Schladming: Cable Cars, Waterways and City History

Schladming combines the history of alpine skiing with themed trails, cable-car experiences, water landscapes and impressive evidence of its mining heritage. Those looking for a holiday apartment for varied days on holiday will find a range of attractions here: active trails on the Planai, family experiences at high altitude, nature along the Talbach Gorge, or city history around the city museum and the Salzburg Gate.

Planai Experiences between Skiing History and High Altitude

The World Cup Trail follows the skiing history of the Planai ski area. It leads to the starting points and key sections of the alpine ski races at the 2013 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships. This makes the Planai an experience not only as a landscape, but also as a venue for skiing.

For trips with children, Hopsiland Planai is a special attraction: it is the highest-altitude playground in Styria. Hopsiland can be reached by the 10-seater Planai main cable car; the facility is located at an altitude of more than 1,800 metres. Two themed circular trails run there, with a total length of around 4 kilometres. When planning your day, you should take this altitude and the approximate trail length into account. Those looking for sporting variety instead of a playground will find 42 kilometres of mountain-bike trails at Bikepark Schladming.

Wilde Wasser and the Trail through the Talbach Gorge

The Wilde Wasser themed trail begins at the Kraiter-Wilde Wasser hiking portal in Schladming. The themed and educational trail is 16.7 kilometres long, providing a clearly defined route for planning a day of hiking. The first section runs through the Talbach Gorge. At the beginning of the gorge, the Talbach Gorge loop also includes a viewing platform above the Talbach.

This selection of trails caters to different interests within the same trip: the World Cup Trail highlights skiing history, Wilde Wasser focuses on water and the gorge, and the Talbach Gorge complements the natural setting with a specific viewpoint. When choosing your accommodation, it may therefore be helpful to first determine your preferred daily rhythm and then look for a suitable location in Schladming.

City Museum, City Gate and Major Ski Races

The town itself also offers worthwhile discoveries. The Bruderladehaus now houses the Schladming City Museum. The building is an impressive, unique historic monument with a centuries-old character. A miners’ brotherhood room has been preserved in the museum almost unchanged, providing a vivid insight into a historic interior.

The Salzburg Gate is the last surviving of Schladming’s once three city gates. The Planai Stadium represents another part of the town’s history: it is the finish stadium for the 1982 and 2013 Alpine World Ski Championships. The Nightrace takes place every year under floodlights on the Planai in Schladming. Historic traces of the town and modern racing therefore stand side by side, without requiring you to commit to just one type of holiday.

Mining Trails and Practical Orientation

In the Obertal valley near Schladming, the Knappenweg and Schmelzofen circular trail follow historic mining paths. In the same area, the Hopfriesen Nickel Museum presents the history of mining in a historic building. These destinations particularly appeal to travellers who want to combine the landscape with the region’s industrial and cultural history.

A cable car runs from Planet Planai up to the Planai. From Schladming, you can take the Planai-Hochwurzen cable car buses via Rohrmoos to the Hochwurzen summit lift. When looking for a holiday apartment, you can therefore consider whether your days on holiday should focus more on sightseeing in the town, cable-car rides, hiking trails or excursions into the Obertal valley.

More Destinations for Planning Your Trip

As additional destinations in the wider navigation, you will find Gams Bei Hieflau, Stein An Der Enns, Wörschach, Donnersbach, Gössenberg, Strimitzen, Gleiming and Gößl.

For the higher-level travel overview: Liezen.