The Semmering railway, Europe's first mountain line
1 hAll agesAll year
Train · 1 h · Gloggnitz – Semmering – Mürzzuschlag · viaducts and tunnels of 1854, World Heritage · with a normal ÖBB ticket
From ViennaTrain from Wien Hauptbahnhof or Meidling, about 1 h 30
AltitudeStation at 895 m; Hirschenkogel at 1,340 m
Stay1 day or 1 night
World HeritageSemmeringbahn, UNESCO
What to do
What to do in Semmering
Each plan says how long it takes, who it's for and whether you can book.
Bahnwanderweg, from Semmering to Payerbach beside the railway
5 h 11 · 20.2 kmFit walkers; high difficulty because of the length. It can be cut short at Wolfsbergkogel or Breitenstein and you can return by trainDog-friendlyApril to October
Route · 20.2 km · 5 h · 450 m ascent and 852 descent · the line's viaducts and viewpoints · return by train
Doppelreiter and 20-Schilling-Blick viewpoints
2 h 30Walking families and teenagers; mountain pathDog-friendlyApril to October
Viewpoint · 2–3 h round trip from Semmering, or from Wolfsbergkogel · the 20-schilling banknote view over the Kalte Rinne
Itineraries
Itineraries that pass through
Days and weekends already planned out, with how to get between each stop and who to book with.
Plan the trip
Semmering, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Semmering
From May to October for the Bahnwanderweg, the viewpoints and the summer Hirschenkogel. From December to March, skiing and tobogganing if there is snow. November and early spring are in-between seasons, with the gondola and some hotels closed.
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Best timeGood timeLow season
How you travel
Semmering your way
Choose how you're travelling and we'll tell you where to stay, how to get around, where to eat and which services you'll need. We only show the ways of travelling that make sense here.
By train on the Semmering line
You go to the Semmering by train: that is the point of the trip. Trains on the southern line leave Wien Hauptbahnhof and Meidling, cross Ghega's viaducts and stop at Semmering station; the Bahnwanderweg starts from the platform and ends at another station. To get up to the village and the gondola, the Rufbus or a taxi.
100–170 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to sleepSporthotel am Semmering, next to…
- Getting aroundRailjets every two hours and…
- Where to eatDer Löffler, café with home-made…
- ServicesSemmering station
Where to sleep
- Sporthotel am Semmering, next to the gondola
- Der Löffler, in the centre of the village
Getting around
- Railjets every two hours and regional trains from Gloggnitz or Wiener Neustadt
- Rufbus of the Semmering-Rax region, on demand
- Bahnwanderweg and return by train from any station
Where to eat
- Der Löffler, café with home-made cakes
- Grand View, in the Sporthotel, every day
Services
- Semmering station
- Rufbus Semmering-Rax
By car on the S6 to the pass
By car the Semmering is a little over an hour from Vienna on the A2 and the S6, which has an exit directly onto the pass. It is useful for combining in one day the Hirschenkogel, the line's viewpoints and other nearby valleys such as the Rax one, at Reichenau. On the pass there are four electric chargers.
110–180 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to sleepSporthotel am Semmering, at the…
- Getting aroundA2 and S6 Semmering-Schnellstraße, Semmering…
- Where to eatLiechtensteinhaus, at the summit, on…
- ServicesSemmering station, for the return…
Where to sleep
- Sporthotel am Semmering, at the foot of the gondola
- Der Löffler, with parking in the courtyard
Getting around
- A2 and S6 Semmering-Schnellstraße, Semmering exit
- Parking next to the Hirschenkogel gondola
- For the Bahnwanderweg, leave the car at Semmering and return by train
Where to eat
- Liechtensteinhaus, at the summit, on gondola days
- Grand View, in the Sporthotel
Services
- Semmering station, for the return from the Bahnwanderweg
Fly to Vienna and take the train to the mountain
The Semmering is an hour by car from Vienna-Schwechat airport (VIE), which has direct flights from Madrid, Barcelona and other Spanish cities. Without a car, you pass through Vienna and take the southern-line train at Wien Hauptbahnhof or Meidling. Graz (GRZ), on the other side of the pass, is another way in if you find a flight.
- Getting thereVienna-Schwechat (VIE), an hour by…
- Getting aroundTrain on the southern line…
- Where to sleepSporthotel am Semmering, with an…
- ServicesSemmering station
Getting there
- Vienna-Schwechat (VIE), an hour by car
- From the airport to Vienna, the CAT by coach to Wien Mitte (until October 2027); from there, metro to Wien Hauptbahnhof and train
- Graz (GRZ), a little over an hour on the S6 from the south
Getting around
- Train on the southern line to Semmering
- On-demand Rufbus or taxi in the area
- Hire car if you want to combine with the Rax or the Wachau
Where to sleep
- Sporthotel am Semmering, with an indoor pool
- Der Löffler, in the centre
Services
- Semmering station
How much does it cost?
People2
Nights3
Who you're with
Semmering for whoever you're with
A trip with a toddler is not the same as one with a teenager. Pick yours to see what works and what to bear in mind.
Trains, a gondola and a three-kilometre toboggan run
The Semmering works for families in both seasons: in summer, the Hirschenkogel's gondola, playground and mountaincarts; in winter, skiing near Vienna and a 3 km toboggan run. And always, the train: watching a train cross a stone viaduct from a viewpoint appeals at any age.
- What works bestRiding the Semmering railway and…
- Where to sleepSporthotel am Semmering, with a…
- Where to eatLiechtensteinhaus, at the summit, next…
- Bear in mindThe whole Bahnwanderweg is long…
What works best
- Riding the Semmering railway and looking for the viaducts
- The Hirschenkogel in summer: Hirschi park, ropes from 120 cm and mountaincarts
- The 3 km toboggan run in winter
- The Doppelreiter viewpoint, waiting for a train to pass
Where to sleep
- Sporthotel am Semmering, with a family room and an indoor pool
- Der Löffler, with an apartment for six
Where to eat
- Liechtensteinhaus, at the summit, next to the playground
- Der Löffler, for an afternoon snack
Bear in mind
- The whole Bahnwanderweg is long for children: do only the viewpoint stretch
- The gondola does not run between seasons
What to do as a family
Swings at the summit and real trains
With small children, the plan is short: a trip on the line's train, the gondola to the playground at the summit and, in winter, the toboggan with an adult.
- What works bestThe Hirschi playground, at the…
- Where to sleepSporthotel am Semmering, with an…
- Where to eatLiechtensteinhaus, next to the playground
- Bear in mindThe viewpoint trails are not…
What works best
- The Hirschi playground, at the Hirschenkogel summit
- A short ride on the Semmering train
- The toboggan, seated with an adult
Where to sleep
- Sporthotel am Semmering, with an indoor pool
Where to eat
- Liechtensteinhaus, next to the playground
Bear in mind
- The viewpoint trails are not for pushchairs
What to do with young children
Twenty kilometres beside the track and mountaincart descents
The Semmering gives teenagers a challenge: the whole Bahnwanderweg is 20 km, the mountaincarts and the Hirschenkogel bike park give speed, and in winter there is night skiing under floodlights.
- What works bestThe Bahnwanderweg from Semmering to…
- Where to sleepSporthotel am Semmering, with a…
- Where to eatGrand View, with a menu…
- Bear in mindThe Bahnwanderweg has a diversion…
What works best
- The Bahnwanderweg from Semmering to Payerbach, with the train back
- Mountaincarts and the bike park in summer
- Night skiing and the 3 km toboggan run in winter
- The Ghega Museum, if they like engineering
Where to sleep
- Sporthotel am Semmering, with a gym and pool
Where to eat
- Grand View, with a menu in the evening
Bear in mind
- The Bahnwanderweg has a diversion between Semmering and Wolfsbergkogel
What to do with teenagers
The Semmering railway, Europe's first mountain line
Bahnwanderweg, from Semmering to Payerbach beside the railway
Doppelreiter and 20-Schilling-Blick viewpoints
Ghega Museum in Breitenstein, beside the Kalte Rinne
Hirschenkogel in summer: gondola, swings and mountaincarts
Skiing at the Semmering Hirschenkogel
Tobogganing on the longest run in Lower Austria
Where to stay
Where to stay without a carif you're drivingif you're flying
We show you what suits the way you travel.Change how you travel
Sporthotel am Semmering
Why we like it: A 95-room hotel at the foot of the Hirschenkogel gondola, with an indoor pool, Finnish sauna, steam bath, gym and the Grand View restaurant. Discount on lift passes.
Der Löffler
Why we like it: A small family hotel on Semmering's Hochstraße, with two-bedroom family rooms, an apartment for six with a kitchen, a balcony facing the Hirschenkogel and parking.
Services for this trip
Where to eat
Where to eat in Semmering
From set lunch menus to Michelin stars. We mark the price level and what to order at each place.
Panoramarestaurant Liechtensteinhaus
What to order: something hot from the menu on the terrace after the playground or the last toboggan run.
Open on gondola days · Closed between seasons
Grand View, the Sporthotel restaurant
What to order: the evening four-course menu; on Saturdays, with live music.
Every day from 12:00 to 21:00 · In low season it may close some days
Der Löffler
What to order: a slice of the house cake on the sunny terrace, or breakfast.
May to October, Thursday to Sunday · Closed in November
Nearby
Near Semmering
The closest places, whichever country they are in.
47.72° N · 15.81° E
The Rax and Reichenau
By carCar-freeBy plane
47.79° N · 15.91° E
Puchberg and the Schneeberg
Car-freeBy carBy plane
47.77° N · 15.32° E
Mariazell
Car-freeBy carBy plane
48.01° N · 16.23° E
Baden bei Wien
Car-freeBy carBy plane
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Set off early for the Bahnwanderweg
It takes 5 hours; in autumn it gets dark early in the valleys.
- 2Check the gondola timetable
It runs in the summer and ski seasons; in between, it does not.
- 3Take the train at Hauptbahnhof or Meidling
While the S-Bahn closure lasts, do not leave from Wien Mitte.
November
Between summer and snow: gondola stopped and accommodation closed.
The Semmering is the pass that separates Lower Austria from Styria, about 100 km south-west of Vienna. In the mid-19th century the engineer Carl von Ghega crossed it with Europe's first great mountain railway: two-storey stone viaducts, tunnels and curves hanging above the valleys. The line is still in service and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Around it grew a high-altitude spa for Vienna's middle classes, with grand hotels and villas. Today it is a day trip by train, walking country in summer and skiing close to the capital in winter.
How to get there from Vienna
By train, which is part of the plan. Trains on the southern line leave from Wien Hauptbahnhof and Wien Meidling; the closure of the central stretch of the S-Bahn until the end of October 2027 does not affect them if you board at those stations, not at Wien Mitte. Some Railjets stop at Semmering every two hours; with the regional trains, change at Wiener Neustadt or Gloggnitz. The station is below the village; to reach the centre or the gondola, take the on-demand Rufbus or a taxi. By car, a little over an hour on the A2 and the S6, with an exit directly onto the pass.
What to do in a day
Ride the Semmering railway and get off at the station. If you have the legs, walk the Bahnwanderweg to Payerbach: 20 km and about 5 hours beside the viaducts, with the train back. If not, go only to the Doppelreiter and 20-Schilling-Blick viewpoints, opposite the Kalte Rinne, and take the train back from Wolfsbergkogel. The Ghega Museum in Breitenstein tells who built the line and how.
The Hirschenkogel, in summer and in winter
Above the village, the Hirschenkogel gondola climbs to 1,340 m. In summer, from May to October, at the top there are a playground, rope park and mountaincarts, and the Liechtensteinhaus restaurant at the summit. In winter it is the ski resort closest to Vienna, with 14 km of pistes floodlit at night and the longest toboggan run in Lower Austria.
One day or one night?
One day is enough for the train and the viewpoints or for the Hirschenkogel. If you want the whole Bahnwanderweg without rushing or to ski for two days, sleep at the Sporthotel am Semmering, next to the gondola, or at the family-run Der Löffler, which closes in November.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How do you get from Vienna to the Semmering?
By train from Wien Hauptbahnhof or Meidling on the southern line; by car, a little over an hour on the A2 and the S6.
What is special about the Semmering railway?
It was Europe's first great mountain railway, the work of Carl von Ghega, and it is a World Heritage site. It is still in service and you ride it with an ordinary ticket.
How long is the Bahnwanderweg?
From Semmering to Payerbach, 20.2 km and about 5 hours, with 450 m of ascent and 852 m of descent. You can cut it short at any station.
Can you ski near Vienna?
Yes, at the Hirschenkogel: 14 km of pistes, a day lift pass of €59.50 in 2026/27.
What is there for children in summer?
The gondola, a playground at the summit, a rope park from 120 cm and mountaincarts.
Do you need a car?
No: train to Semmering and the Rufbus or a taxi to get up to the village.