Schladming, Austria 🇦🇹 2022

Date: 26th August 2022

Travelled: 80 kms from Admont to Schladming in Austria   

Visited:  Schladming and Dachstein Gondola    

Stayed: Camping Zirngast, €48, N47.39880, E13.69350  

Budget: 93 days @ €108 per day

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We enjoyed a quiet night of free parking in Admont. Only disturbed by the Council bin guy at 7am and a couple of dog walkers after that.

We go for a short walk just up the hill a little to explore the cemetery. Pam continues on whilst I get the Hymer ready for the road once again.

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We farewell Admont and the Abbey and continue west on the 146. Although we turn onto the freeway for 20 kms most of our drive today is on the B roads at a relaxed pace. An hour later we turn into Schladming.

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A little about Schladming and why where here. Schladming stands on the River Enns in western Styria, it has a population of less than 5,000 people. Once a mining town it’s now a tourist town. This time of the year it’s walking and cycling. It also the most convenient stop to visit the Dachstein. Our guide book describes the Dachstein gondola as one of the world’s most spectacular rides.

We cannot get tickets for the gondola till tomorrow, so todays just a drive, settle in and have a walk around Schladming day. This suites us nicely as Pam is still not 100% and where not in a hurry.

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You may have noticed the campsite fees here in Schladming are very expensive, but if you stay for 2 nights you earn what they call a summer card which gives you free access to various activities including the Dachstein. Return tickets on the Dachstein are normally €45 pp so it’s a good deal.

The Dachstein is 15 kms from Schladming so we give ourselves plenty of time and start up the hill out of town.

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When we reserved our ticket on line there were more rules than the motor traffic handbook, but when we arrive we found it’s just open slather. Just show your summer card and jump on the next gondola, so we did.

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The ride to the top of the Dachstein is amazing. The 1,000m vertical rise takes 6 minutes and it seems slow until the other gondola swooshes past going down. The top station is just less than 3,000m ASL.

So we go off exploring taking photos from here and there and watching as the weather changes every few minutes.

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It’s lunch time so we find a table in the restaurant have a long lunch taking in the views. All in all the Dachstein makes our extended stay in Schladming well worth while.

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So we’ve had a nice lunch and taken more photos than I can use. Apart from that I slipped over walking on the glacier which was a shade embarrassing. I didn’t hurt myself but that’s the last time I piggy back Pam around on a glacier.

So we make our way down on the gondola, then drive the Hymer back down the mountain, mostly in second gear to save the brakes and then back to the campsite. So that was our visit to Schladming and the Dachstein.

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Michael + Pam