Lungau in Winter Without Skiing: What to Do While the Family Skis

Non-skiers have more to do in Lungau in winter than most people expect: the BadeINSEL indoor pool in Tamsweg, the Therme Amadé water park in Altenmarkt (about 40 minutes away), toboggan runs with night sledding, groomed winter walking trails, horse-drawn sleigh rides and castles that stay open in winter. With a foot passenger lift ticket you can even meet the skiers for lunch at a mountain hut.

Every family knows the scene: three people want to hit the slopes, one does not. Maybe they never ski, maybe it is a rest day, maybe the weather is poor. This guide is written for that person. Every tip starts from our apartment in Tamsweg, with realistic driving times and an honest look at what is actually open in winter.

Is there an indoor pool in Tamsweg?

Yes. The BadeINSEL is Tamsweg's indoor pool, about five minutes by car from our apartment. For families it is the go-to address on a bad-weather day, for non-skiers the easiest plan for a relaxed afternoon.

• 80-metre black hole water slide
• Sports pool at 28 °C and leisure pool at 31 °C
• Children's pool, sauna and restaurant
• Usually open Tuesday to Sunday, Mondays only during Austrian school holidays

Current opening hours, sauna times and prices are on badeinsel.at. The pool closes for a few weeks in autumn for maintenance and is open as usual in winter.

Thermal spas near Lungau: Amadé, St. Kathrein and Römerbad

There is no thermal spa in Lungau itself. The nearest large water park is the Erlebnis-Therme Amadé in Altenmarkt im Pongau, about 40 minutes from Tamsweg. On the Carinthian side, the two thermal spas of Bad Kleinkirchheim are about 60 minutes away.

Closer to home is Samsunn in Mariapfarr, a small wellness and sauna centre without leisure pools. Winter opening hours are on samsunn.at.

Can non-skiers ride the gondola? Foot passenger tickets

Yes, non-skiers do not have to stay in the valley. At Grosseck-Speiereck, 15 minutes from our apartment, the lift company sells foot passenger tickets for the Großeckbahn in Mauterndorf and the Sonnbahn in St. Michael. At the top, an easy winter trail of about three kilometres links the two mountain stations, with huts at both ends.

That makes for the perfect family day: the skiers head out in the morning, the non-skier takes the gondola up around midday, everyone eats together at the hut, and afterwards it is a walk along the ridge trail or back down to the valley. Prices and operating times: grosseck-speiereck.at.

In Obertauern (30 minutes) several lifts also carry foot passengers, including the Zehnerkarbahn. For more on the four ski resorts, read our guide to skiing in Lungau with the LUNGO Ski Pass.

Winter walks and snowshoeing in Lungau

Lungau has more than 40 groomed winter walking trails. The tourist board's interactive map of all routes is at maps.lungau.at.

• Prebersee: a loop around the mountain lake at about 1,500 m, one of the most beautiful winter spots in the region. On sunny weekends the car parks fill up early.
• Grosseck-Speiereck: the ridge trail between the two mountain stations, reached with a foot passenger ticket.
• Katschberg: winter trail from the Katschberg pass to the Pritzhütte, about 4 km and roughly one hour, easy.

For snowshoeing we recommend a guided tour. Providers in Lungau include the Firn Sepp ski school in St. Margarethen and mountain guide Klaus Gruber from St. Michael.

Where can you go tobogganing in Lungau?

Tobogganing is the family classic, and Lungau has runs for every age.

Toboggan runs depend on natural snow. Whether a run is open on a given day is best checked with the operator or local tourist office.

Horse-drawn sleigh rides and ice curling

Several farms in Lungau offer horse-drawn sleigh rides, always by prior booking. In Tamsweg one example is the Roßbacherhof; further providers are in Mariapfarr, St. Michael, St. Margarethen and Tweng. The tourist board keeps the current list with contacts on lungau.at.

Ice skating and Eisstockschießen, the Austrian version of curling, are a winter tradition in Lungau. Which rinks are open depends on the frost; the tourist office will know.

Bad weather plan: castles and museums open in winter

Not every sight in Lungau opens in winter, and many online lists do not mention it. Here is the honest overview:

Joseph Mohr, who wrote the words of "Silent Night", worked in Mariapfarr from 1815 to 1817. The small Silent Night museum in the village fits well into a quiet winter day; check the opening hours in advance.

Christmas markets and Krampus runs in Lungau

From late November until just before Christmas, Lungau is in Advent mode. Christmas markets take place in Tamsweg, at Burg Mauterndorf, in St. Michael and in Mariapfarr, among others. At Katschberg, a floodlit Advent trail runs through the snow at about 1,750 m, on foot or by horse-drawn sleigh.

In late November and early December the Krampus figures parade through the villages, for example in Tamsweg, St. Michael, Mariapfarr and Unternberg. Impressive for children, sometimes a bit too impressive for small ones. The tourist board publishes the exact dates every year on lungau.at.

A day plan for non-skiers: three options

Day trip to Salzburg in winter

The city of Salzburg is about 80 minutes from Tamsweg, via the A10 Tauern motorway (toll) or toll-free via Radstadt and Obertauern. The old town, Hohensalzburg Fortress and, in Advent, the Christmas market on Domplatz easily fill a day. A good option for non-skiers on a day when the others stay on the slopes from first to last lift.

Frequently asked questions

Read more about the region in Why Lungau: the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in the Austrian Alps. All information without guarantee; please check opening hours and prices with each operator.