Attractions on the Dachstein
Hiking fans get a real adrenaline rush here
Grandiose views from the Dachstein suspension bridge.
© René Strasser
The Schladming-Dachstein holiday region offers hikers very special highlights. Above all, the highest suspension bridge in Austria.
The Schladming-Dachstein holiday region is not only a true Eldorado for via ferrata fans. 1,000 kilometers of hiking trails along streams, lakes and alpine huts attract numerous hikers to Styria year after year. Ramsau am Dachstein in particular offers many circular hiking opportunities and spectacular vantage points. The perfect starting point is the all-round glazed panorama gondola of the Dachstein glacier cable car in Ramsau.
Dachstein suspension bridge
The highest suspension bridge in Austria, near the mountain station of the Hunerkogel, the highest point on the Dachstein Glacier, offers a special view. Crossing the bridge, which is about one meter wide and 100 meters long, is an adrenaline rush for many hikers, as it drops 400 meters below the bridge. The brave are rewarded with a 360-degree mountain panorama up to the Dachstein massif. Like the “Stairs to Nowhere” and the ice cave, the suspension bridge is part of the glacier world on the Dachstein, which is subject to a fee. Entry to these attractions costs 10 euros. Tickets can be bought at the ticket booth near the mountain station. For your own safety, qualified footwear and equipment are a matter of course all year round.
“Stairs to Nowhere”
At the end of the suspension bridge, hikers have the opportunity to enjoy the panoramic view of the surrounding mountains from the “Stairs to Nothingness”. 14 narrow steps lead the brave to a spectacular glass platform with a view through the floor below. The small platform offers space for four people and weighs a total of five tons. Another attraction is the nearby visit to the mystical Ice Palace. Directly under the Dachstein Glacier you can explore corridors and admire detailed carved figures, ice pillars and a crystal dome. Especially on hot days, the Dachstein Ice Palace is a cool experience and popular with children.
Dachstein Sky Walk
Anyone returning from the circular hiking trail around the mountain station of the Hunerkogel glacier cable car has the opportunity to visit the Dachstein Sky Walk without having climbed a single via ferrata. The unique glass platform offers space for 150 people and offers a perfect mountain panorama. On a clear day you can enjoy a view of the Hohe Tauern as far as Slovenia and the Czech Republic. At 2,700 meters, the Dachstein Sky Walk is significantly higher than the viewing platform of Niagara Falls or the Iguazú Falls in Brazil.
Accommodation, guides and trekking specialists
The holiday region offers a variety of accommodation, guides and trekking specialists. The nature and wellness hotel Höflehner, which specializes in hikes and is located very close to Ramsau am Dachstein, offers different tours with experienced guides several times a week. There is also an equipment service, a hiking taxi for individual tours and a hiking tour platform for special preparation. If you like it more leisurely, you can join a relaxed llama/alpaca hike around the hotel grounds or explore nature with the hotel’s own bikes. The 4* superior house (Wanderhotels.com) is located at an altitude of 1,117 m and offers a perfect view of the surrounding mountains from the wellness area.
The Hotel Apartment Hochkönig in Ramsau am Dachstein specializes in families. Hiking tours from there lead to the Sattelberg am Dachstein, the “Children’s Mountain”, where Austria’s first nature and adventure trail is located. A marked part of the trail can also be used with prams. The circular route leads past 15 different exciting play stations. Two real children’s via ferratas are also located on the nature and environmental adventure trail and can be tried out by the very brave kids.
If you want to be more individual and personal on your way, you can book a professional private guide, e.g. B. at Dachstein Incentives in the Salzkammergut. The state-certified mountain guides not only offer snowshoe and night hikes, but also via ferrata and high mountain tours. In addition, caving offers plenty of adventure and pure adrenaline.
The holiday region is not only a perfect outdoor experience for alpinists and hikers in spring and summer, but also an attraction for young and old all year round. Information is available from the tourist center in Ramsau am Dachstein, in special apps or on the Internet.