A winter holiday in Ramsau, Steiermark,

The undoubted highlight for us was visiting the Dachstein glacier. It was very simple (and cheap with the Wintercard) to take the bus from just outside the hotel to the gondola station. The ride on the gondola was itself a memorable experience and the views at the top (at a height of almost 3000m) were absolutely stunning (we were fortunate to have a clear, cloudless day.) It is a relatively straightforward walk using the prepared trail over the glacier to the recently-rebuilt  Seethaler Hut, which serves a range of snacks, including delicious soup! Although we were not skiing ourselves, the opportunity to ski in this unique situation looked amazing. The 'Sky Walk', Suspension Bridge and 'Stairway to Nothingness' offered more amazing views and memorable photo opportunities! We opted to walk back to the hotel from the base of the gondola using the well-prepared walking / skiing trail. This was a beautiful walk with fantastic views of the surrounding mountains and several opportunities for refreshments at huts on the way.

Another highlight was afternoon tea at the hotel! After a good walk in the snow it was lovely to be able to come back and relax in the light, comfortable lounge (or on the sunny terrace) and enjoy a great selection of cakes and other snacks. The only problem was ensuring we left enough space for the substantial evening meals! A daily swim in the excellent pool helped to compensate for all the additional calories!

Brilliant hotel, great staff. Visit to the Dachstein Glacier is a must do trip. Buses good for Skiing. If I was going in the summer I would get a car for trips around the Valleys. 

Ramsau is a great XC skiing destination with plenty of variety, excellent scenery and lots of places to buy coffee and cake. Inntravel made our visit very easy and we were delighted with the hotel and all the travel arrangements.  

Having previously enjoyed the excellent facilities of the Hotel Wiesenhof in Pertisau, it was with some trepidation that we booked a different venue. We needn't have worried! The hotel Matschner is clean, comfortable and warm, the breakfasts and dinners are good and the staff welcoming and helpful. We especially liked the choice of cakes, meats and teas served in the conservatory in the afternoon. The pool area is not in the same league as the Weisenhof and can become busy as it is shared with the village. We were surprised it didn't open until 11 am so for those who enjoy pre breakfast swims this is not an option. Access is via a tunnel involving 55 steps at one end and 18 steps at the other. Flip flops or crocs are recommended as towelling pool slippers are not included.

The area however is outstanding. The scenery is often breathtaking and for non skiers like ourselves there was a lot to fill the week. Firstly there is a huge variety of prepared walking trails of varying lengths, many of which are circular, that can be accessed from the hotel. Alternatively, for 1.50 euros you can take the bus up the Dachstein mountain and either walk or, if you've taken one of the hotels sledges with you, toboggan back all the way to the village. We did the latter twice as it was so much fun, stopping off each time at the Brandalm hut for drinks. Another highlight for us was the horse and sleigh ride, which unbeknown to us and therefore a lovely surprise, took us to Halseralm - the 500 year old hut referred to in the Inntravel walking notes- where we indulged in the infamous flaming Kaiserschmarrn. A truly memorable experience.

There were many higlights to our holiday not least the excellent hotel and its location at the heart of so many winter walking trails. I suggest that the detail of walks in the information pack should contain an approximate distance from the hotel to the start of the walk. Also, the map provided showing the walks etc, did not have a scale on it!! I suppose that this is not the fault of Inntravel but how can any organisation create a map without a scale - ridiculous!

A good resort for walking because there are several circular walks rather than the more common "there and backs". Taking the bus to either the Dachstein cable car lower station or the Walcheralm gives a wonderful mostly downhill walk (or ski) for minimum effort.

Ramsau is an excellent centre for winter walking and cross country skiing, less so for downhill. The cable car trip up the Dachstein must not be missed. There are walking trails from the hotel or after an easy bus ride. We also enjoyed snow shoeing. The hotel is very friendly and comfortable, with good range and quality of food.

A beautiful place with lots of wintery activities available. Don't miss being in the main sauna at 6pm - an amazing experience!

A highlight for us was our walk following the Kulmbergrunde. The weather was perfect and the views absolutely stunning. We went anti-clockwise on someone's recommendation and thought that the route was fabulous in that direction. We felt that life doesn't get any better!

The area provided a wide range of winter activities that included a variety of winter walking trails that were cleared daily and well marked. Hostelries along the way were very welcoming and provided warming soups, hot drinks and an excellent range of local cakes and puddings. A perfect location for a winter break.

We have been to the Matschner twice before and have always found the hotel and staff excellent. I would highly recommend using the spa facilities (included within the hotel booking) after a hard days skiing. The coffee and cake in the afternoon aren't bad either!

From the transfer from the airport to the excellent facilities at the Hotel Matschner and the convenience of the ski hire and proximity of the loipe this holiday would be hard to beat.

Ramsau is a great resort for cross-country skiing - so perfect we want to return with family. Easy transfer from Salzburg which makes for a rapid start of the holiday.

A great place for winter walking. Enough walks to fill a week. It was so enjoyable we found we had climbed 1500 feet or so the the Brandalm without noticing. Also good for a half day easy skiing. No shortage of eating places or coffee stops and despite the fact that there is not much English spoken everyone was very helpful and friendly. If you are a German speaker there is one hell of a local accent/dialect to grapple with.

If you enjoy winter walking, Ramsau is a perfect destination. The trails are well signposted and prepared. Every walk was stunning, with beautiful scenery and views.

Loved standard of accommodation (service, comfort, facilities, meals, hospitality, peace), plus convenience of hotel to cross-country ski routes, ski hire, etc, and ease of transfer from airport.

The whole holiday was well documented and it lived up to expectations. The hotel staff were very friendly and helpful and the afternoon tea an exceptional plus point. 

The combination of superb snow, well-prepared, a sunny day and several hours of vigorous cross-country skiing followed by a good lunch and a beer cannot be beaten. We were able to enjoy this on several days.

Clearly the high volume of snow this year was a bonus with all cross-country tracks open but the accessibility close to the hotel was great being able to easily start and finish there. Some great tracks and sufficient for any level of skier with the ability to mix and match. The hotel was an excellent base and everything one needed was there bar early morning tea! One notable element was the freshly pressed juice and cooked eggs at breakfast and the choice of evening meals. 

This is was the first time that my wife had come with me on a cross-country skiing holiday. On my previous breaks the hotel facilities did not usually allow for non-skiing partners to have an enjoyable holiday. Ramsau was different given the hotel arrangements for winter walks plus access to prepared walking areas alongside the skiing tracks. Coupled with the pool, sauna and comfortable lounge this made my wife’s stay enjoyable as well. 

Ramsau itself is a pleasant village and the bus service is available if one wishes to travel a little further. 

Remember flip-flops for going to pool; hotel very friendly but you need to know there are very few other options in evening. Hotel does give ideas and info on anything going on in a daily newsletter. They can and will speak English if you need it.

Gliding gently all the way from the skiing school to a lovely little cafe down the valley, what a joy. Hotel Matschner's cakes!  Returning to Hotel Matschner in the early evening, as fat snow flakes fell, we were guided back by the twinking lights on the little Christmas trees at the front of the building.  For my husband: revisiting Augustiner Braustubl in Saltzburg after nearly 50 years - just as good as he remembered. For me: an amazing first, Friday night in a huge happy room, with chunky tankards of cool beer, toasts with locals and a delicious plateful of hearty food.

We had a super Inntravel holiday staying at the Hotel Matschner.  The room was comfortable and the food and service provided by the hotel was excellent.  The staff were professional and friendly and the hotel facilities (large swimming pool etc) were most welcome.

Ramsau is a great place for winter enthusiasts offering XC and downhill skiing as well as walking, snow shoeing, sleigh rides and trips up to the top of the Dachstein in the cable car.  We went skiing (XC), walking and snow shoeing and had a super time.  The snow shoe excursions with Nicole the hotel guide are highly recommended; we had great fun and they allowed us to explore more of the local area as well as work off our breakfast!  Ski Willy (the ski hire shop) were very helpful and the quality of the equipment provided was excellent.  They also sell 'Compeeds' for those of us who always get blisters.  In addition, the Winter Card gives you 10% off products in Ski Willy on Tuesdays (afternoon and evening) which might be useful if you want to buy some personal kit.

Ramsau also has a selection of shops, cafes and a Post Office and bank with ATM plus a well-stocked Spar so if there is something you have forgotten then it is not a problem as these facilities are only a very short stroll from the hotel.

As always the service provided by Inntravel was fantastic and I am alreadly looking forward to choosing my next holiday!

We found Ramsau to be an excellent place for the winter walking we intended to do, with great and well-maintained trails. This was what we had hoped: all in all, we need the Wiesenhof Hotel transplanted to Ramsau and then we would be very happy. Ramsau was also better provided in terms of shops, particularly with the large SPAR supermarket, the like of which is lacking in Pertisau.

Seamless service from Inntravel from beginning to end.  The holiday to Ramsau Ort staying at Hotel Matschner exceeded all our expectations.  Lovely family-run hotel in a quiet location with plenty of opportunities for walking and excursions.  Indoor slippers for walking to and from the pool and spa would have been useful items to pack.

Highlights were:

Fantastic views from a north facing room: there's a trade-off between views (north facing) and sunshine (south facing)

Really friendly welcoming hotel, spotlessly clean and very well equipped

Good range of trails at all levels and even the blacks were not as hairy as Norwegian reds

There had been little snow for many weeks but the trails had been kept in really good condition - the teams must have worked very hard to groom them so well

The really excellent afternoon buffet at the hotel

Tips or recommendations:

Best to avoid the Badeparadies on wet days! It's really well equipped but gets very crowded

I visited Schladming town to occupy a wet day - but it didn't add to my overall holiday experience

The Skiweg from Hotel Dachstein back down to Ramsau Ort is great fun to do, but better suited to people with downhill skis than those of us with skinny langlauf skis and ageing knees

Our second visit to Hotel Maschner and not our last one of us hopes. Ramsau is a great situation for lang-lauf skiing having delightful runs with glorious views and pleasant watering holes on route. Venue offers a good range of other activities, including the swimming complex. Staff delightful and most helpful, anticipating one's needs.

Really enjoyed our visit to the Dachstein Glacier and the walk back from the Dachstein Bahn was very good. 

One evening there was a 'Viennese' evening, which I think is a weekly event, with a reception before dinner and live music afterwards. People tended to dress a little more smartly than usual and my wife would take a dress next time.

Book a sleigh ride through the hotel - it was fabulous! The snow-shoeing with the hotel guide was also great and surprisingly easy.

The beginners ski lessons are either on Sun, Mon, Tues or they are on Weds,Thurs, Fri: classic in the mornings (easier, for travelling further/longer) or skating (more sporty, can only do for a short period) in the afternoons. So go down there Sat or early Sun to book on the Sunday lesson.

The maps are a bit confusing (walking and cross-country skiing). We found a map we slightly preferred in the hotel. However, when you get your bearings it is all very easy and very well signposted too. Walking on the pisted snow paths in normal walking boots was fine and not slippery,  we actually walked some of the show-shoe paths in our boots too, you just have to be more careful where you place your feet. We had sunshine and blue sky every day, temperatures approx -5 to +3 deg in the daytime but no wind, even at the top of the cable car. We sat out in the sun for hot chocolate or soup or gluhwein every day.

Unless your German is good, ask for an English version of the daily newsletter (at breakfast), as well as the evening menu choices and weather forecast, it describes the optional organised walk for the next day (Mon - Fri) and also an independent walk that you could take.

Ramsau was one of the best places I have visited for easy enjoyable winter walking.

My friend Marjan and I thought the holiday 100% success from start to finish. Austria was lovely in the snow, and all the amenities were excellent.

We would reccommend this holiday to anyone who loves fresh air and exercise in a beautiful location with very friendly people.

A perfect holiday. Plenty of snow, sunshine, lovely resort, good walking trails, great hotel with very friendly and pleasant staff and delicious food. The daily newsletter delivered to our breakfast table each morning was very helpful and informative. Can't wait to go again next year.

What a magical holiday - my first ever in the snow and I am now totally hooked! A simply wonderful hotel with truly delightful staff in the heart of this beautiful village. The view from my balcony of the Dachstein was absolutely stunning. All meals were first class, especially the extensive buffet breakfast, catering for every conceivable taste and their organic meat was superb. Afternoon tea after a day spent trekking along miles of winter trails was a treat not to be missed, with mouthwatering cakes and pastries. After obtaining a 'Winter Card' from reception, my friend and I enjoyed not only local discounts but also a free coach ride of the area organised by the Tourist Information Office and even a circuit on a snow groomer! So much about this holiday was memorable, but my personal highlights included a sleigh ride through the idyllic, snowy landscape and a snowshoeing hike with our wonderful hotel guide Nicole. It really was like stepping through the wardrobe door into Narnia, as she expertly led us through the deep snow and into the most beautiful forest. A breathtaking image that will remain with me always. 

We were lucky to have fantastic fresh snow conditions on our week at Ramsau, but even so Cross Country and walking trails and access were kept in very good condition by regular and early morning attention.

The staff and owners of the Hotel Matschner could not be faulted, all were very friendly and most helpful and cheerful, and the food was plentiful, locally sourced where possible and excellently prepared.

We travel a lot in the world and the Hotel Matschner Ramsau is up there with the best. The intimate hotel layout, the courtesy and helpfulness of the staff, the unsurpassable menu, and proximity to the ski areas make this an excellent place to holiday, pity we had to leave!