Making the Most of Winter in Malbun, Liechtenstein – A Family Guide

Family Fun Factor
Jan 14
7 min read

A stay at a family hotel in a small ski resort, combined with other family-friendly activities in Liechtenstein. Malbun | Liechtenstein

The "it" factor

Munggeweg Amden hike Amdo Mugg Groundhog

What makes it special:

Small, uncrowded village: Compact layout, short distances and a calm atmosphere.
Easy skiing access: Beginner areas and gentle blue slopes are located directly in the village.
Non-ski activities: Ice skating, sledging, winter walks, llama walks, an experience trail and outdoor adventure games.
Family-oriented accommodation: Hotels clearly set up for families.

What to consider:

Quiet evenings: No large après-ski or nightlife.
Snow-dependent conditions: Some slopes may be closed if snowfall is limited.
Limited terrain size: Best suited for easy family day out

Malbun in Liechtenstein Family Adventures

Walkthrough video

The fun factor

Malbun in Liechtenstein is a small mountain village right at the end of a valley and Liechtenstein’s main ski area. It’s quiet, compact and very low-key. The ski slopes are easy and work really well for families.

What we really liked is that it’s not only about skiing — it works well for families in general. There are friendly family hotels, easy walks, a relaxed ice rink, outdoor play areas, and even llama walks through the forest. Everything is close together, which makes days feel simpler and less rushed, and you don’t have to deal with the crowds you get in bigger resorts.

The value factor:

If you are staying overnight, you receive the WELCOME Adventure Pass, which gives you free public transport and discounts — ideal for casual exploration. The All-INCLUSIVE Adventure Pass is an optional paid upgrade and a great choice for active days, as it covers some chairlifts in Malbun, museums in Vaduz, public transport across Liechtenstein, and family activities like ice skating or outdoor adventure games.

To help you plan, we’ve detailed Malbun in Liechtenstein adventures below.

Mountain adventures

Learn to ski in Malbi-Park

Learning to ski in Malbun is easy. The beginner area (Malbi-Park) is right in the village, with gentle slopes and magic carpets that work really well for kids. We always appreciate when the beginner area doesn’t require a lift pass — it makes dropping kids off simple, even if not everyone in the family wants to ski.

There’s also a ski school on site; we didn’t try it ourselves, but it’s very highly rated on Google.

Build confidence on easy blue slopes in the village

Right at the entrance to the village, next to the parking area and JUFA Hotel Malbun, there’s a wide, very gentle blue slope. We left our daughter there with granddad, and they could safely practice their skills while we went off to explore the area.

Explore more slopes across the Malbun ski area

The Malbun ski area in Liechtenstein offers 23 km of pistes served by 6 lifts (including three chairlifts) with a range of easy to more challenging slopes. Of the total, roughly 11 km are easy/blue runs, 9 km are intermediate/red, and about 3 km are more difficult/black slopes.

Do keep in mind that this is a relatively small, snow-dependent area — some slopes can be closed if snowfall is limited. On our visit the Silberhorn side was open (right side from the village), but the Sareis side (left side) was closed for skiing due to conditions, so be sure to check the slope status before you head up. Plus, as the slopes are surrounded by mountains, it can get shady quite early in the afternoon.

Head up to Sareis just for the views

Even if the Sareis side slopes are closed, the lift is usually still running, so you can head up just for the views. Great option for non-skiers in the family. We did exactly that — walked a little higher for a better panorama, then enjoyed a coffee at a Saeris restaurant with an outdoor terrace and beautiful views before heading back down.

With the ALL INCLUSIVE Adventure Pass, you get a free ascent and descent on the Sareis chairlift. If you have the WELCOME Adventure Pass, you benefit from a 20% discount on the ticket price.

Skiing: The value factor

Prices are indicative and subject to change. Always refer to the official websites for the most up-to-date information.

Day passes:

Adults: 55 CHF full day | 37.50 half-day
Kids (born 2010 - 2018): 30 full day | 20 half-day
Kids born after 2018: Free

Family tickets, multiple day tickets, single rides and points cards are also available here

Go sledding

Sledging in Malbun is a really nice way to mix things up, and there are a few easy options depending on how much energy everyone has. The Turna → Malbun run does involve a short walk uphill (around 20–30 minutes from the village), but it’s an easy walk and the ride back down is fun and rewarding. For younger kids, there’s also a small, secured sledging slope near the chapel, perfect for a quick play session.

And for a fun end-of-day option, every day between 16:00 and 16:15 you can take the Täli chairlift up with a valid ticket from Bergbahnen Malbun and sledge down — no uphill walk needed.

Beyond the slopes

Try ice skating

If your family enjoys ice skating, Malbun has a great ice rink right at the entrance to the village. The Schlucher-Treff ice rink is open daily in winter and even floodlit in the evening. There’s equipment rental on site and a small restaurant as well. Tickets are valid for the whole day, so if you want to make the most of it, you can come back and skate several times. And if you have the All Inclusive Adventure Pass, skating is included for free.

Embark on an experience trail

The Forscherweg (Experience Trail) in Malbun is a lovely winter walk for families looking for something beyond skiing. We did it in winter with grandpa and really enjoyed it. It’s an easy, relaxed walk with a few small playful stops along the way. In summer there’s an explorer backpack, but in winter it works perfectly as a calm nature walk, especially on non-ski days.

The path itself is easy but narrow in places, so good shoes are recommended, especially if it’s snowy or icy. It’s not stroller-friendly. Before heading out, it’s worth checking the latest conditions at the tourist information office.

Details:

• ⏱️ approx. 2 hours

• 📏 about 2.8 km (out and back)

• ⬆️ around 150 m elevation gain

Solve puzzles around Malbun village

Malbun also offers Outdoor Adventure Rooms — an outdoor puzzle hunt through the village using clues on an ipad. There are two game options, each taking around 90 minutes, and they’re suitable for kids from around 8 years and up (younger children usually need a lot of help from adults). We didn’t try it ourselves, but it sounds like a fun off-slope activity. The starting point is at Malbun Center, and with the All Inclusive Adventure Pass one game is included.

Go on a llama walk

About a 12-minute drive from Malbun, in Triesenberg, you can join a Lama & Alpaca Trekking experience — and we really loved it. We did the 1.5-hour walk, which was great. The llamas were very calm, friendly and gentle, and the whole experience was easygoing and well organised. Each adult walks with a llama on a leash, while kids share a llama with an adult but still get their own leash. She loved it — and so did grandpa.

Just note that the walk goes along forest paths, so good shoes are important. There are also longer options available that include fondue or raclette if you want to turn it into a proper experience.

With the ALL INCLUSIVE Adventure Pass you receive a reduction of CHF 10 on all Lama- & Alpakahof tours.

Visit Vaduz

For a simple city break, we recommend Vaduz, the capital of Liechtenstein — it’s close and easy with kids. Vaduz is actually famous for its postage stamps, and we visited the PostMuseum, which is small but fun and surprisingly interesting (not interactive though). You can also walk through town and up to Vaduz Castle (you can’t go inside, but the walk and views are meant to be beautiful (we’ve seen the photos, though during our visit it was very foggy), or go ice skating in the village. With the All Inclusive Adventure Pass, museums and ice skating are included.

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

Where to stay: The comfort factor

There are only a few hotels in Malbun in Liechtenstein, which makes the whole stay feel much more cosy. There are two that are particularly focused on families:

Jufa Hotel Malbun

We’ve stayed in Malbun twice, and on our last visit we chose JUFA Hotel Malbun. It’s a family-focused hotel with a ski-in, ski-out option, a nice restaurant, and a really relaxed atmosphere. The staff were lovely, and we genuinely felt at ease there. There’s also a wellness area with a spa, though no swimming pool, which was fine for us given everything else the hotel offers.

The real highlight for us were the playrooms. There are two right next to the restaurant — honestly genius — so kids can play while parents actually enjoy their meal. One is a small playroom with toys for the youngest ones, and the second is a bigger space with climbing structures and a climbing wall. There are also two more downstairs: one with supervised care and activities during peak season, and a large sports hall. Our daughter spent hours there playing hockey and badminton with grandpa.

Jufa Hotel Malbun: the food factor

We had the all-inclusive option, which we really liked. It also meant we could pop back to the hotel for a quick lunch, as it’s directly connected to the slopes — super easy and very practical with kid.

Dinner is served as a fixed menu with a choice of main courses, so you can always pick between something a bit more special or a more down-to-earth option. The kids’ meals were also very creative — familiar favourites, but presented in a fun way. Our daughter especially loved getting a smiley sausage face!

Gorfion Familienhotel

During our first visit a few years back, we stayed at Gorfion Familienhotel, which is currently being renovated. It’s located right in the village, close to the Malbi Park beginner slope with a magic carpet, and is very family-focused, with playrooms and a swimming pool.