family travel guide
Every ski parent's dream is to have their child train in a resort that once hosted the Alpine World Ski Championships and now regularly hosts World Cup slalom, downhill and super-G events.
Schladming is such a family-friendly resort, where the slopes are groomed for race victories and the ski schools cater for young and old alike. Here you will always find family-friendly hotels anf child-friendly activites.
Read our article to find out all about the benefits of a holiday with children in Schladming.
Schladming is a ski resort in central Austria, in the province of Styria. It is part of the district of Liezen (the administrative centre is the town of Liezen). The distance from Schladming is 100 km to Salzburg, 200 km to Graz, 50 km to Liezen and 220 km to Munich, Germany.
Other major resorts in the part of the Alps where Schladming is located are Salzburgerland, Gastein, Hochkönig and Großarl. Together they form the Ski amadé ski region, with a single ski pass for all lifts.
Schladming is easy to describe: immaculate slopes, excellent ski schools, great après-ski programme, good hotels.
But the Schladming ski resort deserves even more praise — especially for its good conditions for skiing with children. There is no skiing in the children's winter parks, of course, but the instructors make the lessons so much fun that the children want to learn to ski themselves.
There are other activities for children in Schladming, from tobogganing in winter to hiking on themed trails in summer.
You can also buy a special summer guest card at the hotel, which gives you free use of buses and cable cars, as well as discounts on various tours and family events in the region.
And a trip to Schladming with the kids can be supplemented with excursions: Salzburg and Linz are close by, and the town itself is full of cute little museums.
Special praise must go to the family hotels, where everything is done to make sure you and your child have a good time. There are even hotels in Schladming that cater for families with babies.
One more thing about Schladming: it is the easternmost resort in the Austrian Alps.
The skiing season in Schladming is, without exaggeration, all year round. On the Dachstein glacier, extreme skiers ski in the summer when other tourists are swimming in the lakes and hiking.
And yet most of the trails are covered in snow from December to early April. The official opening of the season in Schladming takes place at the end of December, by which time the slopes are well covered with snow. Skiing usually starts earlier, but you have to be lucky with the weather.
When is the best time to visit Schladming? From the end of December to mid-March, there is no problem with snow cover, but this is also the time of year for the biggest influx of tourists and the highest prices for ski passes. The resort tends to settle down in the second or third week of January.
Summer holidays with children are also guaranteed to be a success. Schladming has an excellent programme of activities for the whole family and the weather is usually good for outdoor activities.
It is also better to plan a trip to Schladming with a baby in the summer, as winter frosts can make walking difficult.
From the point of view of city dwellers, Schladming's climate is harsh: winter from December to April, frost, snowfalls, gloomy skies — what is there to be happy about? But for skiing, the weather is not the best.
In November, a cold snap arrives at the resort. During the day the temperature is still above zero and at night the thermometer drops to -3-6°C (sometimes -12-15°C).
In December the temperature falls below zero: to -1-7°C during the day and -7-12°C at night. Snow begins to fall and snow cover quickly forms in the mountains.
The winter weather in Schladming is frosty but almost windless, so the cold does not affect skiing.
In January-February, daytime temperatures range from -2-10°C, with nighttime temperatures dropping to -10-15°C. There are also frosts as low as -25°C, but severe cold does not last more than a day or two.
In March the temperature rises above zero during the day and falls to -9-13°C at night. Finally, sunny days are interspersed with gloomy ones - all of which makes for a better holiday in Schladming with children.
In April the temperature is +7-12°C, it rains more often than it snows. From May to August it rains from time to time, but in the second half of the summer the weather is clear - you can safely plan a holiday in Schladming for July or August. Summer air temperatures range from +12-24°C during the day to +4-9°C at night.
The weather in September is unpredictable: you can expect warm days or a sharp drop in temperature to +5-9°C. The average temperature in October is +9°C, at night the temperature drops to -3-5°C.
On the Dachstein glacier it is much colder than in the villages. In winter the daily temperature is -9-15°C, in summer it does not rise above +6-10°C. The glacier is covered with snow throughout the year.
The most important public transport in Schladming from a skier's point of view is the ski bus. They are useful for visiting all the ski areas or for getting from the hotel to the lift.
There are more than ten routes in the resort; their schedules are available on the resort's website. With a valid ski pass, you can use the ski bus for free; without a ski pass, you'll have to pay around €2.50 for an adult ticket and €1.25 for a child's ticket.
There is a public bus service in Schladming. It costs €1.5 and children's tickets cost €0.5.
In the summer, regional buses and electric trains are available in Schladming. The only way to get from Schladming to Ramsau is by bus, which costs around €4.50.
The electric train runs through the villages along the main ski area and costs from €2.50 depending on the distance. Children's tickets are half the price.
It's best to travel around Schladming by car. Many hotels have guest parking (sometimes for a fee) and there are plenty of car parks near the lower lift stations.
In Schladming, children's admiration is everywhere. This is a snow town where there is something interesting going on from morning to night.
Unlike other resorts, where access to children's snow parks is only possible if the child is enrolled in a ski school, here everyone can use the town's infrastructure without exception.
Choose what your child is interested in:
It seems that the Dachstein Glacier is not the only destination for families with children. In the heart of the Dachstein, there is the Ice Palace, where visitors feel like they are in a museum.
Other types of winter family holidays in Schladming are also popular. There are toboggan runs (the longest, 7 km, is in Hochwurzen), ice rinks, curling, winter walking trails, skiing, snowshoeing and horse riding.
One of the most popular activities is fat biking, which involves riding bicycles with fat tyres in the snow.
If the frost has had enough, you can warm up in the pools of the adventure pool and fitness studio. There is a water slide and a children's pool. And just 20km from Schladming are the SalzburgerLand towns of Filzmoos and Altenmarkt, which have indoor water entertainment centres.
But sometimes you just want to go for a walk with your child. A stroll through Schladming, a cosy, classic Austrian town with narrow streets, gingerbread houses that never look the same, and a wide range of cafes, pastry shops and restaurants, will leave you with a pleasant impression.
Life here buzzes from morning to night, with a brief pause on Sunday when, as in many other Austrian towns and villages, almost all the establishments and shops are closed.
We'd like to add that the resort's family hotels take the worry out of what to do in Schladming with a child. Playrooms, mini-clubs and swimming pools await young tourists.
The Schladming - Dachstein resort includes 11 ski areas (Hauser-Kaibling — 2015 m, Planai — 1906 m, Hochwurzen — 1850 m, Ski Reiteralm — 1860 m, Ski Fageralm — 1885 m, Dachstein-Gletscher — 2700 m, Ski Galsterberg — 1986 m, Ramsau am Dachstein — 1300 m, Stoderzinken — 2045 m, Riesneralm — 1990 m, Planneralm — 2200 m).
The ski areas in Schladming are not very high, so you may have problems with natural snow cover at the beginning and end of the season, but the artificial snow is plentiful here.
The four main areas — Hauser, Planai, Hochwurzen and Ski Reiteralm — are connected by ski lifts, so you can move from one mountain to the next without taking off your skis.
In total, there are 76 slopes of varying difficulty: spend time with your children where you feel most comfortable. Snowboarders meet at the Planai Superpark, Hochwürzen has a night slope and Hauser and Planai have a fun slope for adults and children.
As for the Reitheralm, it is known as the star area: famous athletes often ski here. The vast ski areas of Ramsau am Dachstein and Riesneralm are separate. The former will appeal more to beginners, while the latter will also appeal to those who like interesting runs.
The Dachstein Glacier is a ski area for those who love extreme sports. There are several difficult pistes, located at an altitude of 2400-2700 m, where it is noticeably colder than the rest of the resort. There is snow on the glacier all year round and skiing is possible even in summer.
One of the best things to do in Schladming is to take your child skiing on special slopes.
For example, Galsterberg is home to the region's largest Galstiland, with fabulous talking Gallic figures, wooden huts and a two-storey Roman watchtower.
The Stoderzinken family ski area has a great area for children to learn to ski. At the Fageralm, young daredevils can enjoy unique downhill runs with interesting themed decorations.
If you are planning to ski for the first time in Schladming, or if you want your children to fall in love with this type of holiday, we recommend enrolling in one of the resort's ski schools.
They operate in all towns and villages and offer courses for adults and children, for beginners and those who want to improve. Children's lessons are fun and games, and even three-year-olds will soon be demonstrating good technique.
Some of the ski schools in Schladming have kindergartens for pre-schoolers, where children can have fun and relax.
| General season |
December — early April, on the Dachstein Gletscher / Dachstein Gletscher — all year round |
| Elevation difference | 745 m — 2700 m |
| Ski slopes |
232 km — total |
| Ski lifts |
103 total, including |
| Ski routes | 288 km |
| Snowparks | 2 |
| The longest ski run | 7700 m (ski slope from Hochwurzen to Rohrmoos) |
| Interactive scheme of ski slopes and lifts | https://www.skiamade.com/en/winter |
The Ski amadé region has a single ski pass that gives access to the slopes of the five resorts. During high season (22 December to 4 January and 26 January to 16 March) the approximate price of a 2-6 day ski pass is €135-334 for adults, €84-250 for 16-18 year olds and €56-167 for 6-15 year olds.
From 5th to 25th January there will be a slight reduction in the price of ski passes valid for 5 days or more.
Until 21 December and from 16 March, ski passes for 2-6 days cost €125-300, €95-225 and €63-150 respectively.
If skiing is not your priority, day passes can be purchased for any of the Schladming-Dachstein resorts. These cost approximately €68 for adults, €54 for youths and €31 for children.
In Schladming there are ski hire shops in the villages and in each of the ski resorts. Prices vary depending on the class of equipment and the age of the skier, and you can get a 10-15% discount if you book online.
The approximate cost of ski/snowboard rental for 1 day is 17-35 euros for an adult, 14-27 euros for a youth and 7-10 euros for a child. Rental of boots is approximately 10-12 euros for adults and 5-7 euros for children. Helmets can be hired for between 5 and 9 euros.
Snowshoes (€15-16) and sledges (€7) can also be hired at the rental stations.
Despite the cool weather and frequent rain, summer holidays in Schladming are very popular. Whether you are looking for peace and quiet or active family fun, the resort has it all.
Firstly, this is one of the best areas for walking — there are many routes that are suitable for prams.
Children will enjoy the Fairy Tale Route, with its many fairy tales and playgrounds, or the Mushroom Route, with its mushroom figures and descriptions.
On a sunny day, visit the lake in the village of Pichl, one of the cleanest in Styria. Next to the lake there is a playground with a trampoline, tennis courts, volleyball and basketball courts.
Another popular form of entertainment in this region are the rope parks. There are several of them, but perhaps the most interesting one to visit with the whole family is the Planai Adventure Park. It consists of three different mini parks, a children's area (free for children) and 40 stations of varying difficulty.
There is also a children's entertainment programme during the summer. Every day there is something new for young tourists: pony rides, farm visits, hiking, master classes.
However eventful a holiday with children in Schladming may be, at least one day should be set aside for excursions — an hour's drive from the resort is Salzburg, with its many attractions, and it is only a two-hour drive to Linz, which is no less beautiful.
Schladming itself has plenty to offer children. In Ramsau, for example, there is a small historical museum called Zeitroas and the Alpine Museum.
On the Reiteralm, there is an exhibition called "Sommerfrosch" (Summer Snow), which explains the system of artificial snow-making on the slopes. Haus has an interesting winter sports museum.
The Risneralm has a very nice museum of local history.
And here is another option for things to see in and around Schladming: the community of Hallstatt, with a population of less than a thousand. The toy town at the foot of the Dachstein is interesting in its own way, and there is also a salt mine nearby, where excursions are organised for families with children.
The main attractions in Salzburg are the House of Nature, the Zoo and the Toy Museum. You can also take the children to Hohensalzburg Fortress, where there is a weapons museum and a marionette exhibition. On a warm day, take a stroll around the Salzburg Open Air Museum, where you can see examples of ancient architecture.
On the way to Salzburg you can visit another unique attraction — the world's largest ice cave, Eisriesenwelt. The cave is only open in summer, but winter clothing is required for the tour.
The city of Linz also has a lot to offer children. Linz Castle now houses a historical museum, the Nordico Museum has many interactive exhibits that tell the story of the city's past and in the Botanical Gardens greenhouse you can show your child the Amazonian Victorian, the largest water lily in the world.
Where to stay with children in Schladming? On the one hand, the choice is unusually wide — comfortable Austrian accommodation is available in all the towns and villages of the resort, and you can travel from one ski area to another by ski bus. On the other hand, the most convenient area of Schladming is the villages at the foot of the combined ski area.
The centre of the resort, the town with the most developed infrastructure is Schladming. The fact that it is one of the best places to stay with children is due to the large number of family hotels. Their services include two-room family rooms, discounts on accommodation for children, cots and high chairs, and playrooms.
A children's menu may also be available (sometimes it is fast food). Hotels usually offer half-board, with a breakfast buffet and children can choose from an adult menu.
Accommodation in Schladming may be far from the ski lifts. If this is the case, check if there is a ski bus stop nearby.
There are few family hotels in other villages in the resort, but there are plenty of apartments — a good option for an independent holiday in Schladming with children. The villages of Haus im Ennstal, Pichl, Rohrmoos, Gleiming and Oberthal have good apartments close to the ski lifts.
Good accommodation is available in Ramsau im Dachstein. There are several hotels at the foot of the glacier.
In the summer you can stay in other villages in the resort and near Schladming. If you are not renting a car, check that there are food stores and restaurants nearby — small villages may not have them.
The nearest international airports are Salzburg (90 km), Graz (180 km) and Munich (260 km).
How to get to Schladming on arrival
There are train stations in Schladming, Pichl and Hauser. There are direct trains from Salzburg to the resort, the journey time is about 1.5 hours. Direct trains from Graz take 2.5 hours, from Vienna and Munich — about 4 hours. Train timetables are available on the website of the Austrian Railways (ÖBB): https://www.oebb.at/.
The bus service to the resort is not as convenient as the train. In summer you can take the 0362 bus from Liezen to Schladming. There are also FlixBus buses from Salzburg, Graz, Radstadt (Salzburgerland) to Schladming. You can buy tickets on the operator's website: https://www.flixbus.at.
How to get to Schladming from the West and Nord:
via München – Salzburg – A10 Tauernautobahn – B320 Ennstal Bundesstraße
or Passau – A9 Pyhrnautobahn – Linz – Knoten Selzthal – B320 Ennstal Bundesstraße
from the east:
A2 Südautobahn – S6 Semmeringschnellstraße – A9 Pyhrnautobahn – Knoten Selzthal – B320 Ennstal Bundesstraße
via Wien (A23) – A2 Südautobahn – S6 Semmeringschnellstraße – Knoten St. Michael – A9 Pyhrnautobahn – Knoten Liezen – B320 Ennstal Bundesstraße
from South:
autobahn A2 Süd – A10 Tauernautobahn – B320 Ennstal Bundesstraße
To use motorways and expressways in Austria, you must purchase a "traffic vignette". Valid for 10 days, 2 months or one year, this sticker label can be purchased at gas stations and tobacconists.
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