Schladming-Dachstein Ski Guide: 4 Mountains, 123 km

By Best:in Editorial Team · Updated September 2026

Schladming-Dachstein, in Styria, is built around the 4-Berge-Skischaukel: 123 km of groomed pistes, 47 lifts and four linked mountains (Hauser Kaibling, Planai, Hochwurzen, Reiteralm) between 728 m and 2,015 m. The regional day pass also covers Ramsau, Galsterberg and Fageralm, and from two days it becomes a Ski amadé pass worth 760 km. As of September 2026, the coming season is estimated at 27 November 2026 to 12 April 2027.

What exactly is the Schladming-Dachstein ski region?

Schladming-Dachstein is a Styrian holiday region in the district of Liezen, and the region markets 222 km of slopes served by 77 lifts. The commercial heart is the 4-Berge-Skischaukel, the four-mountain circuit linking Hauser Kaibling, Planai, Hochwurzen and Reiteralm. Skiresort.info counts 123 km of groomed pistes plus 4 km of marked ski routes there, with 47 lifts working between 728 m and 2,015 m. The longest single descent measures 7.7 km.

Four municipalities sit under the circuit: Schladming, Haus im Ennstal, Rohrmoos-Untertal and Pichl-Preunegg. Because the region belongs to Ski amadé, any ticket of two days or longer opens 760 km of pistes and 270 lifts across five regions, so the terrain figure that matters for a week-long stay is much larger than the local 123 km. Two smaller neighbours, Riesneralm and Planneralm, sit on the Schneebären Card rather than the Ski amadé pass.

How do the four linked mountains differ?

PlanaiHauser KaiblingHochwurzenReiteralm
Summit elevation1,894 m2,015 mNot published by the operator1,860 m
Valley station elevation750 m752 mRohrmoos, Gipfelbahn base780 m
Own piste networkPart of the shared 123 km circuit Part of the shared 123 km circuit Part of the shared 123 km circuit 32 km (11 km blue, 18 km red, 3 km black)
Night skiingNone scheduledNone scheduled3 km floodlit piste no. 33, Monday to Saturday None scheduled
Racing and parksWorld Cup course (1975), Nightrace since 1997, SuperparkNo World Cup racingFunslope, wave sections on pistes 34 and 36Training mountain for international ski teams
Lift highlightGoldenjet link to HochwurzenKaiblinggrat 8-seat chairlift plus 2025/26 Super Connection Gipfelbahn 10-person gondola, 2,170 m, 2,500 persons/hourSilver Jet gondola beside the B320 road
TobogganingNot the mountain's offerNot the mountain's offer7 km run, open in the eveningNot the mountain's offer

What does a lift pass cost and where is it valid?

One day pass covers far more than the four linked mountains. Planai-Hochwurzen-Bahnen state that the day ticket is valid across Hauser Kaibling, Planai, Hochwurzen, Reiteralm, Fageralm, Galsterberg and Ramsau am Dachstein. From two days the ticket automatically becomes a Ski amadé pass covering five regions, 760 km of pistes and 270 lifts. Multi-day passes run up to 18 consecutive days, a photo is required from nine days, and a multi-day ticket can be collected and used from 3 p.m. on the day before it starts.

For 2025/26, Powderhounds listed the regional adult day ticket at up to EUR 78.50, youth at up to EUR 59 and children at up to EUR 39.50, with under-sixes free. Bergfex put the 2025/26 high season at 20 December 2025 to 10 April 2026, and rates fall outside those dates. Ski amadé sells a cancellation guarantee on multi-day passes for EUR 2.50 per day per ticket, usable up to two days before validity starts. Online early-booking prices move with demand, so check the official shop before you commit.

When is the best time to ski Schladming-Dachstein?

This is a long season rather than a high one. OnTheSnow estimates the Planai and Hochwurzen lifts running from 27 November 2026 to 12 April 2027, and the region's own ticket calendar for the small Riesneralm and Planneralm areas covers 28 November 2026 to 4 April 2027. With the top station at 2,015 m on Hauser Kaibling and valley stations near 750 m, January and February give the most dependable cover on the lower runs.

Late January is the busiest week of the winter. The Nightrace slalom has been held on the Planai since 1997, a night giant slalom was added in 2023, and the 2026 edition filled two evenings, 27 and 28 January. Schafalm, a hut at the finish area, reports up to 50,000 spectators a year. For the 2026/27 opening, Helene Fischer is booked to play the Planai Stadium on 11 December 2026. Skiers who want empty pistes should avoid those dates and the Austrian and German school holidays.

How do you plan a first week here?

  1. Pick a base village

    Schladming town puts you at the Planai gondola and the valley's rail stop. Haus im Ennstal serves Hauser Kaibling, the highest of the four mountains at 2,015 m. Rohrmoos is the base for Hochwurzen and its 7 km toboggan run. Pichl-Preunegg sits under Reiteralm, which has 32 km of its own pistes (11 km blue, 18 km red, 3 km black) directly off the B320 valley road.

  2. Buy the right ticket

    Skiing two days or more? The regional ticket upgrades itself to a Ski amadé pass, so buying single days back to back wastes money. Book online for the early-booking discount, then load the pass onto an old keycard or collect it from a pick-up machine in the ski area. If your dates are soft, add the cancellation guarantee, priced at EUR 2.50 per day per pass for 2025/26.

  3. Match mountains to conditions

    Open on Reiteralm or Hochwurzen for wide, quiet morning pistes, then cross to Planai for the World Cup terrain and Superpark Planai. Hauser Kaibling holds snow best in late season thanks to its 2,015 m summit. Since the 2025/26 winter, two new lifts (a 10-person gondola and an 8-seat chairlift) shuttle skiers between Hauser Kaibling and Planai, which cuts the old bottleneck on the circuit.

  4. Book one evening on the snow

    Night skiing runs on the floodlit piste no. 33 on Hochwurzen, 3 km long, Monday to Saturday, and it needs a separate evening ticket. The lights switch off at 23:00 and the groomers move in, so plan the last ride up accordingly. Access is at the valley station of the Gipfelbahn Hochwurzen in Rohrmoos, a 10-person gondola 2,170 m long with capacity for 2,500 people an hour.

  5. Add a Dachstein Glacier day

    The Dachstein cable car climbs to 2,700 m in about ten minutes. Downhill skiing on the glacier has been discontinued, so plan it as a sightseeing or touring day: suspension bridge, Stairway to Nothingness, Sky Walk and Ice Palace. Ski tourers who already hold a Ski amadé ALL-IN Pisten Tour Card or the Schladming-Dachstein winter touring ticket pay a EUR 25 surcharge at the Dachstein valley station.

What is there for non-skiers and cross-country skiers?

A non-skiing week is workable here. The Dachstein cable car lifts foot passengers to 2,700 m, where the glacier carries 15 km of cross-country trails at around 2,600 m: the Ramsau trail runs up to 5 km and the Hallstatt trail up to 10 km. Snow-online records the highest point of the track at 2,670 m. Athletes from more than 20 nations train on the glacier in autumn and winter.

Down in the valley, the Hochwurzen toboggan run covers 7 km, ranks among the longest in the region and operates in the evening, while the Talbachklamm gorge walk starts from Schladming itself. Strong off-piste skiers use the Edelgriess line on the Dachstein south face: roughly 1,600 vertical metres, gradients of up to 45 degrees and 8 km back down to Ramsau. That one needs sure-footing and a guide.

Which options rank highest?

1.

Planai

The anchor mountain of the circuit, rising straight out of Schladming from 750 m to 1,894 m for a 1,144 m vertical. It carries the World Cup course opened in 1975, the Nightrace slalom staged since 1997 and Superpark Planai. The valley descent of 1.4 km drops 447 m and delivers you back into town, which keeps après-ski and hotels within walking distance of the last run.

Best for: Racing terrain and ski-in ski-out town access

Official website See full facts
2.

Hauser Kaibling

At 2,015 m it is the highest of the four mountains, with a base at 752 m above Haus im Ennstal. That extra altitude matters in March, when runs off the Kaiblinggrat 8-seat chairlift hold cover better than lower slopes. Since the 2025/26 winter, a 10-person gondola and an 8-seat chairlift shuttle skiers to Planai, so the weakest link in the 123 km circuit has been rebuilt.

Best for: Late-season snow and high-altitude cruising

Official website See full facts
3.

Reiteralm

The western gateway, and the only one of the four with clearly published terrain of its own: 32 km split 11 km blue, 18 km red, 3 km black, from 780 m to 1,860 m. Lifts run to 2 gondolas, 4 chairlifts and 6 drag lifts plus Kinderland conveyors. The Silver Jet base sits on the B320 with large car parks, and international teams use the slopes for training.

Best for: Drive-up access and blue-run progression

Official website See full facts
4.

Hochwurzen

The evening mountain of the region. Piste no. 33 is floodlit over 3 km from Monday to Saturday, with lighting switched off at 23:00, and the 7 km toboggan run is one of the longest around. The Gipfelbahn is a 10-person gondola 2,170 m long that moves 2,500 people an hour from Rohrmoos. A Funslope and wave sections on pistes 34 and 36 keep children busy by day.

Best for: Night skiing, tobogganing and wide cruisers

Official website See full facts
5.

Dachstein Glacier

Include it as a day out, not as a ski day: downhill skiing on the glacier has been discontinued. The cable car climbs to 2,700 m in about ten minutes to reach the suspension bridge, Stairway to Nothingness, Sky Walk and Ice Palace, plus 15 km of cross-country trails near 2,600 m. Ski tourers pay a EUR 25 surcharge on a regional touring ticket for the ascent.

Best for: Non-ski day, cross-country and ski touring

Official website See full facts

How is this ranking computed?

  • Linked piste variety: 30%
  • Snow reliability and altitude: 25%
  • Beginner and family infrastructure: 20%
  • Lift capacity and access: 15%
  • Evening and non-ski options: 10%

Entity references

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