Details for: Hohe Wand Nature Park – hike above the clouds
Brief description
Circular hike through the Hohe Wand Nature Park with petting zoo, lookout tower, and the Skywalk viewing terrace. An ideal destination for families!
NOTE: Attention, this winter hiking trail may not be fully cleared in snowy conditions and can have slippery spots. Use at your own risk! Make sure you have appropriate equipment such as sturdy shoes, poles, waterproof outdoor clothing, headwear, etc. Also, drink enough water in winter! Be aware of early dusk and plan your route very carefully!
Description
Inversion weather – sun on the peaks, fog in the valley. An inversion weather situation is particularly striking in the mountains. While you sit in the fog in the valley for days, there is bright sunshine on the mountains. Head up to the Hohe Wand to soak up the sun. Although the Hohe Wand is a plateau, it is not always flat, and so the hike leads us through the hilly forest of the Nature Park to various inns, the Nature Park Center, and the Skywalk viewing terrace.
Nature Park entrance: Adults €5.50, children 3-15 years €2.50 (as of April 2025)
Starting point of the tour
Hohe Wand, Gasthof Postl
Destination point of the tour
Hohe Wand, Gasthof Postl
Route description Hohe Wand Nature Park – hike above the clouds
Our hike begins at the Gasthof Postl, and a short detour to the Skywalk viewing terrace is definitely worth it. Like a sea, the fog covers everything below us, with only small mountain peaks occasionally emerging like tiny islands. You can almost imagine how, millions of years ago, the sea reached up to the Hohe Wand.
After these impressive views, our hike leads us from Gasthof Postl through the hilly forest to Gasthof Luf (open year-round, closed on Mondays) and further to the Hochkogelhaus. Directly at the Hochkogelhaus, a narrow path begins, then a comfortable forest road towards Gasthof Kleine Kanzel, which takes us in about 45 minutes to the Nature Park Center. Petting zoo, lime kiln, charcoal kiln, alpine and local museum, generation forest playground, or a visit to the lookout tower are available to choose from.
Now we continue to Gasthof Postl, passing the deer enclosure, where the hungry enclosure residents await many visitors, food, and petting. We now follow the signposting again to Gasthof Postl – it gently descends through the forests of the Hohe Wand Nature Park back to the starting point.
Directions
1) A2 – Exit Wöllersdorf – right B21 towards Gutenstein – turn off to Dreistetten – Muthmannsdorf – Emmerberg – Gaaden – Stollhof – via the mountain road year-round to the Hohe Wand plateau
2) A2 – Exit Wiener Neustadt West – Weikersdorf – Winzendorf – Emmerberg – Gaaden – Stollhof – Hohe Wand
3) From Neunkirchen – Würflach – Willendorf – Höflein – Zweiersdorf – Maiersdorf – Hohe Wand
Parking
Parking available at Gasthof Postl, Gasthof Luf, or at the Nature Park Center – Animal enclosure parking lot
Take the South Railway from Vienna or Graz to Wiener Neustadt – and from there continue to Winzendorf (trains leave Wiener Neustadt hourly towards Puchberg) – from Winzendorf, you can walk through the Prosset Gorge to Maiersdorf (5 km), from where you can hike up to the Hohe Wand in about 1 hour via various ascents;
Or transfer in Wiener Neustadt towards Puchberg at Schneeberg – exit Grunbach at Schneeberg – via the blue marked Grafenberg trail it takes about 1.5 hours to reach the plateau to Wilhelm Eicherthütte.
You can also take the Gutenstein Railway (from Wiener Neustadt station) to Oberpiesting or Waldegg and march up to the Hohe Wand from the back side.
For more information visit www.oebb.at
Author's tip
Soak up the sun in Hohe Wand Nature Park!
