# Day trip to the Semmering from Vienna: the Ghega railway and the Bahnwanderweg to Payerbach

Ride up on Europe's oldest mountain railway, have breakfast in the village and walk down beside the track past the viaduct viewpoints to Payerbach, from where you return by train.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/austria/lower-austria/semmering/itineraries/ghega-railway-and-bahnwanderweg · Revisado: 2026-11-12

## El día
- 07:30 · Salida: 1 h 30 by train (southern line from Wien Hauptbahnhof or Meidling · get off at Semmering)
- 09:15 · Der Löffler (breakfast on the terrace · Thursday to Sunday, May to October) · Der Löffler, €€
  - 15 min on foot
- 10:00 · Bahnwanderweg, from Semmering to Payerbach beside the railway (you leave the station · diverted section as far as Wolfsbergkogel)
  - 1 h 30 on foot
- 11:30 · Doppelreiter and 20-Schilling-Blick viewpoints (the Kalte Rinne with the Rax and the Schneeberg behind)
  - 1 h 15 on foot
- 13:30 · Ghega Museum in Breitenstein, beside the Kalte Rinne (at track-keeper's house 167 in Breitenstein · packed lunch)
- 17:30 · Vuelta: 1 h 30 by train (after about 2 h 30 more on foot, train from Payerbach-Reichenau to Vienna)

In 1854 the Semmering line was Europe's first great mountain railway, and it is still in service. This plan experiences it twice: you ride up by train past its stone viaducts and walk down beside the track on the Bahnwanderweg, from station to station, watching the trains pass over the Kalte Rinne. It is a long day of walking; if you don't fancy the 20 km, you can cut it short at any station and go back by train.

## The day, hour by hour

7:30 · Train to Semmering. On the southern line from Wien Hauptbahnhof or Meidling: do not leave from Wien Mitte while the closure of the central S-Bahn section lasts (until October 2027). Some Railjets stop at Semmering every two hours; with the regional train, change at Wiener Neustadt or Gloggnitz.

9:15 · Breakfast at Der Löffler. Coffee and homemade cake on the sunny terrace on the Hochstraße, Thursday to Sunday.

10:00 · Bahnwanderweg. Go back to the station and start the path. At the moment the first stretch to Wolfsbergkogel is diverted along the Südbahnstraße and the Adlitzgrabenstraße.

11:30 · Doppelreiter and 20-Schilling-Blick viewpoints. The view of the Kalte Rinne and the framing of the old 20-schilling note. Wait for a train to pass.

13:30 · Ghega Museum. In track-keeper's house 167 in Breitenstein, beside the viaduct. Bring a packed lunch: there is nowhere to eat on the path.

17:30 · Return from Payerbach. After about two and a half more hours of descent, you reach Payerbach-Reichenau station and go back to Vienna by train.

## If you don't want to walk so much

Take the train up to Semmering, walk down to Wolfsbergkogel station past the viewpoints and return by train: about three hours in total. With children, swap the route for the Hirschenkogel gondola and its playground.

## Cómo llegar

### Without a car
It is the natural way: train up and train back from any station on the path.

### By car
A little over an hour on the A2 and the S6. Park at Semmering, do the path and return to the car by train from Payerbach.

## Consejos

### Bring food and water
Between Semmering and Payerbach there is almost nowhere to buy anything.

### Check the last train
Note the return timetable from Payerbach before you set off.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### How long does the Bahnwanderweg take?
About 5 hours for the 20.2 km from Semmering to Payerbach, not counting stops.

### Can it be cut short?
Yes, at Wolfsbergkogel or Breitenstein, and return by train.

### How much does the day cost?
Between €45 and €70 per person with train and lunch.