Austria · Styria & Carinthia · Travel guide
What a ski week on the Planai or a hiking week below the Dachstein really costs, why Schladming is cheaper than any comparable Swiss resort and when the night slalom turns the valley upside down.
Photo: Michael Fischer / Pexels
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Estimates for orientation, not booking prices. Getting there means train or car from Switzerland, return, per person. Hotels vary strongly by season: current prices are behind the links below.
Money & payment: You pay in euros (EUR). Cards work almost everywhere; mountain huts and sausage stands often want cash. Tipping is expected: 5 to 10 percent, by naming the rounded total when you pay. In ski resorts a visitor tax of EUR 2 to 4 per night is added to the hotel price. Getting there: By train (ÖBB Railjet), car or a flight to Vienna, 2 to 8 hours.
Nine options in three price ranges, each among the best-rated on Booking.com.
Budget
Large house from the Austrian family hotel chain on the edge of the centre with multi-bed and double rooms, half board, playrooms and ski room. Five minutes to the Planai valley station. For families and groups the cheapest way to stay in Schladming.
Simple, renovated hotel right on the Hauptplatz with small rooms, self check-in and breakfast, Planai valley station seven minutes on foot. For skiers and couples who want to be in town in the evening and only need the room for sleeping.
Family-run town hotel on the Hauptplatz with plain, clean rooms, sauna and breakfast buffet. Station and Planai each ten minutes on foot. Honest value for money even in the high season.
Mid-range
Traditional house since 1618 on the Hauptplatz with wood-panelled parlours, wellness area and restaurant, rebuilt several times but with the town's history in its walls. Eight minutes on foot to the Planai. For anyone who wants a classic ski and hiking hotel in the middle of town.
Modern four-star house above the town with infinity pool, large spa and views of the Dachstein, Hochwurzen valley station and ski bus on the doorstep. Adults only, with half board. For couples who combine wellness and skiing.
Family hotel in the centre of Ramsau with access to the cross-country trails in front of the house, pool, sauna and good regional cooking with half board. Ten minutes by car or bus to the Dachstein cable car. The right address for cross-country skiers, hikers and families.
Luxury
Four-star superior house right next to the Planai valley station with a ski room on the piste, a large spa with outdoor pool and a family programme. Ski-in, ski-out in the centre, Hauptplatz five minutes. For anyone who wants to travel comfortably with children and without a ski bus.
Historic manor farm from the 15th century with its own castle, large spa complex, riding stables and golf course at the foot of the Reiteralm, ten minutes' drive west of Schladming. Quiet, family-run and suited to families and couples alike.
Five-star castle hotel in the Enns valley, 25 minutes east of Schladming, with golf course, large spa, riding stables and a view of the Grimming. Not a ski hotel, but the right place for peace after a day on the slopes and for summer with golf and hiking.
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By panoramic gondola from Ramsau to 2,700 metres in six minutes, return trip around CHF 45 (about EUR 48), Sommercard CHF 35; Skywalk and suspension bridge included, Stairway to Nothingness and ice palace CHF 12 extra. Go up before 10 am, allow three to four hours, warm jacket even in August.
The 10-seater gondola from the centre takes you to 1,906 metres in 15 minutes, ascent CHF 28 (about EUR 30), free with the Sommercard, included in the ski pass in winter. At the top the summit loop to the Schladminger Hütte (one hour) and a view of the Dachstein. In summer with the Hopsiland playground for children.
123 kilometres of pistes on Hauser Kaibling, Planai, Hochwurzen and Reiteralm, plus the whole of Ski amadé with 760 kilometres. Day around CHF 75 (about EUR 80), six days CHF 380, 5 to 10 per cent cheaper online in advance. Pre-booking ski hire saves again.
Seven kilometres of natural toboggan run from the top station to Rohrmoos, lit until 10 pm, toboggan hire CHF 8 (about EUR 9), ascent with the ski pass or CHF 20 on its own. 30 to 40 minutes down, with a stop at the Hochwurzenhütte. For families the highlight alongside the skiing.
220 kilometres of trails below the Dachstein south face, classic and skating, trail ticket CHF 8 (about EUR 9) a day, hire CHF 20, two-hour beginners' lesson from CHF 50. December to March, best groomed in the morning. Also for beginners, with flat loops around the village centre.
Up with the Gasselhöhe cable car from Pichl, then 45 minutes to the Spiegelsee, in which the Dachstein is reflected when there is no wind, on to the Untersee and Obersee in two hours. Ascent CHF 26 (about EUR 28), free with the Sommercard. Go in the morning before the wind, then the picture is perfect.
From the Seeleiten car park in the Untertal, two hours past the Riesachfall over a suspension bridge and stairways to the Riesachsee at 1,330 metres, free, car park CHF 6 (about EUR 6). At the top the Gfölleralm with trout and buttermilk. Sturdy footwear, with children from six years.
World Cup slalom on a Tuesday at the end of January in front of 45,000 spectators in the Planai finish stadium, standing ticket CHF 25 to 35 (about EUR 27 to 37), grandstand from CHF 60, tickets on sale from autumn. First run from 5.45 pm, before that torchlight procession and bands on the Hauptplatz. Book the hotel a year ahead.
Guided or independent tour on the Enns cycle path from Schladming to Haus and Gröbming, flat, 30 to 40 kilometres, e-bike hire CHF 40 (about EUR 43) a day. Alternatively the Rittisberg summer toboggan run in Ramsau, CHF 7 a ride, discounted with the Sommercard, half a day for children.
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The Enns valley cooks like the mountain country it is: cheese, dumplings, Schmarrn and whatever grows on the alpine pastures. The speciality is Ennstaler Steirerkas, a sharp, crumbly sour milk cheese found nowhere else. The food is better in the huts than down in the valley, and for Swiss visitors the prices are a quiet joy.
Small spaetzle, roasted in butter with onions and shot through with the crumbly, sharp Ennstaler Steirerkas, a dish that exists only here. As a main course in a hut CHF 12 to 15 (about EUR 13 to 16).
Tip:The cheese smells strong but tastes milder than expected. If you are unsure, order a Steirerkas bread for CHF 6 first.
Flat, pan-fried cheese dumplings in clear beef broth with chives, the lunch in every ski hut. CHF 8 to 10 (about EUR 9 to 11), with two dumplings a meal.
Tip:As "Kaspressknödel auf Sauerkraut" without the soup it is the heartier main course, CHF 12.
Thick, shredded pancake with raisins, caramelised and dusted with icing sugar, served with stewed plums. In a hut from CHF 12 to 14 (about EUR 13 to 15), enough for two after a soup.
Tip:Freshly made it takes 20 minutes, and that is a good sign. With apple sauce instead of plum compote it is the budget version.
Lamb from the alpine pastures of the Schladminger Tauern, on the menus in autumn after the cattle drives, plus venison and chamois from the hunting grounds around the Dachstein. Main course CHF 22 to 30 (about EUR 24 to 32).
Tip:The lamb weeks in October are included at no extra cost in many hotels with half board.
In the Enns valley Bauernkrapfen (farmhouse doughnuts) are fried in lard and eaten with lingonberries or sauerkraut, sweet or savoury, at alpine festivals and the farmers' market. CHF 3 to 5 (about EUR 3 to 5) apiece.
Tip:Eat them fresh from the fat; cold they are only half as good.
Bacon, farmhouse sausage, mountain cheese, Verhackertes, horseradish and farmhouse bread on a wooden board, the afternoon meal on the alpine pasture. CHF 12 to 16 (about EUR 13 to 17), for two.
Tip:On working alpine farms the cheese often comes from their own kitchen; ask about it.
The Schladming brewery has brewed in town since 1909, and the pale Märzen and the Zwickl are in every restaurant and hut. A Krügel CHF 4.50 to 5.50 (about EUR 5 to 6), CHF 7 at après-ski.
Tip:The brewery runs tours with tasting, by appointment, around CHF 15, a good hour on a rainy day.
Through markets and eateries with a guide, tastings included.
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Schladming lies in the uppermost Enns valley at 745 metres, wedged between the Dachstein massif to the north and the Schladminger Tauern to the south, and for a long time it was not a tourist town but a mining town. In the 14th century silver, lead, copper and cobalt were mined here, and in 1322 Schladming was granted its town charter. The miners had their own mining law, the "Schladminger Bergbrief" of 1408, and they were self-assured: in the Peasants' War of 1525 they joined the uprising against the prince and the archbishop and defeated an army of the authorities, and the revenge was brutal. Schladming was burned to the ground, lost its town charter and only got it back in 1925, after exactly 400 years. The Reformation lasted longer here than elsewhere in Styria, and the Protestant church of 1862 is the largest Protestant church in Styria. When mining came to an end in the 19th century, the railway arrived, in 1875 the line from Bischofshofen to Selzthal, and with it the first summer guests and mountaineers who wanted the Dachstein. Winter came late: the first Planai cable car ran in 1973, and in 1982 Schladming hosted the Alpine World Ski Championships, with a Planai downhill won by Harti Weirather. Since 1997 the night slalom on the Planai has been the loudest World Cup evening of the season, and in 2013 came the second World Championships, which gave the town its new valley station, the Congress centre and the Hohenhaus Tenne. Ramsau am Dachstein, the high plateau 300 metres above the town, hosted the Nordic World Championships in 1999 and has been the cross-country skiing centre of Austria ever since. Today Schladming has around 7,000 inhabitants and, on a peak day in winter, more skiers than the town has residents.
From Zurich you take the Railjet to Salzburg (5 hours 20) and change there onto the train towards Graz, which runs via Bischofshofen through the Enns valley and stops in Schladming, 7 to 8 hours in total with one change, sometimes two in Bischofshofen. With a Half Fare Card to Buchs and an ÖBB Sparschiene fare you pay CHF 90 to 140 (about EUR 96 to 150) return. The station is ten minutes on foot below the Hauptplatz, the Planai valley station another five minutes further, and many hotels pick you up. In winter there are additional direct trains and ski buses on Saturdays. By car it is 500 kilometres and around 5 hours: via the Arlberg, Innsbruck, the Inntal and Tauern motorways and from Eben im Pongau along the B320 into the Enns valley. Vignette (10 days CHF 12) plus Arlberg tunnel CHF 12 each way. On winter Saturdays traffic backs up from Salzburg to Eben, so better arrive on a Sunday or be through by 7 am. On the spot: in Schladming itself you do not need a car, the Planai starts in town, and the ski buses to Hochwurzen, Reiteralm and Hauser Kaibling are free with a ski pass. In summer a car is handy for Ramsau, the Dachstein valley station and the valleys to the south, but the Sommercard also covers the hiking buses. Parking at the Planai costs CHF 8 a day.
Schladming has three places to stay, and they differ more in character than in price. The town itself, with the Hauptplatz, restaurants and the Planai valley station within walking distance, is the most practical choice: a mid-range double room costs CHF 140 to 190 (about EUR 150 to 203) with half board in winter, CHF 110 to 150 in summer. Rohrmoos, the slope between the Planai and the Hochwurzen above the town, is the village of family hotels and farmhouses with ski-in, ski-out to the Hochwurzen, quieter and 10 per cent cheaper, but without a town in the evening. Ramsau am Dachstein is the sunny plateau at 1,100 metres with a view of the south face of the Dachstein, perfect for cross-country skiers, hikers and families with small children, but for the 4-Berge-Skischaukel you need the bus (20 minutes). The price traps: the night slalom at the end of January, Christmas to 6 January and the February school holidays (Vienna the first week, Styria the second) double the prices, and during the night slalom many hotels impose a minimum stay. March is the best ski week: snow at 2,000 metres, sun, prices 20 to 30 per cent below February. Half board is worth it in Schladming because the hotel kitchens are good and dinner in town costs CHF 30 to 40. The local tax of around CHF 3.50 per night is added, but the Sommercard is included in it.
The ski pass is the biggest item, and this is where the case for Schladming lies: Ski amadé, the network with 760 kilometres of pistes, costs around CHF 75 (about EUR 80) a day and CHF 380 for six days in the high season, 5 to 10 per cent less online in advance, and less again in the low season until mid-December and from mid-March. In Laax you pay CHF 95, in Zermatt CHF 100 a day. Children up to 6 ski free, young people pay half. If you only stay in Schladming you still need the amadé pass, there is no cheaper local pass; in return, Flachau and Zauchensee are a ski bus away on the same pass. Ski hire: carvers with boots CHF 30 to 40 a day, six days CHF 150 to 180, booking online saves 10 per cent. In summer everything revolves around the Sommercard: from May to October you get it free from all partner hosts, and it includes one mountain railway ride a day (Planai, Hochwurzen, Reiteralm, Rittisberg), the hiking buses, pools and museums; the Dachstein glacier cable car is only discounted. Without the card the Planai ascent costs CHF 28, the Dachstein return trip around CHF 45, with the card CHF 35. Hut prices are fair: Kaspressknödel soup CHF 9, Kaiserschmarrn CHF 12 to 14, beer CHF 5. The trap is the après-ski in the Hohenhaus Tenne at CHF 7 a beer and the rest of the evening.
The ski season runs from early December to early April, on the Dachstein glacier from October to May. The highlight is the night slalom "The Nightrace" on a Tuesday at the end of January: 45,000 spectators in the Planai finish stadium, torchlight processions, bands on the Hauptplatz, standing ticket CHF 25 to 35 (about EUR 27 to 37), hotels fully booked and twice as expensive. If you want it, book a year ahead; if you do not, avoid that week. Christmas to Epiphany and the school holidays in the first and second weeks of February are full but snow-sure. The second half of March is our recommendation: firn snow in the morning, sun terraces in the afternoon, 30 per cent lower prices and no queues. The off-season in April and May is dead, many hotels close, and then only the glacier is worth it. Summer begins at the end of May with the Sommercard and the bike opening, the high season is July and August with families from Vienna and Germany, when hotels are CHF 20 to 30 dearer. September is the best hiking month: stable weather, clear views from the Dachstein to the Triglav, cattle drives in Ramsau and the Untertal. The mountain railways run until mid-October, then pause until December. In summer thunderstorms arrive from 2 pm, so start Dachstein tours early.
The Planai gets all the attention because of the night slalom and is correspondingly full at weekends. The Reiteralm at the western end of the ski area, reached from Pichl, has the wide, quiet pistes and the best density of huts, and in summer it is home to the Spiegelsee, which reflects the Dachstein massif perfectly when there is no wind, 45 minutes on foot from the top station of the Gasselhöhe cable car. The Hochwurzen above Rohrmoos is the mountain for families, with the 7-kilometre toboggan run lit until 10 pm, toboggan hire CHF 8 (about EUR 9), ascent included with the ski pass. In summer you ride a mountain go-kart down to the valley there. The Hauser Kaibling at the eastern end is the locals' mountain, with the view into the Enns valley and the sheep on the summit, where around 800 animals graze every summer. South of the town the Untertal and the Obertal open into the Schladminger Tauern: the Riesachfall in the Untertal, the highest waterfall in Styria, is reached in two hours via the Wilde-Wasser-Weg with its suspension bridge, free, car park CHF 6, and up at the Riesachsee there are huts serving trout. From the Hochwurzen the high-level walk leads to the Schladminger Hütte and on to Rohrmoos, three hours, with a view of all the Dachstein peaks. And Ramsau has, besides the trails, the Rittisberg summer toboggan run and the village inns where the Nordic World Championships still echo.
The Dachstein glacier is the outing you treat yourself to: the panoramic gondola from the Türlwand valley station near Ramsau takes you to 2,700 metres in six minutes, return trip around CHF 45 (about EUR 48), children half, CHF 35 with the Sommercard. At the top await the Skywalk, a platform 250 metres above the south face, the suspension bridge and the "Stairway to Nothingness" (CHF 12 extra) with views to the Grossglockner and on clear days as far as Slovenia, plus the ice palace inside the glacier. In summer you can walk from the mountain house across the glacier to the Seethalerhütte in ten minutes, in sturdy shoes, on a marked route, and at 2,700 metres it is only 5 degrees even in August. Come before 10 am, after that the coaches from Salzburg are queuing at the ticket office, and the weather usually deteriorates after 1 pm. In winter the glacier is a small but high ski area with cross-country trails at 2,700 metres, separate ski pass, around CHF 50. Ramsau itself, the plateau below the south face, is the cross-country skiing centre of Austria: 220 kilometres of groomed trails of every difficulty, classic and skating, trail ticket CHF 8 a day or CHF 30 a week, cross-country ski hire CHF 20 a day, lessons from CHF 50. Ramsau is also the starting point for the Dachstein via ferrata and the huts of the south face; anyone who hikes the Ramsau mountains for four days in summer understands why the Viennese come here every August.
By train via Salzburg and Bischofshofen in 7 to 8 hours with one or two changes, CHF 90 to 140 (about EUR 96 to 150) return with a Half Fare Card and a Sparschiene fare; the station is ten minutes below the Hauptplatz. By car 500 kilometres and around 5 hours via the Arlberg, Innsbruck and the Tauern motorway. In winter you do not need a car: Planai from town, ski buses free. In summer it is handy for the Dachstein and the valleys, but the Sommercard also covers the hiking buses.
Around a quarter to a third less. Six-day Ski amadé pass CHF 380 (about EUR 407), in Laax CHF 480, in Zermatt CHF 520. Mid-range double room with half board CHF 140 to 190 a night, ski hire CHF 150 to 180 a week, lunch in a hut CHF 15 to 20. Per person per week including travel, half board, ski pass and hire, budget CHF 1,300 to 1,700, more in the February holiday week and during the night slalom.
The 4-Berge-Skischaukel links Hauser Kaibling, Planai, Hochwurzen and Reiteralm with 123 kilometres of pistes, all connected on skis, from 745 to 2,015 metres, mostly red runs, well covered by snowmaking. That is enough for a week; if you want more, the ski pass covers the whole of Ski amadé with 760 kilometres, and Flachau and Zauchensee are 30 minutes away by ski bus. Rohrmoos is the right place for beginners, the Reiteralm after fresh snow for freeriders.
On a Tuesday at the end of January; the date is fixed the previous spring. 45,000 spectators, standing ticket CHF 25 to 35 (about EUR 27 to 37), torchlight procession of the ski schools, concerts on the Hauptplatz. It is the loudest ski race in the world and an experience, but not a ski holiday: hotels are twice as expensive with a minimum stay, the Planai is partly closed on race day, and the town is packed. Either come specifically for it and book a year ahead, or avoid that week.
Yes, above all because of the Sommercard: from May to October you get it free from partner hosts, and one mountain railway ride a day is included, plus buses, pools and museums. The Dachstein with the Skywalk, the Spiegelsee on the Reiteralm, the Riesachfall in the Untertal and the trail network in Ramsau for hiking fill a week. September is the best month; July and August are full of families. Mountain bikers have the Planai bike park.
Ennstaler Steirerkas, a crumbly, sharp sour milk cheese that ends up in Nocken, dumplings and on bread. Then Kaspressknödel soup in the hut, Kaiserschmarrn with stewed plums, Enns valley lamb and game in autumn and the beer of the Schladming brewery, which has brewed in town since 1909. In the huts on the Planai and the Reiteralm you eat at prices that make Swiss visitors look twice: soup CHF 9 (about EUR 10), Schmarrn CHF 13.
The World Cup slalom on the Planai is raced in the evening under floodlights and, with around 45,000 spectators, is the biggest slalom of the season. The first run starts at about 5.45 pm, the second at about 8.45 pm, and before, between and after the runs the whole town turns into a festival ground with stages and umbrella bars. Standing places in the finish stadium cost around CHF 20 to 30 (EUR 20 to 30); grandstand tickets are gone weeks ahead. The mood is loud, boozy and very Austrian, with flags, firecrackers and brass bands; if that is not your thing, stay away from the finish area. Since the race is on a Tuesday, the pistes remain perfectly skiable during the day; only the Planai descent is closed from midday.
For travellers: Stay in Rohrmoos, Haus im Ennstal or Ramsau rather than Schladming itself, where rooms are available and quieter this week; ski buses run late into the night.
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