Berghaus Hochschneeberg restaurant
What to order: the Tafelspitz, boiled beef, with Alpine sorrel, and for dessert a Schneebergkrapfen.
Every day from 1 May to 1 November (2026)
geocalia
Day itinerary · 47.79° N · 15.91° E
The Schneeberg in a day from Vienna, by train to Puchberg and rack railway up to 1,800 metres.
Train via Wiener Neustadt, the Schneebergbahn up to 1,800 metres, the easy loop across the plateau, lunch at the Berghaus and a walk down from the Hengsthütte.
Leaving from
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Part of Puchberg and the SchneebergAlps
Add to my trip
Total time10 h
By car1 h 15 each way
TrainSouthern line to Wiener Neustadt and regional train to Puchberg
Rack railway40 min, return from €45
Getting aroundTrain and on foot
DifficultyEasy to moderate
Season1 May to 1 November
The plan
The day at a glance
Any part can be swapped for another without spoiling the day.
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Leave Vienna 1 h 45 by train
southern line from Wien Hauptbahnhof or Meidling and regional train from Wiener Neustadt; at weekends, direct train
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1
The Schneebergbahn, the rack railway from Puchberg to 1,800 metres
Salamander train at 10:30 · €45 return · buy the ticket online
+43 2742 360990-1000
- 45 min by train
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2
Paradies der Blicke, the easy loop from the upper station
easy one-hour loop from Hochschneeberg station, next to Elisabeth church
- 5 min on foot
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Berghaus Hochschneeberg restaurant
Tafelspitz with alpine sorrel · open daily from May to November
Hochschneeberg 7, 2734 Puchberg am Schneeberg · +43 2636 2257
Restaurant €€Book - 15 min by train
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4
Hengsthütte
get off at the Hengsthütte stop · coffee and cake · open Thursday to Sunday, cash only
Hochschneeberg 1, 2734 Puchberg am Schneeberg · +43 2636 2103
Restaurant €€Book -
Back home 1 h 15 on foot
walk down through the forest to Puchberg
- 1 h 45 by train · regional train to Wiener Neustadt and southern line to Wien Meidling or Hauptbahnhof
Approximate cost
About €85–120 per person
Adds up the activities and meals in the plan at their published prices; travel and accommodation not included.
The route
The Schneebergbahn, the rack railway from Puchberg to 1,800 metres
The Schneeberg is the highest mountain in Lower Austria and one of the classic excursions of the Viennese: train to Puchberg and, from the same station, a rack railway that has climbed to 1,800 metres since 1897. Up top, an easy loop across the plateau, lunch with a view and, to finish, the walk down through the forest from the Hengsthütte. All by train and without hurry, designed for a Sunday from May to October.
The day, hour by hour
8:00 · Train to Puchberg. Southern line from Wien Hauptbahnhof or Wien Meidling to Wiener Neustadt and a regional train to Puchberg; at weekends there is a direct train. None of this uses the central S-Bahn section, closed until October 2027.
10:30 · Schneebergbahn. The Salamander train climbs in 40 minutes to Hochschneeberg station. Buy your ticket online: places are limited.
11:15 · Paradies der Blicke. The easiest waymarked loop on the plateau, one hour, with views towards the Rax and the church of Empress Elisabeth next to the station.
12:30 · Lunch at the Berghaus. Next to the station, the Tafelspitz with alpine sorrel and, for dessert, a Schneebergkrapfen.
13:45 · Train down to the Hengsthütte. The 13:45 train stops at the Hengsthütte, at 1,012 metres: coffee and cake at the hut, which is open Thursday to Sunday and takes cash only.
15:00 · On foot to Puchberg. A little over an hour through the forest to the village, and train back to Vienna.
If you go with children or it rains
With small children, stay up top with the one-hour loop and go down by train to Puchberg; the train is already the big attraction. If the weather is bad up top, go only as far as the Hengsthütte on the train and eat there: the plateau in fog is no fun and can be dangerous.
Time1 h 20
Change the route
If you are fit and the weather is good, instead of the Paradies der Blicke: the 2,076 m summit; watch the last train:
To the Klosterwappen, the roof of Lower Austria (2,076 m)
On some Sundays in May, June, September and October: ride up at 10:50 on the steam train, €12.50 extra each way:
The Schneeberg steam train, on some Sundays
If you want to watch the sunset on the plateau, sleep up top:
Berghaus Hochschneeberg
Where to eat
Where to eat?
Lunch is half the plan: book before you set off.
Hengsthütte
What to order: a home-style Austrian dish of the day on the terrace; in Advent, hot punch.
May to mid-November, Thursday to Sunday · cash only
Map
The stops, in order
With where to park at each one.
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Getting there
By car or without one?
When to go
When to go to Puchberg and the Schneeberg
1 May to 1 November, when the Schneebergbahn runs daily to the top; September and October have the clearest air. Designed for a Sunday, with a direct train from Vienna at weekends and the Hengsthütte open Thursday to Sunday.
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Best timeGood timeLow season
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Bring a coat
At 1,800 metres it is cold even in summer and the weather changes quickly.
- 2Cash for the Hengsthütte
They don't accept cards.
- 3Check the last train
In 2026, the last descent from Hochschneeberg left at 16:45.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How much does the day cost?
Between €80 and €120 per person with trains, rack railway and lunch.
Can it be done in winter?
No: from November to April the rack railway runs only special trips to the mid-mountain.
Is the walk down difficult?
It is a mountain path of a little over an hour; with suitable footwear anyone who walks regularly can do it.
More plans like this
Other days of walking and good food
geocalia.com/en/austria/lower-austria/puchberg-and-schneeberg/itineraries/rack-railway-from-vienna
Prices, opening hours and times are approximate: check them before you go. Each place has its own page on Geocalia.