Skiing with kids in the Krkonoše mountains: children's parks, gentle slopes and the first days on snow

A first ski day with children does not have to be a big expedition. A gentle slope, a conveyor lift, a few breaks for hot tea and gear that fits are enough. Below you will find where the children's parks and gentle slopes are around Vrchlabí and in Špindlerův Mlýn, in the Krkonoše (Giant Mountains), what age children usually start at, how long they last and how to sort out the gear. We took the details on ski areas and ski schools from their websites in September 2026, so please check how they operate in winter 2026/27 before you travel.

What age to start skiing

There is no fixed age. An instructor from APUL, the Czech association of professional ski instructors, told the SNOW.cz portal that she usually recommends starting after a child's third birthday, and that it always depends on how developed the child is physically and mentally. The ski schools at Kněžický vrch in Vrchlabí see it in a similar way: according to their websites, they teach children from 3.5 or from 4 years.

Children's parks and gentle slopes around Vrchlabí

For the first days, look for places where children are away from fast skiers and where a conveyor lift, sometimes called a magic carpet, takes them up. Around Vrchlabí you will find:

• Kněžický vrch in Vrchlabí: according to the operator, the terrain suits beginners and families with children, and there are two 50-metre conveyor lifts and ski schools.
• Herlíkovice on the northern edge of Vrchlabí: the children's ski park is a separate zone, away from the public slopes, with a conveyor lift, two drag lifts and a ski carousel.
• Bubákov, the other part of the same ski area: a children's park at the top, next to the four-seater chairlift, on a gentle, enclosed slope with a conveyor lift.
• Strážné: a children's lift and a very gentle practice slope.
• Benecko: gentle slopes and three children's ski parks.
• Černý Důl: wide, gentle slopes and the LIVE park learning area with conveyor lifts and a children's lift.

In Špindlerův Mlýn: Horní Mísečky and children's parks

For beginners and family holidays with children, the Czech tourism portal Kudy z nudy recommends the Horní Mísečky area in Špindlerův Mlýn, and the town website describes it as suitable for children and beginner skiers and snowboarders. According to the same portal, the resort has two children's parks. Its ski school, SKOL MAX, runs a course called Lyžování s Meďánkem, skiing with Meďánek the bear, for children aged 5 to 12.

Plan ahead for the lifts too. Under the resort's transport conditions, valid from May 2026, children under six or shorter than 125 cm may only ride accompanied by someone over 15. Anyone buying a child ticket has to prove the child's age, and for children this is done with their health insurance card.

How long do children last on skis?

Small children get tired on snow sooner than adults expect. In the interview mentioned above, the APUL instructor advises no more than an hour, two at most per day, for the youngest children in ski school, with several breaks, and starting in the morning while the children are fresh. Children's lessons at the ski schools on Kněžický vrch last 50 minutes, too. If you are teaching your child yourself, plan similarly short sessions:

• Between sessions, warm up, have a drink and a small snack.
• Turn exercises into games: ski through a gate made of poles, glide over to Dad, stop at the snowman.
• Stop before your child is exhausted and frozen. It is better if they look forward to tomorrow.
• Do not rush or push. According to the instructor, there is no point in hurrying children into skiing.

Teach them yourself or book a ski school?

Both can work. Parents know their child, while instructors know how to break learning into small steps and turn it into a game. The ski school in Herlíkovice recommends starting younger children with private lessons and only then moving on to a group. You will find ski schools right in the ski areas, at Kněžický vrch, in Herlíkovice and in Špindlerův Mlýn. We do not run a ski school ourselves, but we prepare children's gear based on the details you give us.

Gear: children's sets and season-long rental

We rent children's ski sets in two sizes, MINI up to 110 cm and Junior up to 150 cm, always with skis, boots and poles. For children, we only need to know their age, height and shoe size. We rent helmets and goggles separately, as well as sledges for the afternoon when nobody wants to ski any more.

We always recommend a helmet for children on the slopes. Czech law does not require one, and whether a particular ski area does, you will find in its operating rules. Do you go to the mountains several times a winter? Consider a season-long rental. It pays off mainly for children: you keep the set all season, and next winter we choose again according to how much your child has grown.

Pick up the gear on your way to the mountains

Our rental is in Vrchlabí, on the main road to Špindlerův Mlýn, and you can park right in front. If you book online, at the latest the day before, we will prepare the gear based on the details you give us about your children. We are happy to advise you on the spot, too.

Book children's gear

Price list, including season-long rental