BikePark Schladming, Planai Bike Park

BikePark Schladming, also known as Planai Bike Park, is a lift-served Alpine bike park above Schladming in Styria's Enns valley, with 12 gondola-accessed trails covering around 42km of riding, from gentle blue flow trails to the black-graded former World Cup downhill course. There is terrain for every level, from a dedicated beginner practice area and pump track through to technical jump lines and root-strewn black runs, and the wider valley also has a network of waymarked gravel routes for riders who want to explore beyond the lift.

The Trails

• Bike Area (Blue): a 0.7km beginner practice zone at the valley station with three easy, low-gradient routes for first-timers and families.
• Uphill Flow Trail (Blue): a 6.8km, 483m climbing trail for riders and e-bikers who want to pedal to the top rather than take the gondola, running through forest with e-charging points and mountain huts along the way.
• Flowline (Blue): around 16km of descending trail at a gentle gradient from the summit down toward the valley, with wide bends and easy obstacles, split into upper and lower sections.
• Rookie Downhill (Red): 3.1km, technical but manageable, aimed at riders progressing from flow trails into gravity riding.
• Kessler Line (Red): 2km of moderate technical singletrack.
• Downtown Line (Red): 1.8km, a moderate run finishing near the valley station.
• Pro Downhill (Black): 2.2km from the top station to the mid-station, following the historic World Cup downhill line with roots and steep bends.
• Worldcup Downhill (Black): 2.6km from the mid-station to the valley station, the former UCI World Cup downhill venue.
• 99 Jumpline (Black): 3.3km of tables, step-ups and doubles for riders who want airtime.
• Monster Jumpline (Black): a short, 0.5km big-hit line with jumps up to 12 metres.
• Jack Lumber Trail (Black): a natural, technical trail rebuilt in 2025 with downhill professional Andreas Kolb.
• Mini Pumptrack: a compact pump track in the Hopsiland area at the base station, built for younger riders to work on balance and technique.

A day uplift ticket covering the bike park costs around 58.50 euros for an adult (44.50 euros youth, 30 euros child), with season passes and multi-day tickets also available (see the current bike ticket prices).

Prices are correct as of September 2026 but subject to change, so check current rates before you visit.

Gravel Riding

Beyond the lift-served bike park, the wider Schladming-Dachstein valley has a waymarked network of gravel and forest-road routes, with easy loops of 16 to 28km, moderate routes up to 75km and longer multi-day options over 100km, starting from Schladming and surrounding villages. It is a genuinely separate riding experience from the bike park's gravity trails, better suited to a gravel or hardtail bike and a full day out in the valley.

Guides, Shuttles and Hire

The Planai gondola carries bikes on every ascent, so most riders do not need a separate shuttle for the bike park itself. Hire and coaching are both based right at the valley station, so it is easy to sort a bike and a lesson before heading up.

• Bike School Pekoll: beginner through to progression skills courses for kids and adults, run from the bike park's Bike Area beside the valley station.
• Bründl Sports Bikeworld: mountain bike, e-bike and downhill bike hire, sales and a workshop, based at the Planai valley station in Schladming.
• Dachstein Bike Guides: guided mountain bike, e-MTB and downhill tours, plus technique courses, across the wider Schladming-Dachstein valley, run by a group of local guides based in the upper Enns valley.
• Sport Tritscher: mountain bike and e-bike hire, with a rental point at the Planai valley station as well as in Rohrmoos.

Dachstein Bike Guides publishes little beyond its contact details online, so contact them before you travel to check availability.

Getting There from the UK

Salzburg is the closest airport, around an hour and a quarter by road down the Enns valley. Munich and Innsbruck are both roughly two and a half hours by road, and both have a wider choice of flights from the UK than Salzburg.

By rail, take the Eurostar to Brussels or Paris and pick up an onward train into Austria, either a Nightjet sleeper or a daytime ICE or Railjet service, connecting at Salzburg or another hub for the regional line into the Enns valley. Reserve a bike space in advance on Railjet, ICE and Nightjet services, since spaces are limited and reservation is compulsory; on regional trains bikes travel space permitting with no reservation, for a small supplement.

Driving from Calais or the Channel Tunnel is around 1,250km, roughly twelve hours on motorways via Belgium, Germany and Salzburg. It is a long drive for a single trip, but having a car makes it easy to combine Schladming with the other valleys nearby.

Schladming has its own station on the Enns valley line, a short bus ride or walk from the Planai valley station, and the main car park sits right at the gondola base on Coburgstrasse, with around 1,000 free spaces including an underground level. The valley station also has a cafe, toilets, bike wash and a shower block for riders.

When to Go

The lift-served bike park typically runs from late May to early November each year, a notably long season for an Alpine bike park, though the exact opening and closing dates shift slightly year to year. High summer, especially through the German and Austrian school holidays in July and August, is the busiest and warmest time, and the jump lines also host a recurring international competition each summer that adds to the crowds on those dates. Late May, June and September tend to be quieter, with fewer people on the lift and trails.

The top of the mountain sits close to 2,000m, so it can be noticeably cooler and windier up high than in the valley even on a warm day, and summer thunderstorms build quickly through the afternoon. Start early where you can, carry a waterproof layer, and check the forecast each morning, since the bike park closes lifts and trails temporarily during storms.

Where to Stay

Schladming itself, a short walk or bus ride from the Planai valley station, is the natural base: a well-established Alpine resort town with a full range of accommodation, from hotels and guesthouses to apartments and campsites, plus restaurants and shops within easy reach of the lift.

Many Schladming-Dachstein accommodation providers include the Schladming-Dachstein Sommercard with a stay, which gives free rides on the region's passenger cable cars, including Planai and Hochwurzen, from early afternoon on your arrival day through to departure. It brings a discount on the bike park's uplift ticket rather than making it free, and a bike carried on the gondola is charged separately, so budget for the bike ticket on top.

Women's Groups and Sessions

Retter Sports runs a women-only mountain bike camp based in Schladming, combining three days of guided riding and coaching with an instructor, optional yoga, and three nights of half-board accommodation in the town centre.

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