Schladming (Austria) – a ski resort known for about 130 years. Offers to lay their own fresh tracks in the snow through 230 perfectly groomed kilometers still attract tourists here. From simple “family” hills to difficult tracks with a black rating for experts, everyone will be able to choose their “own” track.
Schladming – Austria resort
It is called the “Schladming Ski Area with Four Mountains”, including Hauser Kaibling, Planai, Hochwurzen and Reiteralm. This location of the mountains makes it possible to conquer the snowy tracks without any breaks. For lovers of a special high-altitude atmosphere, skiing and cross-country skiing at an altitude of 2700 meters above sea level are offered.
Schladming in Austria was originally a small local settlement, with a traditionally Austrian way of life. Today it is a modern resort city in the federal state of Styria with a population of more than 6.5 thousand people, according to the latest data. By area, the town occupies quite a bit – 10 square meters. km – and is entirely focused on mountain tourism.
The main feature of the resort is the Dachstein Glacier near Ramsau. Dachstein at an altitude of 3,004 m is not only a “namesake”, but also a symbol of the Schladming-Dachstein ski region. The main massif lies on the border between Styria and Upper Austria. Below is the Dachstein Glacier with a small but very snowy ski area. Spectacular views open from the suspension bridge “nowhere.” A specially organized ski tour with several slopes with a total length of more than 20 km covers the unique natural and cultural landscape of Dachstein, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Skating in Schladming: high, cool, varied
The wide range of Schladming’s elevations (from 726 to 2700 m above sea level) provides a lot of opportunities to try your hand at the tracks of varying difficulty, train and conduct high-quality competitions of high quality. Total ski areas 9.
The main advantages that are attractive Schladming in Austria, according to reviews:
- steady snow due to the glacier;
- very diverse ski area;
- Well-organized cross-country skiing area
- Sound track on Planai: more than 10,000 music tracks are available directly while riding on the track 600 m in length;
- eight permanent racing tracks;
- the so-called “Slopes of the Black Quartet”: four slopes with a slope of up to 80%;
- 100% natural snow cover on the slopes of Stoderzinken and Planneralm.
The Schladming-Dachstein ski region in Austria is recognized as an ideal destination for lovers of a variety of winter sports. The equipped skiing area includes a ski area with four main mountains and several additional ones: Hauser Kaibling, Planai, Hochwurzen and Reiteralm, Fageralm, Galsterbergalm from the Ramsau-Dachstein ski region, which is at an altitude of 3 thousand meters.
Trails, slopes, lifts
The choice of slopes, ski lifts and ski huts is huge and, thanks to the Dachstein Glacier, the ski area is almost always very snowy. The winter season of mountain railways begins in the fall and ends in late spring, which provides tourists with one of the five best ski resorts in Austria. The main event here is the annual Night Descent World Cup: the Schladming night race is a popular event attended by up to 40,000 spectators.
Slopes in the Schladming-Dachstein ski area are scattered across several Austrian mountains and together have a length of more than 200 km. The center is directly a ski resort on all four mountains, with slopes of about 120 km. The most attractive for skiers is the World Cup slope on Planai (1906 m) in the Schladming area, as well as the beautiful valley up to 8 km long in Hochwurzen (1850 m) in the Rormoos region. Families with children usually explore the slopes near the village on Halsterbergalm (1986 m) and on the Zip Line on the Stodersinken (2045 m). Fans of cross-country skiing will love the 170 km long network of slopes, here it is especially dense. There are also about 70 km of hiking trails in the Schladming ski resort.
| Types of tracks | Km | Lifts | units |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue | 96.5 | Drag | 40 |
| Reds | 126 | Chair | 29th |
| Black | 16.5 | Gondolas | 10 |
| Total | 239 | Performance | 4500 people / h |
The red zones are especially numerous; there are many slopes suitable for snowboarders. Thanks to the 2013 World Ski Championships, some lifts and slopes were modernized. There are lifts designed for children.
| 6 day | children’s | adult | is free |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low season | 123,5 € | 247,5 € | from 6 years old |
| High season | 133 € | 266 € |
Lift pass for 0.5 days – from 37 €. There is a special evening ski pass with which you can ride, for example, on a slope of 3 km (No. 33).
What to see, where to visit
The resort has three snow parks. Master classes and other similar events are regularly held on the slopes, event tourism is common, which is mainly sports in nature. Schladming is not only the center of one of the largest winter sports areas in Europe, due to its location in the center of Ennstal. The city regularly organizes the popular Planai Ski World Cup.
In addition, Schladming is itself considered a unique settlement of Austria with its own authenticity. It is interesting to take walks along its streets, to contemplate the snowy plumb lines of the surrounding mountains. The old city wall still has a medieval symbol of this place. The original city gate leads to a compact city center with peculiar hotels, shops and a tree-filled market. Through the middle of the settlement flows the picturesque local river Ens, which flows into the Danube.
Things to do after skiing in Schladming
The best place for a resort, according to reviews, is located on Planai, which many locals call the Party Mountain. Variety is provided by winter entertainment throughout the season. This includes trips with torches, carriage rides, curling and ice climbing, spectacular multi-level descents to the music.
An important sporting event in the Schladming-Dachstein ski region is the annual World Cup race in January – The Nightrace. Here the best skiers rush along a steep, colorfully lit, specially prepared slope. At this time, all the stars of skiing come to the resort, thousands of fans flood tents for parties and numerous bars, spend time in the nightclubs of the town. In 2013, even the Alpine skiing world championship was held, at which the best German ski racer Felix Neuroiter won silver in slalom and bronze with the team.
Official sites of the resort and the region
The official website of the resort www.schladming-dachstein.at/ru – multilingual, is in Russian. The site is rich in photo galleries, informative, easily redirects to necessary articles, online cameras, weather reports, and a map of the area. It offers to choose and book accommodation directly from the main page. The site is entirely designed for tourists.
Another official site listed on Wikipedia: www.schladming.at/ is German and English. More contains a description of the city, infrastructure, city center, city news, dates, events, cultural events.
Spa infrastructure Schladming
The Schladming ski center is densely equipped with leisure facilities, including cultural ones.
In the resort area:
- 44 restaurants;
- 10 bars and cafes;
- 5 clubs and discos;
- 6 supermarkets;
- playground;
- theatre;
- concert hall.
Local services include spa, massage, sauna, solarium, pool, indoor tennis, curling. And for tourists there are paragliding, sledding, as well as special offers! There are ski schools and ski lessons: a total of 5 ski schools in Schladming with 150 instructors. Private lessons for 72 €, three-day skiing courses for 215 €, five-day snowboarding courses for 184 €. There is a separate offer of ski lessons in Dutch. Apparently, tourists from Holland are traditionally numerous in Austria’s mountain resorts, including Schladming, and such an offer is relevant.
Where to stay
Schladming hotels in Austria are numerous – in total there are 119 hotels in the town, designed for 12.5 thousand beds. From two no-frills stars to five, first-class service. The average price tag is 300 € per night in a three-star hotel. But you can find half board for 300-360 € in a 4 * hotel or a place without meals in a campsite with a price of 33 €. Huts in the mountains cost, like apartments, from 50 €. Country estate, cottage in Schladming also from 55 € for a separate room with breakfast. The largest number of hotel deals in Ramsau am Dachstein.
How to get to Schladming
The nearest airport is Salzburg (85-90 km), where you can get by bus. Then from the highway to the settlement 20 km or 20 minutes. on foot. Other airports are much further – in the cities of Linz (185 km), Graz (almost 200), Munich (almost 300), Vienna (300), Innsbruck (320).
From Munich – by rail, the railway station is not far from Schladming. A train from Salzburg costs less than 20 €; from Vienna by train 3.5-4 hours, tickets up to 75 €; from Munich 7-8 hours with prices of 50-60 €. Trains run at a frequency of approximately 5 flights per day. Buy tickets online here: tickets.oebb.at/en/
Transfer from Salzburg to Schladming on the way for more than an hour, price from 174 € (with discounts) to 270 € a comfortable option for several people. Minivans for groups of 10-16 passengers will cost 480-530 €. It takes more than 3 hours to travel from Vienna by transfer, the price starts from 270 € for four with a discount or 370 € up to 7 passengers. A transfer from Munich Airport will also take 3 hours, at a price from 270 € for three to 790 € for a bus for 19 people.
Useful Tips
- For beginners, it is better to choose Mount Fageralm for skiing, there are more gentle slopes and fewer visitors.
- The most high-altitude ski area Dachtstein has the most tourists at the weekend, so the slopes are broken at this time, the middle of the week is suitable for a beautiful and trouble-free descent.
- It is advisable to leave your own transport in parking lots, and use local bus or taxi to move, because it is easy to get stuck or take a long time without snow due to snowfalls.
- Do not rely on the joys of shopping, shops close early, many do not work on Sundays.
Schladming Austria ski resort is positioning itself as a country of champions. World cups are held here, world records are set, there are unrivaled to this day. Natural mountain conditions and the level of organization contribute to mass visits, including for family vacations, as well as professional training. And carefully preserved cultural traditions for centuries allow us to assert that Schladming will retain the title of Austria’s unique ski resort and continue to increase its popularity.
