Ramsau am Dachstein Ski Resort Guide & Reviews Ski Area, Apres-Ski, Things to See & Do in Ramsau
Overview
Skiing in Ramsau am Dachstein - a stunning picture postcard ski resort sitting on a sunny plateau at 400m at the foot of the south face of the Dachstein range looking into the Ennstal valley below.
Après-ski
Not a wild partying ski resort by any means with the après-ski in Ramsau being relaxed and informal with several good bars and restaurants.
A short taxi ride to Schladming 7 kms away gives further choices for your evenings entertainment.
Children
The ski kindergarten club on the nursery slopes is superb and has Kali's winter wonderland - a ring-fenced area on the snow where the children can play and have fun if they are not skiing.
| Key information (whole area) | |
|---|---|
| Altitude | 1135m |
| Top lift | 2700m |
| Family | |
| Beginner | |
| Intermediate | |
| Expert | |
| Piste (km) | 114 |
| Longest run | 2 km |
| Off piste | |
| Cross country | 220 km |
| Season | Dec - April |
| Snowboard parks | 1 |
| Heli Skiing | ✘ |
| Summer skiing | ✔ |
| Glacier skiing | ✔ |
| Babysitting | ✘ |
| Creche | ✔ |
| Apres ski | Relaxed & Informal |
Ramsau am Dachstein Ski Area Guide
Skiing in Ramsau's local ski area is relatively small with only a few runs. The main area on the other side of the valley towards Schladming is spread over four connected mountains - Planai, Hochwurzen Hause, Kaibling and Reiteralm. Each area provides a different type of terrain but one thing they have in common is that they all face North meaning good reliable snow conditions.
The nice surprise about skiing in Ramsau is that it is a member of the "Ski Amade" carousel. A single lift pass gives you access to 760km of pistes serviced by 270 lifts over 5 superb and varied ski areas - they are not all lift linked but the free buses connect the resorts efficiently.
Beginners
First timers are well catered for with an extensive beginners area on the sunny plateau at Rohrmoos. After a few days, there is gentle progression on long cruising blues towards the mid station on the Planai mountain.
Intermediate
The whole Schladming area is geared towrds intermediate skiers with the main areas being on the Planai and Hochwurzen mountains.
Advanced
Skiing in Ramsau is not really geared towards the advanced skier as most of the on-piste terrain is suited to intermediate skiers and boarders.
However, the off-piste is exceptional with many back-country routes best explored with a guide. One of the best itineraries is from the top of the Dachstein glacier giving a massive 1159m of vertical! There are 16 guided off-piste tours starting from the top of the Dachstein - details of each one can be found at the Tourist Office.
Cross-country
There are 250km of cross country ski trails throughout the valley so there are plenty of options. At Ramsau, there are 8 running and Nordic walking tracks between 1200m to 1400m but the best bit about Ramsau is the chance to go cross-country skiing at 2700m on the Dachstein glacier where there are 18km of trails!
Snowboard
For snowboarders, there is a terrain park and 3 half pipes.
Things to See & Do
If you don't fancy skiing or the weather is not that great, then there are plenty of other activities to keep you occupied. One of the good fun places to check-out is the ice palace up at 2700m on the Dachstein glacier where you can also look deep inside of one of the magnificent crevasses!
- Ice skating
- Indoor swimming pool and spa
- Winter walking and snow shoeing trails
- Dog sleighs
- Tobogganing on the 7km long sledging run on the Hochwurzen mountain
- Parapenting
Featured ski chalets & apartments
Ramsau Accommodation
The accommodation in Ramsau is centred around the heart of the village but there are plenty of other options in the neighbouring resorts, all with their own easy access to local amenities and the slopes. Between hotels, private chalets, farms and other holiday rentals, there are over 6000 tourist beds.
Our View on Ramsau am Dachstein Ski Resort
We think Ramsau is an ideal ski resort for family ski holidays combining winter sports with relaxation and wellbeing. A few tips and suggestions...
- Try cross-country skiing on the Dachstein glacier up at 2700m - a bit different from motoring around the valley floor with spectacular views of the surrunding 3000m peaks
- Get the free Ramsau winter guest card - it gives generous discounts on a variety of things such as free guiding tours and entrance to the swimming pool
- One of the most sought after trips is a visit to the Dachstein Ice Palace where you can go right inside the Dachstein glacier. It's just 3 minutes walk from the Dachstein Bergstation, and well worth a visit, whatever the weather
- Take a day trip to the fasinating city of Slazburg - just 60km away
If you like being in a stunning mountain valley and being able to go summer skiing on a glacier, you may also want to look at Zell am See - Kaprun and the ski resorts around the Stubai glacier.
