AUSTRIAN CHALET DACHSTEIN MOUNTAINS

MIRLHOF
Prenten 35, St Martin am Grimming 8954 AUSTRIA
altitude c.1000m., in a south-facing meadow, 75minutes drive SE of Salzburg airport

privately owned traditional wood chalet on three floors with two balconies, built in 1994.
Family sized house with Bedroom (A) one double and one single; Bedroom (B) one double and one
roll-a-way bed (with balcony); Bedroom (C) one double; Bedroom (D) one double bunk, one triple
bunk (top one a bit of a squeeze). Self-assembly childs cot and clamp-on high-chair.
all seasons, double glazing and full central heating, wood-burning stove in the large lounge
Three separate bathrooms and WCs on each floor with high-capacity HW boiler
quiet location 2 Km up a no-through road from the main valley floor road & local bus stop. Situated in
a meadow between two farms where several other chalets have been built over last 20 years
well equipped: full electric kitchen with 4-ring hob and oven, dishwasher; fridge; micro-wave; separate
walk-in larder; washing machine & drying rack in ground floor, with a workshop and ski room
containing a wide range of cross-country skis & boots (adults/children), four snow-shoes, four bikes
c/w car bike rack, snow chains and barbecue; books, games, guitar, violin, electric piano and radio/CD
meadow & woodland walks from house, local Salzastausee lake and river 10min walk/bike ride with
boats/canoes to rent 30 min. beyond
major winter ski area and summer glacier skiing, main pistes of the Schladming ski-area between 1025Km west of the house
major summer walking and climbing area
many general interest attractions, outdoor pools, museums, 1 hr to Salzburg, 4 hrs to Venice, Vienna
The house is built on a south facing alpine meadow above the Enns valley, 25 Km east of Schladming .
Best approached from the autobahn going south from Salzburg (direction Villach, Italy and Slovenia),
turning east into the Enns valley at Radstadt. Good shopping & other amenities in the small town of
Grobming, 5 minutes.drive away.
The main entrance to the house is on the ground floor and leads to the bunkroom, served by a washroom
with shower and two hand basins, separate toilet and a ski room, workshop and boiler room.
The 1st floor contains a thirty foot open-plan lounge (opening to a balcony), with central wood burning
stove, soft-seating for a dozen and a large dining table. On this floor there is also the kitchen, larder,
bathroom with bath/shower and separate toilet.
Upstairs are three bedrooms and bathroom with bath/shower and separate toilet.
Reception for mobile telephones is good from the house and there is a public telephone at St Martin
(3Km). There is no wi-fi at the house. As Mirlhof is 2km from the main road, a car is needed to reach
places of interest, including ski resorts.
Very good local public services, with approx. hourly Postbus to Grobming and to Schladming (Ski-bus in
winter) and frequent trains between Schladming and Salzburg; Low cost airlines fly from UK to Salzburg,
Graz, Klagenfurt, Vienna, Munich from where car hire is available. The Channel ports at Zeebruge (Hull) and Amsterdam (-Newcastle) are two days drive away (670 miles).
COST: see Costs and Availability web page
ENQUIRIES : to Peter Wrate 00 44 (0) 1651 872889 (Aberdeenshire-Scotland) wrate@hotmail.com
or to Robert Wrate 00 44 (0) 131 447 2231 (Edinburgh)
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INFORMATION FOR GUESTS

Getting there from Salzburg Airport (about 1.25 hrs)
The car rental offices are on the ground floor of the building opposite as you leave the terminal
building. The cars are parked on the floor below and found by turning right out of the office main
door, first on the right through a door, down the steps or lift and in the red door marked U on
the right. The car can be brought up to the office door to load luggage but waiting is restricted.
Drive left around the back of the multi-storey car park and then turn right at the monument to the
traffic lights, taking the centre lane. Head for Villach until you get to Radstadt. Go straight over
the lights and immediately get in the left-hand lane to go down the under-pass. Approach the
roundabout (fuel here for return) in the left lane and go straight over, avoiding the first slip road
off to the right to Wein and Linz. Take the next slip road right, sign Villach A1 and E55/E60 onto
the autobahn. After two kilometres slip right onto the A10/E55, the road you join if youve driven
from Munich on the A8. (Note that many roads are coded with both a blue and a green number).
Stay on this autobahn for 62 kms, about thirty five minutes, and slip at exit 63, sign
Radstadt/Graz on road 320/99. About five kilometres later, by-passing Radstadt, fork right at the
blue 320 exit, sign Graz/Wien/Schladming on the road E651/320. This road by-passes
Schladming, and after a further 20 kilometres you turn off to Mirlhof.
Returning to Salzburg airport at the end of your stay, you go almost past the city before turning
off the autobahn. Be watchful as it is easy to miss the airport sign and exit.
Getting there from Graz Airport (About 2.5 hours)
The airport is on the south side of Graz. Leave the Airport on the autobahn A2 heading for
Villach, then turn north after about 4 km on to the A9 towards Linz and Wien. Have about 8
Euros ready for the road toll. After about 20km Wein branches off right. Stay left on the A9 for
an hour or so to Linz and Liezen. Soon after Rottenman, branch off left on the 320 to Liezen. Go
through all traffic lights then onwards towards Radstadt and Salzburg. About 20 mins after
Liezen, St Martin village will be signposted on the right. About 2 km later turn right, signposted
no through road right and Mitterberg left. The no through road leads to Prenten and Mirlhof.
Getting back to Graz Airport
On the return journey, keep an eye on the airport signs, especially coming out of the numerous
tunnels around Graz. As well as the Airport sign follow the painted SLO signs for Slovenia on the
road. After the last long tunnel south of Graz, swing off towards SLO, then follow the
Flughafen sign off the autobahn. Fuel up by turning left at the airport control tower roundabout
to Feldkirchen. Turn right at the lights for a fuel station on the left after 2 km.
Locating Mirlhof
From the West
About five minutes after passing the last of the three Grobming exits, then Lengdorf signed on
the left, you will see the sign and lane markings off for Tipschern, also on the left. Barely fifty
meters after the Tipschern turn off, slip left off the main road at the next cross-road sign,
showing a no-through road sign to the left and Mitterberg to right. Take this road to the left,
leading to Salzerstausee a lake in the pass between two mountains.
From the East
Take the above road after the sign for St Martin.
Prenten is 2 Km up this road, beyond the second 40 km. speed sign, at the edge of a wood. Pass a
farm on a plateau to the right, then after a flat wooded section of road and a right hand rising hairpin bend, you reach a small cluster of farm houses. At a shelter for milk churns and paper recycling skips turn left and finally after 100 meters turn right after the white house. Mirlhof is the
second chalet on the left.
Mirlhof
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The chalet is built in the NE corner of a gently sloping meadow between two farms; it is one of
six houses individually built for families for their holidays or retirement over the last twenty
years. All have been locally built in traditional-styles in their own plots, all fenced in and sharing
water & drainage with the local farms.
Erica Hirz and her husband who keep an eye on the house, and have their own key, live in the
hamlet at the bottom of the hill. With your back to the main valley road, their house is on the left
side of the straight road before right-hand bend and hill, not the farm in the corner. It is the righthand of the pair of houses with a common driveway. (Erikas house is easily recognisable in
summer because of its garden flowers). She speaks no English. If you are not a UK resident, you
can pick up Mirlhofs house key from Erika.
We suggest you use the ski room entrance as the main door to the building, so keeping the
remainder of the house clean.
The ground floor includes a workshop which contains snow-shovels, tools, axe, scythe etc. and
remains usefully cold in the summer for vegetable/beer storage.
Vehicles
The lane past the house must be kept clear for neighbours cars and the snow plough which
comes most days in winter.
There is hard-core standing for two cars on ground at the front of the house. A third car can be
parked off the road behind the house under the kitchen window (part of the fence is detachable).
Driving up and down inclines may very occasionally need snow chains if the snow is deep or icy
underneath. The house has several sets of snow chains of various sizes. Please allow the chains to
drain after use and dry before re-bagging. Magnetic type ski racks holding two pair of skis each
can be hired at the airport car rental. There are also some at Mirlhof.
What you should take with you.
These notes, house keys, torch in winter, your own towels, tea towels, bed sheet/duvet cover,
pillow cases.
Arrival and departure from the house.

On arrival :
Enter the house by the lower door down the steps. There is an outside light switch by the
entrance. (NB to lock the 1st level outside door, lift the handle first to engage the latch)
CENTRAL HEATING
The oil-fired boiler/central heating is programmed to provide central heating and hot water, and
also frost-free protection during the winter when the house is unoccupied. If you have a heating
problem, there is a maintenance contract with Steinerhaus, opposite Billa, the first supermarket in
Grobming. Tell them its for 35 Prenten, and they will sort out any problems and invoice us
directly. Their 24/7 emergency telephone number is 03685/22300 and is noted behind the pipes
on the boiler room wall. To ensure the house remains frost-free the boiler remains on throughout
the winter. The shutters should be closed when no one is staying in the house.
The boiler room is opposite the ski room.
The switch in the hallway on the outside-right of the boiler room door is the master switch for
the central heating system. It works upside down to UK switches.
WINTER (Nov. 1st to April 30th).
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This master switch will already be on and it is essential in winter to check that this is left on
when you finally leave. or the water pipes will freeze.
Inside the boiler room (light switch inside on right) find the boiler controls.
Ignore all these except the left-hand two buttons: pressing the 2nd from the left turns the
heating from frost protection to start automatic central heating and hot water programme. The
extreme left button puts it back to frost protection at the end of your stay.
The thermostatic valves on the individual radiators will need turning up.
In the event of a previous power-cut the timer may show the wrong time. If so remove the
instruction booklet and underneath there are various buttons, a digital clock and a strip
indicator. The flashing cursor on the strip corresponds to the digital clock. To correct the
clock, press the Day/Time button and toggle the two arrow buttons above it to alter the time.
When its corrected, press the auto button on the left of the main panel to restart the heating and
the cursor should now be at the correct time. If you have any other difficulties please call
Steiner.
SUMMER
The master switch outside the boiler room will be off. Switch it ON and follow the above
instructions to provide you with hot water and central heating.
Turn the radiator valves off.
There are shutters on all windows, accessed by opening each window and held in place by
catch on the outside wall - windows and balcony doors open in two planes, handles are
horizontal for fully open and when vertically-up they hinge from the bottom for ventilation
Turn on the fridge with the grey rocker switch on the wall.
Please familiarise yourself with the locations and operation of fire extinguishers.
Switch the central heating Master switch OFF upon departure.

On departure :
We would be grateful if you could leave the house in the condition you would wish to find it
yourselves.
Please sweep through the house. Clean bathrooms, toilets, and the kitchen oven
Empty and clean the fridge, leave the door open and switch off at the wall. Put all perishable
foods in poly bags the outside dustbin marked 35 at the end of the lane.
Check throughout the house that all free-standing electrical appliances are disconnected from
their wall sockets, including the ski waxing iron in the workshop.
Ignore all the boiler controls except the far left-hand button: pressing it turns the heating back
to frost control. In summer turn the master switch off, in winter, leave it on.
Turn all the thermostatic valves on the radiators down to 1
Close all the shutters. Please check that the upright rods catch the hooks.
Lock external doors.
Leave one set of house keys on the kitchen key-hook. If you collected house keys from Erika
Hirz, leave them at her door. If you are UK based, please send them to Peter Wrate 8 Kirkhill
Drive Oldmeldrum Aberdeenshire AB51 0FP Scotland GB.
Close the fence by putting the narrow end of the long poles in first.
Facilities in the house. The kitchen has a toaster and kettle, an oven with four rings, fridge,
micro-wave, dish washer and full range of kitchen utensils. Brooms, dustpans etc are in the
larder; there is a rubbish bin marked 35 for the house at the bottom of the lane (collected on a
Monday). Bin liners are in the kitchen or larder. There are some board games in the living area,
and a guitar, violin, electric piano, penny whistles and radio/audiocassette player and tourist
information.
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There is a washing machine, iron and board, in the ski room. There is a small barbecue there,
which should only be used outside; snow shovels and spade are usually left with the tools in the
workshop, plus a bike-rack for a car. There is plenty of cross-country ski equipment (adults and
childrens sizes), four snow-shoes and four bikes.
As you will appreciate, bikes do go wrong occasionally, and if you have a problem with one, it is
in everybodys interests to get it fixed before you leave. Please take it to Mandl, the bike/sports
shop on the high street in Grobming. I will reimburse you on your return when you send me the
receipt. If you cant get it repaired, please let me know as soon as you are back.
If you want to use the 4-bike roof rack, and you are hiring a car, ask for one with roof rails - to
which the Thule rack attaches. There are two different lengths of roof bars in the house. If you
need gutter clamps instead or the rail clamps dont fit, you can buy them from the Fastinger
shop. That is located just beyond Liezen on the right of the main road and just beyond the petrol
station after Kika. In 2004 the shop was yellow, and the entrance is at the back. They cost about
50 for four clamps but if you leave them at Mirlhof, I will reimburse 25-00 on production of
the receipt. Please leave all the bike bits tidily together on the wooden shelves in the workshop.
The Little Things.
The best supermarket is Landmarks Spar, reached by taking the fourth exit at Grobmings first
roundabout, then first right. It is open until at least 7.00pm mid week and a little earlier on Sat.
Most petrol stations take VISA.
Switch cards which are Maestro work in most places.
You can take money out of an ATM with both a VISA card or EC card if you have a PIN
number. The machine in Grobming is only accessible when the Erstebank is open, but
Schladmings town square has one on an outside wall. The banks shut at midday Saturday.
The lounge fire needs to be small otherwise the room gets too hot.
The glass of the stove should be cleaned at least every three days or the tar bakes on too hard to
clean. Its easy with oven cleaner, kitchen towel from the kitchen cupboard and a bit of hot water.
(bucket and rubber gloves in the ski room).
When shutting the lounge double-shutters, lift from outside to engage the bottom catch.
If you cant start the washing machine, close the door more firmly shut.
Many local people, particularly in shops, will greet you with Gruss Gott or Grusti The same
thing is said in reply.
If you end up with lots of small Euro change there is an auto machine in the Erstebank, on right
at the end of the high street. It sorts the change and gives you a ticket which you take to a teller
and exchange for notes.
To preserve the wooden floors please dont wear outside shoes indoors.
In Schladming, the car parking blue zones are for residents only.
The Rubbish
In Austria there is a commendable policy of mandatory waste recycling.
Yellow bin liners are supplied by the Council and must only be used for clean plastic, metal tins,
etc. They must only be left at the milk churn shelter at the road corner or a supermarket waste
area.
Bottles must be put into a bottle bank. There is one beside the Schrempf Gasthof at the bottom of
the hill. There is a machine inside the Landmark supermarket which will accept, weigh and give
you credit for only beer bottles
Paper and cardboard can be left in the green skip (marked alte papier) at the milk churn shelter.

Black and any other colour (apart from yellow) bin liners can be used for your normal rubbish
and can be put in Mirlhofs own dustbin, marked 35, and located at the end of the our lane. Please
dont put cardboard and bottles in the house dustbin or the council wont collect the rubbish.
Whilst there is no wi-fi at Mirlhof, there is free internet access in Grobming after 10.00am
Location:
In Grobming turn right past the old church towards the Tourist Info Office.
Opposite the back of the church there is a blue building. Go in the main door and right up the
stairs into what appears to be a hotel lounge. Ask there. On the Austrian keyboard the @ is made
using the Ctrl/Alt/@ keys.
You can get a three day weather forecast from the Tourist Info Office in Grobming (spoken in
English or printed out in German). From the internet you can get a German language 3 day
printable weather forecast on www.wetter.orf.at Navigate through Steirmark then mehr for
further 5 days, or Salzburg, then Radstatt for up to 7 days in diagramatic form.
Snow Chains
If you have not put chains on before, the following will help. Think of the chains as a ladder with
one of the uprights covered in stiff plastic, the other is soft chain. The job is to close the ends of
the stiff upright inside the tyre, then the soft upright outside the tyre. There is then a thin chain to
tension the soft upright against itself and the tyre. This is how its done:
Fitting the chains:
Hold the plastic ring horizontally with the short untangled chains hanging down, feed it around
the back of the tyres at ground level like a letter C and clip the ends together facing you. Tilt the
ring near vertically and sit the joined ends on top of the tyre at the outer edge nearest to you. Pull
the short chains and soft chain towards you and close the outer soft ring with a hook onto its
corresponding link and only then drop your closed inner plastic ring behind the tyre. Then tension
the outer ring together outside the tyre with the thin chain and rubber, clipping it behind the red
hooks and tighten up. There should be extra bungees with the chains to help you.
Removing the chains:
The hook on the inner plastic ring is positioned directly opposite the hook on the outer soft ring.
So before you take the chains off, drive forward until the outer hook is in the gap between the
bumper and the ground. Its then much easier to reach the inner hook. Remove the tensioning
chain, then the outer hook, then the inner hook.
There are good diagrams under the stairs at the house and it only takes a couple of minutes once
you know how.
Smoking in Mirlhof
We would ask that you do not smoke in the building. A comfortable chair in the sun on the
balcony will provide a good Condor moment.
Visitors Book
On the shelves near the dining table there is a Visitors Book (dusky pink) to which we hope you
will contribute.
Suggestions welcome ! Once youve been to the house, if there is information you feel would
have been useful to have known before hand, or requires updating, advice, good places to eat/visit
etc. - please let us know and well include it in future information sheets. Please also add
anything of interest to the pamphlets, piste maps etc on the shelves in the living room.
We very much hope you will enjoy your stay.
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Our phone numbers in UK:

If you need to contact us, day or night,
Peter Wrate 0044 (0) 1651 872889
Robert Wrate 0044 (0) 131 447 2231

Things To Do

Winter Sports Skiing and snowboarding.

See www.schladming.at
The standard ski pass covers Ski Amade, some twenty-five resorts and 860km piste see
www.skiamade.com They include the following:
The resort of Schladming
Pruggen is the nearest - very quiet and pleasant. After snow falls the access road may require
snowchains or use the ski bus from Pruggen village.
Haus - 15 KM distant, by the main road and provides a quick ascent by gondola to the pistes,
and linked by chair lift to:
Planai 25 Km away from Mirlhof, by Schladming - the largest and most developed of the
five areas, linked to:
Hochwurzen - just beyond with long relatively quiet lower blues and upper red runs, linked to:
Reiteralm - quiet and enjoyable because of its relative isolation, and with some great carving
runs to the valley. These last two areas are well situated with excellent intermediate runs. Best
park at Pichl to access both.
Fangeralm lies in a high valley with attractive blue runs, and served mainly by drag lifts. It is
not connected to the Schladming group
Ramsau an attractive major x-country ski area but also with a few downhill-ski/snowboard
beginner slopes. This area also gives access to the Dachstein Glacier for all the year round
skiing.
Others
Tauplitz an interesting intermediates resort with both downhill and cross country skiing at
high levels lying east of Mirlhof, left at the traffic lights15Km distance.
Flachau - 45 min drive but well worth the visit. Home of Herman Meir, a major ski area near
Radstadt with wide intermediate motorway runs from top to bottom as well as good off piste
and the odd black run. It has an excellent natural snow record and links into Wagrain ski resort
beyond. This area is not linked to Flachauwinkle.
Directions: 45 minutes from Mirlhof. Bypass Radstatt as though you are going to Salzburg
Villach. Dont take the first Villach sign but head for the autobahns instead. When the road
finally splits between Villach and Salzburg autobahns, then head for Villach. After 5 km slip
off right to Flachau. Turn left at the roundabout and right at the traffic lights into the ski area
car park.
Wagrain - 45 minutes from Mirlhof. A very extensive and interesting area with many long
blue and red runs across a series of ridges. The trees gives off piste options as well as helping
in poor visibility.
Directions: As for Flachau and at the roundabout go straight on, by-passing the Rote 8-er
bubble lift at Moaddorfl-Wagrain, to the town of Wagrain. Follow the signs for the bubble
lifts. Park close to the lifts, but even if you need to park in Car Park 6 you can still ski to and
from the lifts.
Zauchensee - 55 minutes from Mirlhof. Another very large ski area, Zauchensee has many
long and wide runs on all aspects of slope with a great variety of beautiful mountain scenery.
Features include the highest skiing in the Dachsteins, a World Cup Downhill course, and a
shuttle under the autobahn links to the Flachauwinkle lifts, giving an altogether huge area and
fun park, half-pipe and dedicated speed carving run. This area is not linked to Flachau.

Directions: 60 minutes from Mirlhof. By-pass Radstatt, then slip off the road to Altenmarkt,
through the town and follow the signs to Zauchensee. Park near lifts 4 and 7 if you can for
slightly more convenience at the end of the day.
Planneralm Accessed by heading towards Liezen and turning right at Trautenfels at the first
set of lights. A high level small ski station, good for a day, with excellent sunny runs and
natural snow.
Filzmoos is a large ski resort lying beyond Ramsau.
Ski-buses rotate around the valley, starting in Grobming, but a car is much quicker.
Downhill ski and snowboard learners: Although many of the pistes in the area are blue and red,
there are a number of good options for beginners, with instruction available in all areas. Some of
the best complete beginner slopes are at Ramsau Ort, the beautiful and sunny plateau with
extensive prepared cross-country ski-trails, many within sight of horse-drawn sleighs and good
nursery slopes (investigate lift passes and punch cards). Grobming : it has its own ski rental and
ski-school served by two small lifts on the hill behind the bus terminus at the end of the high
street. It normally operates until mid-March
Rohrmoos Untertal has good longer beginner runs, lifts & ski-school
Ramsau Ort : a sunny plateau and well known for cross-country skiing, has some beginner
runs and low cost lifts for ski- and snowboard-learners. There is a good one for example, the
Eiskar behind the church at Ramsau Ort.
There are other beginner lifts along the Ramsau Ort - Dachsteinstrasse road side, blue runs to
the right and an obvious large flat beginners area on the left opposite some shops and ski
school. (Where the Glacier Road Pass is also bought in winter last building with flags).
Lessons can be booked at most lift stations.
Planai and Haus is the main ski area for all standards, and have long tree lined runs and many
lifts. The two mountains are linked by a chairlift, and you should check at what time they shut
- and not miss, because there is no alternative way down from the link point.
At weekends get there early to avoid parking problems.
Cross-country : A single lesson at Ramsau on cross-country ski-ing is often enough, and its
plateau provides extensive well disciplined trails. The convention is to keep to the right on the
trails. Much more quiet though a little bit more difficult (more up & down) than Ramsau, there
are long unspoilt prepared cross-country pistes;
near Schladming in the Obertal and Untertal valleys (with excellent and inexpensive Gasthaus
stops for lunch etc),
in the Solktal, starting north of St Nikolai and into valleys south of it. Somewhere along these,
or at a Gasthaus on a trail, you are expected to pay for a day pass (c. E4).
Bad Mitterndorfs prepared x-country trails are cut through open meadows and forests, and by
driving West on the main road then left at the traffic lights, these can be quickly reached. The
car parks are shown on the x-country maps.

Summer Activities
Meadow & woodland walks from Mirlhof. These are shown in the local maps, which are
kept on the bookcase in the living room. Three walks, all starting from the road to the hamlet
of Prenten: Prenten is the cluster of farm houses at the top of the road from the valley where
you turn left at the milk churn shelter.
1 just before the little wooden shrine, up the hill through the woods, turning west toward
Lengdorf 2 across the hamlet, going east through woods toward St Martin, where there is a
large Gasthaus (halfway there, a detour beyond the hydro station, on the other side of the
river, goes to a pool in the river suitable for swimming ).
3 Left at the milk churns through the barrier to the lake between steep mountains, where
swimming is possible 60 min walk [or 30 min. bike ride] from the house, boats/canoes to rent
and turning right after the main road junction at the lake end, a health club and heated open
air swimming pool for public.
Other walks around half an hour drive from the house. There are a vast number of well
sign-posted easy or relatively undemanding walks, some through quiet valleys, some on
upper meadows, others high altitude walking following contours. The access to some of these
is by private toll roads, generally well worth the E4 or so. Two-day walks generally involve
moderate ascents. Most of these are well documented on various maps in the house.
Recommended walks include :
Quiet valleys - walks in the Obertal and in the Untertal [south of Schladming], (good also for
biking) and [south from Grobming] in the Kleinsolk and in the Solktal from St Nikolai,
around the Bodensee [south of Aich in the Ennstal], and (busier but with plenty of swimming)
on the south side of Grundlsee and Tolplitzee [at the southern margin of the Salzkammergut].
Upper meadows - walks on south side of the Dachsteins, from Ramsau valley above
Schladming [most pleasant access is by driving through Weisenbach, turn-off just past Jet
station], various walks there from three Gasthauses - Austria Hutte (one of Austria Alpine
Clubs oldest huts) and two further west, at Walcher Alm and Bachl Alm, and the many walks
in the valleys above Filzmoos further west, south of the busy Hofpurgl Hutte.
High altitude contouring - west from the top of the Stoderzinken toll road [from the west end
of Grobming], and from the carpark by the Schladminger Hutte (an Austria Alpine Club inn)
on Planai [south of Schladming], also accessed by a toll road.
Two-day walks (one night in hut - take bedlinen E15 including evening meal - turn up,
dont bother booking)
between Austria Hutte up to Dachstein-Sudwand Hutte and countouring east-west e.g. in a
loop below the Hohe Dachstein mountain.
from the eastern end of the Ramsau valley up to Guttenberg Haus (another Austria Alpine
Club hut) at 2146 Km and west across toward the glacier region e.g. coming down to the
Austria Hutte.
from carpark at the end of the Untertal to Gollinghutte across by a summit (Greifenberg
2618m) and high moraine lakes to Preintalerhutte descending past a lake (and swimming)
to the car.
Several days round-trip
a spectacular walk around the Gosaukaum via three Alpine Club huts Hofpurglhutte,
Gablonzer Hutte, and the untouristy, primitive but very charming Theodor-Korner Hutte
(there is a 1:10000 Club map of this route).

a high alm walk NE of the house, from Grundlesee and Toplitzsee into the Totes Gebirge.
a more demanding and less well marked five day walk in the Schladminger Tauern due
south of the house, starting with the first night at the Breitlahnhutte [reached from the end
of the Kleinsolk] via Preintalerhutte, Hans-Wodl Hutte, and Krummholzhutte before down
to Haus in the Ennstal.
Facilities in Grobming. This small town, built around a single main street, has good
amenities for its size, including several supermarkets and bakeries, several banks with
automated tellers, a large post-office by the Postbus station (a phone there takes Wertkarte
i.e.telephone cards. There are two sports shops (the one in the town centre provides good
value ski-rentals, the other by the post-office also has its own ski-school and nursery slope
nearby), a bicycle shop, a large hardware store, tennis courts, and an open-air swimming pool
complex. The railway station for Grobming is about 5 Km south and only a few trains stop
here. Schladming station, which because it is near the town centre and the Post-bus station, is
recommended as the best pick-up point.
Swimming Grobming has a large swimming complex, accessed by going to the roundabout
at the Schladming end of the town turning right. Almost every large village has an open air
swimming pool, and although the lake beside the house, as a reservoir, looks daunting at the
dam end, the other end is shallow and benign. Turning right at Trautenfels leads to another
large swimming complex.
Visiting elsewhere. There are guidebooks to Austria in the house. Salzburg to the north, Bad
Ischl and Hallstadt 45 min. to the NE, and Villach - half an hour from the Italian border - are
all pretty towns or beautiful cities. At Obertraun near Hallstatt there are impressive ice caves,
and the World Heritage site of Hallstatt itself, famous for its lake side village and mountain
setting, as well as museums showing Celtic artefacts and the salt-mine. Bad Ausee and Bad
Ischl are beautiful small towns with Royal connections. Graz to the SE is equally worth going
to, and just to the north of it (at Stubing) there is the national open-air folk museum of
traditional rural houses and farm buildings brought there from all over Austria and re-built
among meadows and woods. Vienna is 3 to 4 hours drive (the train there goes through the
Enns valley), with good city camp-sites. The Post Hotel is a good reasonably priced hotel in a
central location.
The drive to Budapest is quite long (6+ hours, bypassing Graz) because of single lane roads
once driving in Hungary - but the city is definitely worth the effort. Czech towns north of the
Danube are considerably nearer (note - rental car insurance usually excludes some East
European countries unless specifically arranged). Autobahns to south make access to Italy
easy: Trieste is about 3 1/2 hours drive, the car park on the island of Venice is 4 hours drive,
(where there is a good youth hostel), the centre of Padua is 45 min.further, Verona and its
opera in the amphitheatre is another half hour beyond (it has a good city campsite but sites
on the shores of Lake Garda are less than 1 hour distant). All autostradas and some tunnels
south have a toll; for Italy, fill up with petrol before leaving Austria as its much cheaper, and
check that your car rental insurance covers that country.