Wendelstein

The praise is for the character of the place: a small natural-snow area on the summit, reached by the rack railway from Brannenburg, which has carried skiers since 1912, or the cable car from Bayrischzell. The journey up is an attraction in its own right, and on a clear day the view from the ridge stretches well over a hundred kilometres. Connoisseurs value the absence of big-carousel bustle.

What draws criticism is that the mountain does not forgive weak technique. Skiing starts straight out of the top station on a short black pitch, there are no easy runs at all, and beginners are openly told to go to neighbouring Sudelfeld. Only two T-bars serve the upper bowl, built in 1951 and 1968. There is no snowmaking, everything depends on natural cover, and ratings are sharply split, with close to half the scores the lowest available.