Best Things to Do in Saalbach for Non-Skiers

By Best:in Editorial Team · Updated September 2026

Saalbach Hinterglemm works as a non-ski base because the valley funds its own infrastructure for walkers and sledgers: 140 km of cleared winter hiking trails, a 3.2 km floodlit toboggan run at the Reiterkogel, a village ice rink open to 22:00 and a pedestrian lift ticket priced at EUR 125.00 for seven adult days in 2026/27. As of September 2026, tobogganing ranks first for non-skiers.

Best Things to Do in Saalbach for Non-Skiers, ranked

1.

Reiterkogel Toboggan Run

The strongest single activity for a non-skier here. The track runs 3.2 km with 400 m of vertical and a 5 m width, and the D1 lift carries you up, so nobody walks uphill. Night ascents operate Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 16:15 to 21:30 and are included in a valid ski pass. Rental is EUR 13.50 a day plus a EUR 50.00 cash deposit, and private sledges are banned.

Best for: Best after-dark thrill

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2.

Saalbach Hinterglemm Winter Hiking Trail Network

Cost nothing from the valley floor and covers 140 km of cleared, signed paths, which is enough for a different route every day of a week. Published examples include the easy J02 Rammernalm at 6.1 km, 2:30 hours and 270 m of ascent, and the moderate H03 Winkler Alm at 5.9 km. The tourist board flags black ice on some sections and recommends spikes or crampons.

Best for: Best value for a full week

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3.

Skicircus Pedestrian Ticket

Not an activity but the key that unlocks several. It allows two ascents and two descents per day without ski equipment, so a walker can reach hut lunches and summit viewpoints. Winter 2026/27 rates are EUR 125.00 adult and EUR 62.50 child for seven days, or EUR 375.00 and EUR 185.00 for the season. Single rides are sold at selected lifts for one-off trips.

Best for: Best for mountain-restaurant days

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4.

Baumzipfelweg and Golden Gate Bridge der Alpen

An elevated walkway at the Talschluss end of Hinterglemm, built over the forest on towers and bridges. Its centrepiece is the 200 m Golden Gate Bridge der Alpen. The elevated section starts near the Lindlingalm and entry is charged, unlike the free valley paths. Counting the approach from the valley-end car park, the round trip from the Hinterglemm side works out at roughly 5.4 km on foot.

Best for: Best half-day outing with children

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5.

Sportzentrum Saalbach-Hinterglemm

The obvious answer on a low-visibility day. The rink in Hinterglemm opens daily from 10:00 to 22:00, skates are hired on site, and the curling lanes take groups from the same start time. For the 2025/26 winter the rink opened on 25 December, so it is not a pre-Christmas option. Everything is in the village, which removes the car and bus problem entirely.

Best for: Best bad-weather fallback

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6.

Pferdeschlittenfahrten Hasenauer

A fixed-price valley excursion from Talschlussweg 376 in Hinterglemm up to the Lindlingalm. A collective sleigh is EUR 126.00 for up to six people, then EUR 21.00 per extra passenger round trip. Blankets are provided and both afternoon and night departures run. Reservations are taken by phone only and there are no rides on Mondays, so build it into the week early rather than deciding on the day.

Best for: Best for couples and slow days

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Can you have a proper winter holiday in Saalbach without skiing?

Yes, and the Glemmtal publishes numbers that prove it. Alongside its pistes the valley grooms and clears 140 km of winter hiking trails, so walkers follow their own signed network instead of edging along a ski run. The Reiterkogel toboggan run measures 3.2 km with a 400 m vertical drop and a 5 m track width, which is wide enough for sledges to pass. The ice rink at the Sportzentrum in Hinterglemm opens daily from 10:00 and stays lit until 22:00.

Timing matters more than ability. Planned lift operation for the 2026/27 winter runs from 27 November 2026 to 4 April 2027, and peak season is dated 19 December 2026 to 12 March 2027. Outside those peak weeks the valley is quieter, trails are less churned, and sleigh operators are easier to book at short notice.

What does a non-skier actually pay in Saalbach Hinterglemm?

The core purchase is the pedestrian ticket, which covers two ascents and two descents per day by cable car without ski equipment. For winter 2026/27 the seven-day version is listed at EUR 125.00 for adults and EUR 62.50 for children, with a season version at EUR 375.00 and EUR 185.00. Single rides are sold at selected lifts for walkers who only want one trip up.

Everything else is priced per activity. A toboggan hired at the D1 Reiterkogel valley station costs EUR 13.50 per day plus a EUR 50.00 cash deposit, refunded only if the sledge comes back the same day. A collective horse-drawn sleigh to the Lindlingalm starts at EUR 126.00 for up to six people, then EUR 21.00 per extra passenger. For comparison, an adult afternoon ski pass from 11:30 in peak season is EUR 70.00.

Which Saalbach activities keep running after dark?

Evenings are the strongest part of the non-skier offer here. The D1 Reiterkogel lift runs night ascents on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 16:15 to 21:30, and that night ride is included in a valid ski pass. Guests without a pass can buy separate evening tickets at the lift.

On the alternate nights the floodlit slope at the A9 Unterschwarzachbahn in Hinterglemm operates Monday, Wednesday and Friday until 21:30, which is worth knowing if you are meeting skiers after their session. The Sportzentrum ice rink and its curling lanes stay open until 22:00, and skates are rented on site. Horse-drawn sleighs run night trips through the valley, though the Hasenauer operation takes Monday as its day off.

How should a non-skier plan a first day in the Glemmtal?

  1. Decide whether you need lift access at all

    Roughly half of the 140 km winter hiking network starts in the villages of Saalbach and Hinterglemm, so a first day costs nothing beyond boots. If you want a summit lunch, buy the pedestrian ticket instead: it allows two ascents and two descents per day, which is one mountain in the morning and one in the afternoon, not unlimited riding.

  2. Pick a trail with a published time

    Signed routes carry distance and duration. The J02 Rammernalm walk is graded easy at 6.1 km, about 2:30 hours, with 270 m of ascent. The H03 Winkler Alm route is 5.9 km and graded moderate. Printed maps are available at the tourist office and online.

  3. Book the fixed-time activities first

    Sleigh rides need a phone reservation, and the Hasenauer sleighs do not run on Mondays. Night tobogganing only operates Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday between 16:15 and 21:30, so slot it into the week before you plan anything else for those evenings.

  4. Keep one weather-proof day in reserve

    The Sportzentrum ice rink opens daily from 10:00 until 22:00 and works in poor visibility. The Ski ALPIN CARD, valid 10 October 2026 to 2 May 2027, also opens up Zell am See and Kaprun for a change of scene.

What do non-skiers most often get wrong here?

Three practical traps. First, private sledges are not allowed on the Reiterkogel run and the lift company will not transport your own toboggan or winter equipment, so the EUR 13.50 rental is compulsory rather than optional. Second, the tourist board warns of black ice on parts of the 140 km winter hiking network and recommends carrying spikes or crampons; conditions in alpine terrain change within hours.

Third, people assume the pedestrian ticket behaves like a ski pass. It does not: two ascents and two descents per day is the limit, and a EUR 2.00 KeyCard deposit applies on top. Photo ID is required for all ages when buying, and photos are needed from the eight-day ticket upwards.

What is worth a day trip if the Glemmtal weather closes in?

The Ski ALPIN CARD ties Saalbach Hinterglemm, Leogang and Fieberbrunn to the Schmittenhöhe in Zell am See plus the Kitzsteinhorn and Maiskogel in Kaprun, with a stated term of 10 October 2026 to 2 May 2027 and up to 408 piste kilometres. For a non-skier the value is the scenery and the lakeside walk at Zell am See rather than the terrain.

Closer to home, the natural ice rink at the Ritzensee near Saalfelden sits below the Steinernes Meer range. Kaprun's Maiskogel has a year-round toboggan track, the Maisi Flitzer, which runs as an alpine coaster through 63 turns. All three are reachable by road or bus from the Glemmtal in under an hour.

How is this ranking computed?

  • No ski experience required: 25%
  • Published prices and times: 20%
  • Reliability through the season: 20%
  • Reachable without a car: 15%
  • Evening availability: 10%
  • Works for mixed groups: 10%

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