Summit conquerors by train from Vienna

Even if winter isn’t over yet and the temperatures are sometimes still in the single digits: The first warm rays of sunshine are a joy to our spirits and make us want to get moving. So if your hiking boots are tingling – you want to plan a wonderful weekend excursion that takes you to beautiful views around Vienna?

We present four mountains that you can easily reach by train from Vienna. So: pack your snack box and strap on your rucksack, an entertaining excursion awaits you.

Rax

The train from Wien Mitte to Payerbach-Reichenau takes you to Reichenau an der Rax in less than two hours. The trains run every hour and you get off in Payerbach-Reichenau. While you doze off comfortably on the train and save your energy for a wonderful hike, the kilometers rush by beneath you.

Once there, the Rax cable car awaits you. This was only modernized in 2016 and is now barrier-free. The cable car takes eight minutes from the Hirschwang district in Reichenau an der Rax to the mountain station. Once up there, you are at an altitude of 1546 meters.

You have a great view and can also use this station as a starting point for numerous hikes. By the way, if you like to arrive late, you can breathe a sigh of relief: your booked ticket for the cable car remains valid, even if you miss the planned departure due to delays on your hike.

Gutensteiner Alpen

Around 50 kilometers from Vienna, the Gutenstein Alps exude a charm all of their own. If you are looking for places of power, you will find it here. The small mountain range has some challenging peaks to offer, but there are also many hiking trails for leisure hikers.

Don’t expect huge two-thousand-metre peaks or vertical climbing routes and gorges like on the Schneeberg: instead, the landscape here is characterized by an interplay of pastures, small alpine meadows and rustic forests.

There are many ascents and you can choose between the areas of Rohr im Gebirge, Schwarzau im Gebirge, Gutenstein, Pernitz and Berndorf. The journey is a surprise! And during the day the train runs from Vienna Westbahnhof via St. Pölten to Hainfeld. The journey takes around one and a half hours, including changing trains.

Schneeberg

The Schneeberg is a little more challenging, but you can also hike and walk at an altitude of over 1800 meters. The Elisabeth Kircherl and many other great photo opportunities await you. Enchanting views of the Hungarian Plain and, on good days, even as far as Styria and the Bucklige Welt open up. A panoramic trail leads around the Waxriegel.

You should plan about an hour’s walk for the route, the level of difficulty is indicated as easy. You climb 88 meters in altitude and hike a distance of 2.4 kilometers, with the Hochschneeberg mountain station being both the starting point and the destination.

To get there, take the hourly Südbahn train (towards Graz) to Wiener Neustadt main station. From there, take the next regional train to the terminus at Puchberg am Schneeberg. Incidentally, Puchberg is also officially advertised as a hiking village, which makes it even more attractive.

In summer you can take the Salamander from Puchberg to cover the remaining meters in altitude, in winter this is only possible on foot.

Semmering

In this case, the journey is the reward: the Semmering Railway is the world’s first mountain railroad and runs from Gloggnitz to Mürzzuschlag. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Semmering Railway line is 42 kilometers long, runs through 14 tunnels and over an impressive 16 viaducts and takes around two hours to complete.

So it’s worth getting up early! It’s also worth getting up early: Keep your eyes peeled as you drive over the Krauseklausel Viaduct and the Kalte-Rinne Viaduct. It is not without reason that they are repeatedly praised as special highlights.

From Semmering station, the trail then leads along the railroad line. Passing vantage points with magnificent panoramic views, you reach several stations – depending on how far your feet carry you: to Breitenstein station (9 kilometers), Klamm (15 kilometers), Payerbach (21 kilometers) or Gloggnitz (23 kilometers). This means that every hiker can put together their own individual route and simply take the train back to the starting point if they get tired.

Hohe Wand

The ultimate hiking pleasure awaits you on the Hohe Wand: from leisurely to steep, you have a choice of different routes. Four options that you can easily reach from Grünbach am Schneeberg station are Pfarrersteig, Grafenbergweg, Springlessteig and Wagnersteig.

If you want to start a little further east, you can get off one stop earlier (Unterhöflein). A clear pro-argument for getting off in Grünbach: you are very quickly far away from paved roads and pass meadows.

With a bit of luck, you can also see various four-legged forest dwellers up close and enjoy a wonderful panoramic view in good weather. But be careful, you should be free from giddiness when you enter the viewing platform of the Skywalk Hohe Wand.

Fazit

Hiking around Vienna offers a unique natural experience, easily accessible by train. From the majestic Rax cable car to the historic Semmering Railway, a UNESCO World Heritage site, these excursions provide a variety of landscapes for every type of hiker.

These destinations combine adventure and natural beauty, making Austria’s alpine landscapes accessible and offering unforgettable experiences for anyone looking to explore Vienna’s surrounding mountains.

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