One of the most beautiful and interesting hiking tours in the entire Semmering region begins right in front of the Municipal Office in Spital am Semmering (777 m). From there, the route crosses the main road at an angle and leads toward the parish church in the direction of Kaltenbach. A few meters to the right after the bridge, you’ll find Stuhleckstraße (marked with a yellow arrow: Stuhleck 7). Follow this road uphill, passing houses and entering the forest.
From here, the trail alternates between forest tracks and meadow paths. Continue past the junction to the “Rotes Kreuz”, then follow the ski slope uphill to the Friedrichhütte (1,307 m) — a hut that isn’t always open, but is well known for its good food and cozy atmosphere.
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During a short break, don’t forget to look back at Spital and the surrounding region (especially Kampalpe) before continuing up the ski slope. Soon you’ll reach a historic trail cross, the “Luiserlkreuz”, with an inscription by former Austrian President Michael Hainisch, who was born in the Mürztal region.
The trail continues, sometimes steeply, up to the Schwaigerhütte, considered one of the best ski huts in the Stuhleck area (open in winter only). Take a deep breath — and enjoy the impressive views down into the valley along the way!
The path climbs steeply once again to the mountain station of the chairlift, which operates only in winter. Now at almost 1,600 m, the trail gently leads across the Ganzeben plateau up to the Alois-Günther-Haus on Stuhleck (1,783 m).
After a well-deserved summit break, the descent leads past the Karl-Lechner-Haus and through the Kaltenbachgraben back to Spital am Semmering.