The 5 Hands-Down Best Winter Sledding Destinations In Europe's Alps (No Skiing Required)

With their year-round outdoor potential and strikingly beautiful vistas, there's a reason travel expert Rick Steves called the Alps "Europe's greatest natural gift." Hiking in the Alps is plentiful, skiing down the massifs is a powder-lover's dream, and via ferratas in the cliffs are heart-racing challenges for climbers, but one sport that sometimes gets overlooked among the Alps' recreational thrills is sledding. The history of sledding owes a significant lineage to the Alps, where sleds (or "schlitten" in German) were originally used for transporting supplies up and down the slopes in Switzerland. The sleds began to be used for people — for fun — in the late 19th century.

For this alpine pastime, you don't need skis, to pack for trekking, or even much skill — just a toboggan and some nerve. There are beloved sledding runs across the whole span of the Alps, from the high resorts of the French and Swiss peaks to the eastern valleys of Austria and Slovenia. But sledding in the Alps is a bit different from the short glides down bunny hills you might be more familiar with back home. The Alps' sled runs can stretch for miles downslope, careening along some steep stretches and through alpine passes. These runs are more robustly maintained, though, with groomed paths, gondolas, or even trains to take you to the start of the run.

We selected five of the best sledding destinations in the Alps with the most exciting routes, gorgeous scenery, and accessibility (such as lift access and gear rentals), using online reviews and expert recommendations to support their reputations. These are the sled runs that will stand out even among the Alps' many thrills.

The iconic, adventure-packed town of Grindelwald in Switzerland is arguably the capital of sledding. Exhibits at the local history museum cover the area's sledding history, and the town even invented its own type of sled called a velogemel — a kind of cross between a sled and a bicycle, with a wooden seat and handlebars. But Grindelwald's most famous claim to sledding is the Big Pintenfritz, the longest official sled run in Europe and perhaps, as several outlets claim, the longest in the world. Outdooractive puts the run's total distance at 14.3 kilometers (almost 9 miles), starting from the top of the Faulhorn peak.

Big Pintenfritz is hardly a casual run and has even been qualified as "extreme sledding" by The New York Times, but it's perhaps the most spectacular route you can race down without needing skis. The views from the sled run stretch to the surrounding peaks of the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau. 

Getting to the start of the sled run is quite a trek, so be prepared for some climbing. As the Jungfrau Region guide explains, you'll first need to take a cable car from Grindelwald to the First station, where there's an Intersport shop for sled rentals. Then, you need to walk with the sled for up to 2.5 hours to Faulhorn. "The ascent is long, but the sled run is an adrenaline rush!" wrote travel blogger Everything Dee. "The trip [down] takes about an hour, or if you are feeling adventurous, you can complete it in 30 minutes." The blogger also noted that there are mountain huts along the sled route where you can pause for a snack or hot drink.

One of the most stunning routes you can take in Switzerland is along the Rhaetian Railway, a UNESCO-listed railway line that crosses the Alps in a fanfare of architectural innovation and breathtaking mountain landscapes — and part of it becomes a sledding run come the snowy season. It's a well-reviewed run on Tripadvisor, with 4.5 stars, and one reviewer described, "The sled track was a lot of fun. We could go fast while still feeling totally safe ... And the views are amazing, especially when crossing the Bernina Express viaducts."

The Preda-Bergün run is 6 kilometers (almost 4 miles), starting in the peaks of Preda and winding down to a terminus in Bergün. You start by taking a schlittelzug, or "sled train" — the only one of its kind in the world, according to National Geographic — from Bergün to Preda. The Club 99 rental shop right next to the Bergün station, which has good reviews on Google, is a convenient option for picking up a sled for the day.

From the Preda station, you walk a couple of minutes to the start of the sled run. It courses along the road connecting Preda to Bergün, which is closed in the winter, making it accessible and safe for sledders. Along the winding route down, you get to pass the huts of a Maiensäss settlement, the peaks of the Albula Alps, and under the historic viaducts of the railway. The run is illuminated for after-dark sledding, too, open until 11 p.m. on Tuesdays through Sundays.

The Bramberg Toggan Run touts itself as being the longest nighttime sled run in the world, with 14 kilometers (just over 8.5 miles) of fully illuminated track (until 10 p.m.). The run is located at nearly 7,000 feet above sea level in the Wildkogel Arena, a winter sports area in Austria's Kitzbüheler Alps. The Bramberg run is a visitor favorite, and the area is widely regarded as a beautiful Austrian gem, with 4.6 stars on Tripadvisor.

The top of the run starts in the Wildkogel Arena, which you can reach from Bramberg by way of the Samaragdbahn, a cable car that takes you directly to the run. It's also possible to get there from the neighboring town of Neukirchen, from which you can take the Wildkogelbahn and then walk 10 minutes to the run. There's an Intersport store for sled rentals in Bramberg right at the station, as well as one in Neukirchen.

Despite the length and altitude of the sled run, it courses at a steady decline that makes it less terrifying. "I was initially concerned about how safe it was as I was sledding with a child, but for most of [the] run it is long and winding," a Tripadvisor reviewer wrote, adding "There are some spots where it gets quite fast, especially towards the end, but safety was never an issue." Halfway down the run, there's a bar and restaurant called Zwischenzeit, with 4.6 stars on Google, where you can stop for refreshments and socializing.

With a name like Cosmojet, you can see what's in store for the sledding run that prides itself on being the longest in France. The run is located in Val Thorens, one of the main ski resort villages that make up Les Trois Vallées, one of the largest (and most beautiful) ski areas in the world, perched over 7,500 feet up in the French Alps. The toboggan run has 4.1 stars on Tripadvisor, beloved most by thrill seekers. Cosmojet truly zooms you down the mountain, so expect a few crashes on this one.

As the Val Thorens site explains, you start the sledding excursion by taking a gondola lift, the Fenitel Péclet, from the base of Val Thorens up the slope of Aiguille de Péclet. A nice perk of the Cosmojet setup is that a single ticket covers the price of the sled rental, lift, and helmet. There's a restaurant at the top and views of the Péclet glacier.

After cruising down a short piste section, the route then becomes its own dedicated sledding run, shooting you down the mountain slope for 6 kilometers (about 3.7 miles). The steepness and resulting momentum you'll gain are decidedly serious. "[T]his ain't for the faint-hearted!" one Tripadvisor reviewer wrote, continuing, "There are brakes on the taboggans, but you can find yourself going seriously fast at times ... at one point I was going so fast I hit a bump and took off about half a metre in the air!"

The Rodelbahn Wallberg is a highly scenic sled run in the lovely Bavarian town of Rottach-Egern. The run passes through alpine forests and meadows, with views of the wooded Mangfall Mountains of the Alps and the lakeside town below. One Google Local Guide said, "Beautiful! In good weather, there are fantastic views over Lake Tegernsee and all the way to Munich on one side, and the Alps on the other."

You start by taking the Wallbergbahn, a cable car, up the Wallberg Mountain, as the Wallberg site instructs. There are sled rentals available before you enter the cable car if you don't have your own, but reviewers have noted that sled availability is limited, so you should arrive early to guarantee you'll get one. Plus, with the run's popularity, the track can get worn slick and rutted from all the sled traffic.

The Rodelbahn run then winds for 6.5 kilometers (4 miles) down the mountain. Entdecke Deutschland notes that the initial leg of the run is exhilarating, with some very steep sections and hairpin turns, so it's not suitable for children. A nice opportunity for respite is two huts you can stop at along the route. One is a simple mulled wine hut, and the other is the Wallbergmoosalm, which serves some classic Bavarian staples like Käsespätzle (a noodle-and-cheese dish) and apple strudel. There are also a couple of interesting landmarks at the top of the mountain, including a more upscale, panoramic restaurant and the spired Wallberg Chapel.

Sledding has evolved into an important winter adventure sport in the Alps, and we narrowed down five spots that embody the thrill and sights of alpine sledding. Drawing from lists of reputable sled runs shared by travel bloggers and tour operators, we first looked at how accessible the runs were to travelers, focusing on those with convenient sled rentals and established routes for getting to them. Then, we singled out those that offer the most fun and exciting experiences, based on what past sledders have described on Google reviews, Tripadvisor, and travel blogs. Unique scenery and landmarks were another factor that cut down the list to the top five — historic sites, glacial views, and illuminated tracks at night, for example, give each of these runs something distinct (and distinctly alpine).