Hohe Wand Nature Park - Ötscher view

Your hikes in the Vienna Alps should be a great and safe experience all around. Please consider the following:

Preparation

Make sure when choosing the route that it matches your experience and fitness. Check the weather report in advance. Weather can change surprisingly fast in the mountains. Therefore, always start out equipped accordingly (e.g., rain protection).

Check if the huts and snack stations you want to visit along the way are open. Inform someone about the route choice and your planned return before you start.

Always take suitable maps with you. Wear sturdy shoes appropriate for the route, take sun and rain protection, as well as water and a snack. Take your mobile phone with you and save the emergency number for mountain rescue: 140

From the Nature Park Center, the trail takes us past the petting zoo, the lime kiln, the charcoal pile, and the deer enclosure to the Postl Inn and the Skywalk observation deck. We continue along the rocky ridge to the Almfrieden and, following the 231 trail marker, to the Engelbert Church parking lot. The Saugrabenweg begins on the left; this trail takes us on a gentle ascent through the beech forest to the Waldeggerhaus. Here, a fantastic view of the Schneeberg awaits us (Waldeggerhaus: closed on Thursdays and Fridays).

Following the power lines, the trail leads to Hochkogelstaße and back to the starting point.

Nature Park Center - animal enclosure.

Nature park entrance: Adults €5.50, children €2.50 (as of April 2025)

From Vienna

1) A2 – Exit Wöllersdorf – right B21 direction Gutenstein – turn off to Dreistetten – Muthmannsdorf – Emmerberg – Gaaden – Stollhof – all year via the mountain road to the Hohe Wand plateau
2) A2 – Exit Wiener Neustadt West – Weikersdorf – Winzendorf – Emmerberg – Gaaden – Stollhof – Hohe Wand

From Graz

3) From Neunkirchen – Würflach – Willendorf – Höflein – Zweiersdorf – Maiersdorf – Hohe Wand

Take the Southern Railway from Vienna or Graz to Wiener Neustadt – change to the regional train towards Puchberg am Schneeberg until Winzendorf – change to the bus to Maiersdorf, Hohe Wand Str. junction. From here, walk about 500m via the mountain road to the 1st hairpin/parking lot Sonnenuhr from where you can hike up to the Hohe Wand in about 1 hour via various ascents.

Or change in Wiener Neustadt towards Puchberg am Schneeberg – exit at Grünbach am Schneeberg – via the blue-marked Grafenbergweg you can reach the plateau to the Wilhelm Eicherthütte in about 1.5 hours.

Furthermore, you can take the Gutensteinerbahn (from the Wiener Neustadt station) to Oberpiesting or Waldegg and hike to the Hohe Wand from the backside.

Further information at www.oebb.at and www.vor.at

An excursion to the Hohe Wand can be well combined with a stay in the Schneeberg region! Online bookable overnight accommodations can be found at https://www.wieneralpen.at/unterkuenfte