is not just one location, but an indoor skiing chain with locations throughout France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. The closest location to us is in Amnéville, France, so we packed up our skis one Monday afternoon and made the roughly one-hour drive to check it out.
Tickets and gear
The location itself was convenient, with a bit of a warehouse district vibe. The parking lot was fairly empty, and we were greeted by a very kind receptionist. After purchasing our tickets, we headed to the locker rooms to suit up. The facility was clearly set up to handle crowds and even had a large restaurant area, but we skipped right past all of that and went straight to the slopes. There were no lines at all.
Because we brought our own skis, we only paid for the passes. Our four hour pass starting at 4 pm was about thirty euros per person. Prices vary depending on the time of day, but the afternoon and evening pass starting at 4pm was the best deal. We also paid two euros to rent a locker for the four hours. The facility was well equipped with everything from skis to parkas and even a small tubing area, so if you do not have gear, it would be easy to get fully set up on site.
They did mention that helmets and gloves are required, so keep that in mind even if you bring your own equipment. At minus five degrees inside the facility, you definitely want to come prepared for cold temperatures. I personally underestimated the cold and found myself wishing I had an extra layer and warmer socks.
Hitting the slopes
After scanning our barcode tickets, we entered through sliding glass doors and found ourselves facing a very cold, fluorescent-lit ski slope with a bit of a strange smell. Despite that first impression, we were impressed by the overall size and layout, especially given that there were only a handful of other skiers there.
We started on the green slope, which featured a magic carpet lift and a run of about one hundred meters. After a couple of runs there, we moved on to the blue and red slope, which shared a much longer button lift and a run of over six hundred meters. Do you know what I mean? Button lifts are the kind of lift with the short pole and disc that goes between your legs and pulls you uphill. I have determined that there is no graceful way to execute a button lift, but it is far easier on skis than on a snowboard. Just ask my son, who was very happy to be back on skis.
SnowWorld advertises both a blue and a red slope, which are essentially one long run. The right side is designated blue, while the left side functions as a red run with a series of jumps and obstacles. You can move between the two at several points, which makes it easy to try a red feature without committing to the full line. The blue run itself was quite tame, which is great for beginners, while the red side added just enough challenge to keep things interesting.
Was it worth it
For us, the main goal was helping my son feel confident on skis again instead of his usual snowboard. And yes, it was exactly what I needed to feel sure he was ready before our trip. It gave me reassurance as a parent, and it gave him the confidence to start his ski course on the right… ski.
Since he had skied before and picked it back up quickly, we did not sign him up for a formal lesson, though lessons were available through the well known esf French ski company. Four hours was more than enough time for him to complete the transition back to skiing. Any longer may have felt like overkill, given the repetitive nature of an indoor slope (plus I was underdressed and really cold by the end). I would say a two hour stay would also be great for a quick refresher. And if you are an advanced skier, this is probably only worth it if you want to play around on the jumps and obstacles. Otherwise, it may not feel like much of a thrill.
They are open year-round, so this could be a fun way to keep up ski skills during warmer months as well. It would definitely feel like even more of a novelty if it was summer outside the doors.
Final thoughts
- SnowWorld was a win for getting my son comfortable on skis again
- It is definitely not a replacement for or the same vibe as real mountain skiing
- It could work for a first time skier, but the beginner area is not as nice as most traditional kids ski zones, so expectations should be realistic
- It is perfect for brushing up on skills before a bigger ski trip
- It is also ideal for practicing in a low pressure environment
We had a blast at SnowWorld, and it was exactly what we needed to get ready for our ski holiday.
