Dachstein-Gletscher (Schladming-Dachstein) — Attraction in Politische Expositur Gröbming

This comment is for a summer visit in August. The ride/drive up to the gandola is worth the time alone. But here's a few things I learned or would recommend.

It can get pretty crowded and touristy. So be ready! Probably need to get reservations for the gandola a few days or weeks ahead. They don't seem too strict on the actual time you have but may ask you to wait for your slot if it is busy when you get there. If you stay two or more nights in a Schladming hotel and get the sommercard then I think it's free but you need to pay a small reservation fee online. You can also just get tickets online if you're passing through or only staying one night. They will want to scan your time reservation and your sommercard or ticket for the gandola. So have both ready. They accept digital versions and my phone had signal all the way up.

I felt like the ice palace and suspension bridge were a bit overrated for the price, tbh. You get about the same views from the restaurant and the ice carvings are a little cheesy. Maybe just grab a coffee and a few souvenirs instead. Perhaps it's worth it for the kids, though, idk

You can take the 960 bus up to the gandola from Schladming. It's free if you have the sommercard which I think most hotels give you when staying there overnight. The first bus starts at 7:20 am in a parking lot near Planet Planai called Rathausplatz and gets you to the gandola around 8 am. I think they run about every 20-40 min.

At the top there is some hiking but much of it is fairly advanced and requires some good hiking shoes and perhaps some gear for the more technical areas. Even in summer there's ice from the glacier and can be slippery. You can also skip the gandola and hike up to a cafe probably like an hour walk up the trail from the gandola entrance area.

With the views, coffee, bridge, ice palace, and some hiking, I spent about 3 hours at the top. So about 45 min ride up from Schladming, about 30-45 min waiting and riding up the gandola, about 20 min riding down, and about 45 min back to town.

For those driving a car, there's a 20€ toll but I think it can be validated and free if you take the gandola up and back.

There's plenty more to explore and do in the Schladming area during summer. But the Dachstein mountain gandola should be on the list if time allows. It can easily be done...

Cable Car 🚠: you must make a reservation for it, probably a few days before ( through the website). It is free if you get SommerKarte (you get it while staying at least two nights at program partner accomodation). In this case you go directly to the entrance, show your reservation and scan your SommerKarte. No need to go to the ticket office.

Parking 🚗: road to the lower cable car station, as well as the parking itself is charged 20 EUR unless you use the cable car. At the beginning of the road that leads to this place, you pass the the automatic gate, where you receive your ticket. Keep it on you, bring to the top station of the cable car, and validate in the special machine, in front of the check in gates. There you go - it's free.

Attractions 🌉: Bridge, photo point and ice cave are cool unless you come EARLY in the morning - earlier the better. Later on it's getting so much crowded it doesn't make any sense to go there. All it's length becomes a giant queue for the photo point 'Treppe ins Nichts'. Later then 9 in the morning it will be a waste of time for you. All of the attractions are extra charged 10 EUR total, regardless of your SommerKarte. No reservation needed for this - you will get the tickets by the entry.

Informations I provided are valid in year 2023.

Hold tight to the handrails...

Advices: Always book in advance, on Internet, 1-2 days ahead. Even with Summer cards, you need to make reservation, and may well be forced to pay for reservation (around 2.8 eur /person)

Get here with the bus; the road toll is 20 Eur if you go by your car. Or you can park the car in the parking lot next to the toll station and take a free bus up to the Gondola station

Take some warm clothes - there are mild to strong winds on the top. Take decent mountain shoes, suitable for walking on snow and slippery ice - maybe you will take a 10-20min walk on the glacier site.

When ascending, try to get the gondola on the right - it offers open-air ride on the Gondola balcony in the summer. It is a wow-experience!

The Dachstein area is great, so, if possible, plan some 2-3 additional hours to hike on the foot of the mountain, right beside & behind the gondola station. Is a very easy, family-friendly, 45min walk to the Dachstein Sudwandhutte, and...