Lenk with Kids: Our Family Stay at Lenkerhof Gourmet Spa Resort in Lenk (part of Adelboden-Lenk ski area)

Family Fun Factor
2 hours ago
7 min read

A family getaway in a Lenkerhof gourmet spa resort with a kids’ club, set in a beautiful village with access to two ski areas. Lenk | Canton of Bern | Switzerland

The "it" factor

Munggeweg Amden hike Amdo Mugg Groundhog

What makes it special:

Calm, uncrowded village: Under-the-radar Lenk means fewer queues, less stress and a genuinely relaxed family atmosphere.
Two ski areas, one base: Betelberg is ideal for kids and beginners, with easy access to the main Adelboden–Lenk area as skills grow.
Plenty beyond skiing: Sledging, ice skating, winter walks and cosy mountain huts keep non-ski days just as enjoyable.
Family-focused stays: From luxury hotels to slope-side mountain.

What to consider:

Not a party destination: This is a quiet, family-focused place — great for quality time, but not for lively après-ski.
Beginner access matters: True beginner areas are best accessed via Betelberg; the main Adelboden side suits kids already confident on blue slopes.

The fun factor

Lenk is a small, relaxed mountain village in the Bernese Oberland and part of the Adelboden–Lenk ski region. It’s still relatively under the radar, which makes it a real hide-away for families looking to avoid crowds.

The village is compact and easy to navigate, with two family-friendly ski areas, plenty of winter activities beyond skiing, and a good choice of restaurants all within short distances and family friendly hotels.

There are many family-friendly places to stay in Lenk. We were traveling with grandpa and chose Lenkerhof Gourmet Spa Resort. Their three-generation packages and well-designed setup for families made it an especially good choice, and it worked beautifully for all of us — kids, parents and grandparents.

To help you plan, we’ve detailed Lenk adventures below.

Mountain adventures

Learn to ski in Betelberg

Betelberg is one of the two Lenk’s ski area and works especially well for beginners or people who start to feel more comfortable on skis. It has around 11 lifts and about 42 km of slopes, with a strong focus on blue and easy red runs (roughly half blue, half red). What makes it great for families is the large, easily accessible beginner area at the top, gentle beginner runs (especially between Leiterli and Stoss) and open, wide slopes that are especially great for progressing from the magic carpets.

A real highlight for families is kinderland Stoss, a well-designed learning area for kids. Childcare is available at the Alphüttli, where children aged 3–10 can be looked after with or without ski lessons, by the hour or for a full day. The hut is easy to reach on foot from the Stoss mid-station, and no prior registration is required.

There’s also the Swiss Ski School Lenk, which is very well rated — we haven’t tried it ourselves, but reviews from families are excellent (5.0 on google). During winter, they even organise kids’ parties every Thursday from 5:00–6:00 pm at Dancing Wildstrubel, right opposite the railway station.

How to get there:

Starting point is Lenk - Stoss gondola. It is situated just next to the Lenkerhof gourmet spa resort. There is a large parking area and a bus stop next to it.

The value factor:

Lift ticket prices are dynamic and depend on the date, so it’s best to book in advance. For adults, prices range from CHF 48–68 for a full day, CHF 43–53 for a 4-hour pass, and from CHF 26 if you only need access to the beginner area. You can find the latest prices here.

Enjoy sledding in Betelberg

If you’re into sledging, Betelberg is also a great option. From the Leiterli mountain station, there’s a 3 km toboggan run that works perfectly for children and families, with sledges available to rent right at the start. If you’re up for more, there’s also a longer 6 km run all the way down to Pöschenried, with a shuttle bus bringing you back to the valley (just check in advance, as this section can be closed if there isn’t enough snow). The runs are groomed daily, and there are cosy mountain huts along the way — perfect for a break and enjoying the views.

Explore Adelboden-Lenk 86 km of slopes

On the other side of the village, you can access the main resort Adelboden–Lenk ski area with 86 km of slopes and 22 lifts.

How to get there:

The main and most convenient access is from Metsch, where you’ll find a large parking area right off the main road and a bus stop. Stand Xpress Rothenbach - Metsch gondola that takes you straight up to beautiful views. From there, the slopes are slightly more demanding than Bühlberg, but still very manageable for intermediate skiers.

The easiest slopes can be accessed directly from Bühlberg. You can take a bus there or drive. Just note that the road up is very narrow, parking is limited, and traffic is regulated — it’s only open one direction every 30 minutes. We had no issues getting there and parking in the off-season, but during peak season it can be more challenging.

We took our lessons with Swiss Ski School Adelboden on the main Adelboden-Lenk ski slopes. The school was great, but if you are staying in Lenk we’d recommend it for kids who are already comfortable on blue slopes, as there’s no direct access to a beginner area from Lenk on this side. The main beginner area, Geils, is reachable by skiing throug blue slopes.

The food factor

A real family favourite in the Adelboden–Lenk area is the pasta pot + dessert + drink combo, which you can order at several mountain restaurants. Depending on the location and version, it costs roughly between CHF 29 and CHF 45 in total, making it an easy and budget-friendly lunch option on the slopes.

On the Betelberg side, you’ll find this offer at Berghaus Leiterli, right by the Leiterli mountain station. In the main Adelboden–Lenk ski area, the same family pasta offers are available at Restaurant Geilsbrüggli and Berghütte Metsch & Restaurant Sillerenbühl.

Beyond the slopes

Ice skating

If your family enjoys ice skating, there’s a lovely ice rink right in the village, easy to reach on foot. It’s a relaxed, local spot that works just as well for casual skating with kids as it does for a fun break from skiing.

Winter walks

There are also several winter walking routes both in the village and up on the mountain. We haven’t had a chance to try them ourselves yet, but they look well laid out and sound like a lovely option for non-ski days.

Plus there are more family adventures in Lenk listed on the official website.

Where to stay: The comfort factor

If you’re staying overnight, there are plenty of family friendly accommodation options to choose from — you can explore them here.

We stayed at Lenkerhof gourmet spa resort, a luxury hotel that still feels genuinely welcoming for families. What we especially loved was their three-generation package, designed for parents, kids and grandparents, as well as the option for connecting rooms, which made traveling together comfortable and easy for everyone.

Lenkerhof gourmet spa resort is part of Relais & Châteaux, and while it’s definitely a luxury hotel, it never feels stiff or overdone. Everything is beautiful and well thought through, but in a relaxed, comfortable way. The experience felt welcoming from the moment we arrived — from the welcome drink to the elegant interiors and even occasional live music in the lobby.

Our daughter genuinely felt like a princess walking through the halls. One of our favourite little details was the large chess board, where grandpa and granddaughter spent quality time playing together.

The family rooms are simple but really stylish. What we loved when traveling with granddad were the connecting rooms — it made everything so much easier. Whenever we needed a quiet moment, our daughter could pop next door, and granddad was always happy to have her.

There’s also a kids’ club you can pop into anytime and just play. Grandpa and granddaughter spent ages at the table football, completely in their own world. During the season, they also offer supervised care and family activities. We even made candles together and later lit them at Christmas — one of those small, meaningful moments that stay with you long after the trip ends.

The pool area is great — there’s a big pool for proper swimming, an outdoor heated pool with mountain views, and a slide we had to go down about 20 times. Just a heads-up: there isn’t a shallow kids’ pool, so bring swimming aids if your child can’t swim yet. That said, there’s a small shop on site with swimming gear, which is a lifesaver if you forget something.

The spa area is really impressive, with several saunas and a great selection of treatments. It’s mainly focused on adults, but they do offer a few treatments for kids too. When we went, our granddaughter somehow convinced grandpa that a pedicure was a brilliant idea — and she absolutely loved it. There’s also a fitness room, and yoga classes are offered a couple of times a week.

The food factor

The hotel is also known for its gourmet food, with two restaurants on site. We tried the gourmet dinner and went for the six-course menu — and genuinely loved it. There’s also a kids’ menu, so everyone is covered. On evenings when you want something more low-key, you can just order burgers at the bar, which felt very us.

Breakfast is excellent too, and a small detail we loved: there’s a little kids’ corner with a treasure chest filled with treats, which instantly made mornings more fun for our daughter.

Mountain stay

If you’re looking to stay right on the slopes, Berghütte Metsch has a great family winter deal. The package includes ski-in ski-out access, accommodation, meals, lift tickets and extra perks for kids, making it a convenient and relaxed choice for families who want to make the most of their time on the mountain without worrying about logistics.