Top 5 Countries by Number of Indoor Ski Centers

Co-authored by Julia Schneemann & Gregg Frantz

Now that the ski season in the northern hemisphere is well and truly over, some die-hard winter sports fans might be itching to keep going. If you are wondering which country boasts the most indoor ski centers, we have assembled the top five nations for our readers. For our top five, we are only using downhill ski centers that are currently operational to the best of our knowledge.

A Brief History of Indoor Ski Centers

The first indoor snow centers in the world started in Berlin and Vienna in the 1920s. By the late 1950s, a process of using crushed ice as a snow surface was introduced by Seibu Holding in Japan at the company’s indoor ski center, Princess Snow Resort Sayama, near Tokyo. Sayama is the world’s longest-established and still operating indoor ski center. Meanwhile, in the UK, Tamworth Snowdome is the longest year-round operating indoor ski center that uses real snow. Tamworth Snowdome opened in 1993 and is located near Birmingham.

According to the 2023 International Report on Snow & Mountain Tourism by Laurent Vanat, more than 160 indoor snow centers have been built in 36 countries over the past 35 years, and around 120 are still operational. Out of those, some are cross-country skiing, and some are only snow-experience areas. According to Vanat’s research and data we obtained from Snowresort.info, there are approximately 100 indoor downhill skiing facilities worldwide.

• Related Article: Phase II of China’s Taicang Alps Resort Aims to Create the Largest Indoor Ski Area in the World

The Top 5 Countries by Number of Indoor Ski Centers

#5 Germany – 5

Germany ranks fifth in terms of the number of indoor ski centers. Not surprisingly, these are all located in the country’s north, far away from the Alps in the south. While the world’s first indoor ski center in Berlin no longer exists, the country has sprouted five state-of-the-art indoor ski centers since then in convenient locations.

Germany’s largest indoor ski center is located in Bottrop, 45 minutes north of Düsseldorf and an hour from the Dutch border. The Alpin Center was built in 2001 on top of an old coal tip. It is now owned by Dutch hotel chain Van der Valk. With a slope length of 640 meters (2,100 feet), it is the longest indoor ski slope in the world. Aside from skiing and snowboarding, Alpin Center also offers an all-you-can-eat buffet with unlimited beer and wine to help riders get the full après experience.

#4 United Kingdom – 6

The UK offers six indoor ski centers, making skiing accessible year-round despite its mild climate. Five more are planned for the near future, so the UK could soon overtake the Netherlands on the European continent.

The Snow Centre, Hemel Hempstead, is located just east of the center of Hemel Hempstead, 27 miles north of London. Here, you’ll find a huge 160-meter (525-foot) main slope for skiing and snowboarding, which is over 30 meters (98 feet) wide and maintained with the perfect snow. It is ideal for indoor skiing and snowboarding. The center has two ski slopes, serviced by two J-bars and two rope tows.

The longest indoor slope in the UK is at the Chill Factore in Manchester. It offers a 180-meter (590-foot) slope serviced by two J-bars and two magic carpets.

#3 Netherlands – 7

The Netherlands has seven indoor ski centers, reflecting the country’s enthusiasm for skiing despite its flat geography. These centers are SnowWorld Landgraaf, SnowWorld Zoetermeer, De Uithof in Den Hague, SnowWorld Rucphen, SnowWorld Terneuzen, SnowWorld Amsterdam, and Montana SnowCenter in Brabant.

The largest indoor ski area in the Netherlands, SnowWorld Landgraaf opened in 2002 and has 35,000 square meters (8.6 acres) of skiable terrain. The center used to hold the title of the largest indoor ski resort, but with the construction of more extensive facilities in China, it now rests in fifth place. It has five ski slopes of various difficulties, including a FIS-certified race course, the Netherlands’ only 6-person chair, and a total of seven surface lifts. The facility also has a climbing area and an alpine coaster during the summer.

 #2 Japan – 12

Japan is ranked second with 12 operational indoor ski centers. However, Japan’s indoor ski centers have struggled in the last few years, and several big centers have had to shut down, so this number may not reflect currently operational centers.

While Japan has a well-established ski industry and plenty of ski areas in winter, the popularity of indoor ski centers demonstrates just how passionate the Japanese are about skiing. The largest Japanese indoor ski center is Prince Snow Resort Sayama in Saitama, 30 km (19 miles) from Tokyo. The Sayama indoor resort was constructed in 1959 and was one of the world’s first indoor ski runs; however, it is not refrigerated. Therefore, the facility only operates as an indoor ski slope in winter and is transformed into a waterslide park in summer. In winter, the Prince Snow Resort offers a 300-meter-long (984-foot) ski run serviced by two long magic carpets (110 and 84 meters/361 feet and 276 feet long), making it one of Asia’s longest indoor ski runs.

#1 China – 46

China leads the world in the number of indoor ski centers, driven by the country’s increasing interest in winter sports due to Beijing hosting the 2022 Winter Olympics. According to Skiresort.Info, China has 46 indoor ski centers, but exact numbers can be tricky to confirm due to the language barrier.

While some of the Chinese indoor ski centers are on the smaller side, the country does have more than 20 that offer at least 150 feet of vertical. China’s largest indoor ski center is the Wanda Indoor Ski and Winter Sports Resort in Harbin, which offers 262 feet of vertical and 2,230 feet of ski trails serviced by six lifts.

China is currently building Taicang Alps Resort, which will be the largest indoor ski facility in the world once it is completed. Phase I of the project featured six major themed experience zones: Alps Snow Live Ski Resort, Alps Snow Live Ice and Snow Park, Club Med Urban Oasis Taicang Resort, Alps Times, Alps Camp, and Alps Cosmos. The Phase II project will include the world’s largest indoor ski resort, hotels with snow views, theme hotels, water parks, land parks, hot springs, aquariums, and other related facilities, offering extensive one-stop snow-themed city vacation experiences.

The ski resort will cover an area of approximately 190,000 square meters (2 million square feet), making it the largest indoor ski resort in the world. The design was inspired by “Xiangyun Ruyi” (Auspicious Clouds), and it echoes the “Snow Ruyi” of the Beijing Winter Olympics’ Zhangjiakou outdoor ski resorts. The ski resort will feature three slopes: a snowboard, an intermediate, and an advanced slope. Skiers of all levels can enjoy a total slope length of 1,700 meters (5,577 feet), including a 690-meter (2,264-foot) single slope with a vertical drop of 120 meters (394 feet).

The divide between Asia, Europe, and America in terms of the popularity of indoor ski centers is huge. Outside the top five countries, only three other countries currently offer more than a singular indoor ski center. While Ski Dubai is famous, it is the only indoor ski center in the United Arab Emirates. Alpine nations Italy, Switzerland, and Austria have no indoor ski centers. In Scandinavia, there are two indoor ski centers, one in Norway and one in Denmark. Meanwhile North America only has a single indoor ski center on the entire continent, however several projects are reportedly in the making. It is important to acknowledge the role indoor ski centers can play in promoting winter sports and making it accessible to a broader audience.