The Alpine Railway Hiking Trail "World Heritage Region - Mürzer Oberland Nature Park"

A very long, yet highly diverse hike from Lower Austria into Styria, from the World Heritage Semmering Railway to the Mürzer Oberland Nature Park. Technically easy, well-marked and signposted, with numerous scenic viewpoints, such as the famous "20 Schilling View", and close-up views of Rax, Schneealpe, and the Fischbacher Alps.

Overnight accommodation (reservation required) is available on weekends at the Scheibenhütte.

Starting from Semmering / Lower Austria, after a small circular route, the hike continues over Pinkenkogel (the hut is currently closed) and the scenic Kampalpe to Hohe Scheibe, where the Scheibenhütte is staffed on weekends. From there, descend all the way down, passing the Bleiweißgrube (cave) to Kapellen in the Mürzer Oberland Nature Park.

The historic Semmering Railway is almost always in view.

Characteristics

Skill

Fitness

Best season

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

The tour in numbers

challenging

Level of difficulty

27,2 km

Route

6:30 h

Time

1100 hm

Uphill

1170 hm

Downhill

1560 m

Highest point

Map & downloads

Download GPX data

Download KML data

More information

Travel to Semmering: You can find the travel plan online.

From Semmering train station, follow the marked and signposted path to the Wolfsbergkogel station, and from there to the famous 20-Schilling-View.

For the return journey, the ascent begins near the Pfarrkirche (parish church) not far from Hotel Panhans, heading west toward Pinkenkogel (the hut is unfortunately closed). From there, continue along the often forested ridge (marked hiking trail), with constant ups and downs until you reach the summit cross of Kampalpe, offering a fantastic panoramic view of the Mürztal and Stuhleck.

The trail then turns slightly north and crosses the 1,565m high Drahtekogel (the highest point of the tour, though the summit is forested).

Shortly after, you begin the descent (with a dream view of Rax, Schneealpe, Veitsch, and Hohe Scheibe) and pass Beeralp to reach the Scheibenhütte (staffed on weekends).

From there, head directly west over the summit and pass the Bleiweißgrube (a cave, freely accessible), descending towards Kapellen in the Mürzer Oberland Nature Park.

At Semmering, make a brief visit to the World Heritage Exhibition (located at the train station, open only in summer). In Kapellen, see the world's largest spinning wheel, and afterwards, be sure to visit the roasting station for their self-roasted coffee specialties.

ÖBB www.oebb.at or Verbundlinie Steiermark www.busbahnbim.at

With the BusBahnBim app from Verbundlinie, timetable information has never been easier. All bus, train, and tram connections in Austria can be searched by entering locations, addresses, stops, or key points.

The app is available for free on smartphones (Android, iOS) via Google Play and the App Store.

Sufficient parking is available at Semmering.

Tourism Association Hochsteiermark
Tel.: +43 3862 55020
www.steiermark.com/hochsteiermark