Semmering Pass

Semmering Pass: An Hour From Vienna and Forgotten by Most Tourists

Most Viennese have childhood memories of Semmering. Very few international visitors bother, which is precisely the reason to go.

The pass sits at 985 metres in the eastern Alps, an hour south of Vienna by train on a railway that UNESCO declared a World Heritage Site in 1998. The combination of Belle Epoque resort architecture decaying gracefully on forested hillsides, one of the most significant engineering achievements in 19th-century Europe running beneath your train window, and hiking trails almost entirely free of other tourists makes Semmering a more compelling day trip from Vienna than the obvious alternatives.

The Railway

In 1854, Karl Ritter von Ghega completed what Austrian engineers had declared impossible: a mountain railway through the eastern Alps without any tunnels longer than 1.5 kilometres. The Semmering Railway used 16 viaducts, 15 tunnels, and a continuous 1-in-40 gradient to climb through terrain that had stopped roads for centuries. It was the world’s first true mountain railway, built entirely by hand using stone quarried on site, and the engineering argument it settled – that steam locomotives could operate reliably on sustained gradients – opened up mountain railways across the world.

The train from Vienna Hauptbahnhof reaches Semmering in about 90 minutes. The Viadukt Kalte Rinne, 46 metres high and visible from the viewpoint near the station, is the most impressive of the viaducts. The regional ticket costs around 20 euros return. Riding this line specifically to watch the engineering pass through the window is a legitimate and inexpensive activity.

The Hotels

The railway opened the Semmering for Vienna’s wealthy classes, and by 1900 about 30 grand hotels lined the hillsides. Most burned down or collapsed during the 20th century’s disruptions. The Panhans Grand Hotel is still operating and still looks like something from a Stefan Zweig novel. The dining room is worth visiting even if you are not staying; coffee with views across the valley on a clear autumn afternoon has a specific quality that certain categories of traveller find irreplaceable.

The Sudbahnhotel – once the most famous of the lot, where Mahler composed the Seventh Symphony in 1907 – sat derelict for decades and has been partly restored in recent years, though the site is still in development. Walking past its faded grandeur is one of Semmering’s small pleasures.

Hiking

The hiking here is excellent and almost entirely ignored by international visitors. The Semmering Panorama Trail is a circular route of approximately 12 kilometres, manageable in half a day for a fit walker, passing through old-growth forest and breaking onto open ridges with views toward the Rax and Schneeberg ranges. In summer, the Hirschenkogel cable car runs upward for around 8 euros, eliminating 400 metres of climbing. In winter the ski area is genuinely small – about 25 kilometres of marked runs – and suitable primarily for beginners and families.

Where to Eat

Gasthof Belvedere on the main road does proper Austrian food: Wiener Schnitzel with potato salad, Tafelspitz, Mohr im Hemd. Prices are reasonable and the portions are the Austrian kind.

Getting There

The Railjet from Vienna Hauptbahnhof stops at Semmering. By car, take the A2 south; the pass road itself is the B306, narrow and enjoyable to drive, not suitable in snow without chains. The best days to come are midweek in May through June or September through October: settled weather, no school groups, hiking at its best.