Rittisberg Walking Tour

Accessible by public transport

Public bus (within 15 minutes walking distance from starting point)
Hiking bus (within 15 minutes walking distance from starting point)

Characteristics

Skill

Fitness

The tour in numbers

Level of difficulty easy

Route 13,3 km

Time 3:00 h

Uphill 450 hm

Downhill 451 hm

Highest point 1555 m

A wonderful walking tour at Rittisberg in Pichl-Vorberg, which is also a good hike for families with small kids.

The loop road starts gently uphill to the popular inns of Halseralm and Sonnenalm. Through woods and meadows, the trail leads uphill to the summit of Rittisberg. From the summit cross, we enjoy the panoramic view of the Dachstein's south face, which seems to be almost within reach. Soon after we get to the Rittisberg-Stadl. The view of the Ennstal is a special treat here.

Best season

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

More information

Exit from federal highway B320 in Pichl and continue on Vorbergstraße road towards Pichl-Vorberg. Pass by Hotel Steirerhof and keep on going to the hiking trail head at Pension Arnika.
Parking is available at the hiking trail head.

From the hiking trail head at pension Arnika you follow a forest road and reach the trail junction with "Rittisbergrundweg" (trail n° 5) after a couple of minutes. You make a left here and continue along trail n° 5 to Halseralm and Sonnenalm inns, two of the family-friendly refreshmentstops and restaurants right at the beginning of the tour.

From the Sonnenalm you now follow the signage towards "Rittisberg Gipfelkreuz" - the summit of Rittisberg. At first you continue via a forest road and then you can choose between a beautiful forest trail or the forest road (suitable for prams) as you ascend through the mountain forest to the summit. Again and again you are rewarded with panoramic views to the Schladminger Tauern mountains and Reiteralm. At the mighty cross on the summit of Rittisberg you then enjoy the stunning view to the South face of the Dachstein.

From here you continue East - on a quite flat trail - to the Rittisstadl inn, where kids will have a lot of fun at the huge playground "I love Rittisberg" just next to the inn. From there you follow the fairy tale trail Rittisberg downhill and after about 25 minutes turn off right on the Rittisberg Walking Tour. The forest trail now leads back to Rittisbergrunde (trail n° 5), where you make a left and after just a few minutes reach Halseralm again. From there continue to your starting point.

Changes in weather patterns, quick falls in temperature, thunderstorms, wind, fog and snow are some of the dangers that can be encountered on a hiking tour. Hosts of alpine huts and mountain refuges have a lot of experience in the mountains and can give good advice about weather and the trails. Poor equipment, overestimation of one's own capabilities, carelessness, poor personal constitution and/or wrong judgement can lead to critical situations. In case of thunderstorms: avoid summits, ridges and steel ropes.

GPS data and orienteering

Available GPS data - just like hiking maps - is only a guidance for orientation and can never depict a trail exactly with all its details. Especially at dangerous spots it is essential to judge on site how to proceed.

In an emergency please call:

140 - for Alpine emergencies (all over Austria)
112 - European GSM emergency number

Good walking shoes and custom-fit Nordic Walking poles are the standard equipment. We also recommend a belt for carrying a drinking bottle.

The entire trail is suitable for prams.

With the buses of "Ramsauer Verkehrsbetriebe" from Schladming to Ramsau - change to the buses towards "Vorberg" to the bus stop "Arnika", where the tour starts.

Bus schedule at www.rvb.at

Tourist information: www.schladming.com

Information about bus schedules: www.rvb.at

Hiking map ‘Hiking WEST’ available at the information offices in the region.
Schladming hiking map, 1:25,000, available at the Schladming information office.
Hiking map Schladming-Dachstein, 1:50,000, available at the information offices in the region.
Hiking guide Schladming-Dachstein by Herbert Raffalt, available at the information offices in the region.