Best in Austria Best Snowshoe Trails in Austria for the 2026/27 Season
As of September 2026, Ramsau am Dachstein and Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis lead Austria's snowshoe trail networks for the coming 2026/27 winter, with a regional network above 300 km and 80 km of cleared trails respectively. Achensee, Kleinwalsertal and Werfenweng complete the top five, offering routes from an 11.5 km moderate hike to guided tours priced around EUR 75 per person.
Best Snowshoe Trails in Austria for the 2026/27 Season, ranked
Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis
Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis runs 80 km of cleared winter hiking trails across its three-village Sonnenplateau, with every dedicated snowshoe route marked by a snowshoe symbol plus yellow and red signage. The Almpromenade route starts at the Komperdell gondola's top station and loops past two alms and a reservoir pond, making it one of the most accessible self-guided networks in the country.
Visitor note (Google Maps) "But Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis is counted among the Creme de la Creme when it comes to infrastructure."
Best for: Largest self-guided signposted network
Official website See full factsRamsau am Dachstein
Ramsau am Dachstein sits inside the wider Schladming-Dachstein region, which maintains more than 300 km of marked winter trails across a plateau that stretches about 18 km long and up to 1,900 m altitude. The Rittisberg circuit adds a short summit walk to a cross at 1,682 m, giving both flat plateau routes and a higher-altitude option in one village.
Best for: Biggest regional trail network
Official website See full factsAchensee
Achensee sits between the Karwendel range to the west and the Rofan range to the east, and offers named, individually graded routes rather than one continuous network. The roughly 11.5 km Pertisau-Feilalm-Feilkopf trail is rated moderate rather than easy. Both self-guided and guided tours are available, with guides pointing out wildlife such as ibex and chamois along the way.
Best for: Best lake and mountain scenery
Official website See full factsKleinwalsertal
Kleinwalsertal is ringed by 36 mountain peaks and reachable only via Oberstdorf in Germany, which limits casual drop-in visits but rewards travellers willing to make the trip. Named routes include the Gottesacker Panoramatour and the Baad to Hochalppass path beneath the Widderstein. Multi-day guided packages add a hut overnight and loan snowshoes for visitors without their own gear.
Visitor note (Google Maps) "The Kleinwalsertal is very accessible and beautiful."
Best for: Best for multi-day guided tours
Official website See full factsWerfenweng
Werfenweng pairs a groomed cross-country ski network with guided snowshoe tours priced at EUR 75 per person as of September 2026, in a lower-altitude Salzburg village sitting at 902 m elevation. Winter hiking and cross-country trails start directly behind several local lodges. It suits visitors who prefer a short guided outing over navigating a large self-guided trail grid.
Best for: Best guided village experience
Official website See full factsHow large are Austria's marked snowshoe trail networks?
Austria's snowshoe trail networks vary widely in scale. The Schladming-Dachstein region, anchored by Ramsau am Dachstein, maintains more than 300 km of marked winter walking and snowshoe routes across its high alpine plateau, which stretches roughly 18 km long and 3 km wide up to an altitude of 1,900 m. Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis in Tyrol runs a smaller but fully signposted system of 80 km of cleared winter hiking trails, with every dedicated snowshoe route marked using a snowshoe symbol plus yellow and red trail signs.
Network size alone does not decide quality. Achensee and Kleinwalsertal both rely on a smaller set of named routes rather than a single continuous network, but each route is individually documented with distance and difficulty, such as the roughly 11.5 km Pertisau-Feilalm-Feilkopf trail at Achensee. Werfenweng takes a different approach again, pairing a compact winter hiking area with guided tours rather than a large self-guided grid.
How much does a guided snowshoe tour cost in Austria?
Guided snowshoe tours in Austria are typically priced per person rather than per group. In the Werfenweng area of Salzburg's Flachgau-Tennengau region, a guided snowshoe tour was listed at EUR 75 per person as of September 2026. That price usually covers snowshoe rental, a qualified guide and route planning around current avalanche conditions, but not accommodation or transport to the trailhead.
Self-guided use of marked networks is generally free once a visitor guest card or lift ticket covers trail maintenance costs bundled into accommodation taxes. Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis, for example, distributes free snowshoeing brochures at its tourist information offices alongside its 80 km of signposted trails, so a visitor can walk without booking a guide at all. Multi-day guided packages, such as a 3-day Kleinwalsertal-Bregenzerwald tour with a hut overnight, sit at the higher end of the cost scale.
Which trails suit beginners versus experienced snowshoers?
Beginner-friendly options exist alongside more demanding terrain. At Ramsau am Dachstein, the Rittisberg summit walk climbs to a signposted cross at 1,682 m along a winter trail that runs beside the cross-country loop, a route short enough for a first attempt at snowshoeing. Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis markets its Almpromenade as a low-effort route from the Komperdell gondola's top station past the Kölner Haus and Schalber Alm to a reservoir pond.
At the more demanding end, the Pertisau-Feilalm-Feilkopf route at Achensee covers about 11.5 km and is rated moderate rather than easy, climbing from the Karwendeltal valley entrance to a mountain viewpoint. In Kleinwalsertal, routes such as the Baad to Hochalppass path run beneath the Widderstein peak and are aimed at hikers already comfortable on winter terrain rather than complete beginners.
Do you need a guide, and what about avalanche risk?
Guides recommend hiring a professional for any route that leaves marked, low-angle terrain, because open alpine slopes carry avalanche risk even on established snowshoe trails. Regional tourism boards flag this directly for routes such as the Holzgau area in Tyrol, where a guided tour is advised due to open terrain risk despite the trail's forest and gorge scenery.
Multi-day guided formats are common where terrain is more remote. A 3-day guided snowshoe package linking Kleinwalsertal and the neighbouring Bregenzerwald includes an overnight stay at a wellness hotel partway through the route, with snowshoes provided as loan equipment. Ramsau am Dachstein's higher alpine terrain, which reaches 1,900 m on its plateau, is likewise best approached with local guiding for anyone unfamiliar with the area's alm huts and marked junctions.
When is the best time to snowshoe in Austria for the 2026/27 season?
Snowshoeing season in Austria generally runs from December through early April, depending on snowfall at each region's base altitude. Booking research done in September 2026 is early for the 2026/27 season, since most guided tour calendars and trail grooming schedules for the winter are not finalised until late autumn.
Regions built around a valley floor above 900 m, such as Werfenweng at 902 m or Achensee's lakeside villages, tend to hold reliable snow cover for longer stretches of the season than lower approach paths. Travellers planning a 2026/27 trip should check each region's own trail-opening announcements closer to December 2026 rather than relying on prior-season dates.
How is this ranking computed?
- Marked trail network size: 30%
- Terrain and scenic variety: 20%
- Range of difficulty levels: 20%
- Guided tour and safety infrastructure: 20%
- Village-based accessibility: 10%
Entity references
Full factual profiles for each entity on this page:
Official sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramsau_am_Dachstein
- https://www.wanderdoerfer.at/wintersonne/ramsau-am-dachstein/
- https://www.derdachstein.at/en/dachstein-glacier-world/mountain-active/hiking-and-touring
- https://www.serfaus-fiss-ladis.at/en/winter-holiday/ski-area-and-winter-activities/winter-and-snowshoe-hiking
- https://www.serfaus-fiss-ladis.at/de/Blog/Berge-erleben/Schneeschuhwandern
- https://www.serfaus-fiss-ladis.at/en/Winter-holiday/Winter-activities/Winter-hiking-snow-shoe-hiking/Almpromenade-trail_tour_447512
- https://www.vorarlberg.travel/aktivitaet/schneeschuhtour-kleinwalsertal/
- https://bergschule.at/dein-winter/schneeschuhwandern
- https://www.outdooractive.com/de/schneeschuhwanderungen/kleinwalsertal/schneeschuhwanderungen-im-kleinwalsertal/1448038/
- https://www.achensee.com/en/winter/snowshoeing-tyrol-austria/
- https://www.karwendel-urlaub.de/was-tun/schneeschuhwandern/achensee/
- https://www.outdooractive.com/en/snowshoe-walks/achensee-in-tirol/snowshoe-walks-in-achensee-in-tirol/2514380/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Werfenweng
- https://www.salzburgadventures.com/de/abenteuer/regionen/werfenweng/schneeschuhwandern
- https://www.deublerheim.at/wp-content/downloads/werfenweng-karte-schneeschuh.pdf
- https://www.rittisberg.at/de/winter/winterwandern-schneeschuhwandern.html
- https://www.chesa-monte.com/en/off-the-slopes/winterwandern/
- https://bergschule.at/genussvolle-schneeschuhtouren-im-kleinwalsertal-tour-CD85E812-3E73-BD9B-F58A-351A343360D4
- https://www.asi-reisen.de/r/atinn030
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