Dining

The best restaurants in town are the Posthotel, Sporthotel Royer (photo left) and the restaurant in the Stadttor. The place to spend the least money and still eat well is Kirchenwirt.

For great ski-slope meals on the Planai, stop in at Schafalm also known as Onkel Willi’s Hütte (yes, Uncle Willi’s Hut), only a few ski glides from the top of the main Planai lift. On the Hauser Kaibling, the Krummholzhütte at the top, and the Stöcklhütte where the three lifts meet, are good. Try Gasthof Steger in Haus/Ennstal.

At the base of Schladming’s Planai, host of the 1982 FIS Alpine World Championships and known for its ultra-fast downhill, is a small inn called Charly’s Treff owned by Charly Kahr, the Austrian who coached the national team at the 1960 Squaw Valley Olympics and the British women’s team in the early 1970s. He also coached Olympic and World Cup champion Franz Klammer, a local hero. In his restaurant, savoring a schnapps, Charly regales visitors with stories of the skiers he has trained.

Many visit Charly’s Treff to sample hearty dishes Aus Oma’s Kochbuch (From Grandmother’s Cookbook). The Geschnetzeltes (pork and noodles, €10) was very good and you don’t leave hungry. Salzburger Käsnock (cheese and spätzle noodles) at €7 is another favorite.

Charly retired from coaching in 1985 and now spends his time overseeing his restaurant, visiting with friends like Schwarzenegger, and skiing. “I like the tree skiing and village atmosphere of Schladming,” says Kahr.

The Brand Alm, a classic mountain hut about halfway down from the base of the Dachstein glacier cable car, is the quintessential Alpine hut. You’ll see customers in lederhosen, since many people hike up from Ramsau for lunch. The Teller Erbsensuppen (split pea soup) is hearty and the Krainer sausage, served with the best sauerkraut we've ever eaten, should not be missed. You can try a Radler, a mixture of lemonade and beer that Austrians find thirst-quenching.