UNESCO World Heritage Semmering Railway
Historical sites
Description
In the first decades of the 19th century, nobody thought it was possible for a train to cross the Semmering. But then Carl Ritter von Ghega came along and proved all the doubters wrong. With the help of 20,000 workers, he created a technical masterpiece between 1848 and 1854: the Semmering railway. The railroad line from Gloggnitz to Mürzzuschlag climbs a total of 459 meters in altitude, passes over 100 arched bridges, 16 viaducts and through 15 tunnels. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1998.
These excursions around the Semmering Railway:
- Railroad hiking trail: hike along the railroad line, past the imposing 19th century buildings. The route can be arranged very flexibly - thanks to the numerous stations along the route, you can hop on or off at any time.
- Viewpoints:
- From the 20-Schilling Viewoffers a particularly beautiful view of the Kalte Rinne viaduct - exactly the same view that was featured on the back of the 20-schilling banknote until 1968.
- From the Doppelreiterwarte you can see the Eselstein, also known as the Baufelsen. This is where Carl Ritter von Ghega once gained an overview of the region when he was preparing the plans for the world-famous Semmering Railway.
- The Weinzettlwandalso offers two impressive vantage points. From here, you can enjoy the ideal view of historic buildings on the Semmering - including the Südbahnhotel and the Silbererschlössl.
- More about the history of the railroad: You can delve deeper into the history of the Semmering Railway and Carl Ritter von Ghega at the Ghega Museum and the World Heritage Information Center.
- High Road Museum:In this open-air museum with 10 showcases on the High Road at Semmering, you can learn the most important facts about villa construction in the area. With the completion of the Semmering Railway, more and more people from Vienna's high society were drawn to the Semmering for their summer retreat.
Tip:
The best way to experience this World Heritage Site is on a train ride along the historic route. The free Semmeringbahn audio guide on ÖBB Railnet provides you with interesting information about the railroad line and its origins between Wiener Neustadt and Mürzzuschlagen stations. After the train ride, you can hike the impressive buildings along the railroad trail .
