Semmering railway, Railway line in Lower Austria and Styria, Austria
Description
The Semmering railway is a railway line that stretches about 41 kilometers from Gloggnitz to Mürzzuschlag through the mountains, climbing over 450 meters in elevation while doing so. The route crosses many viaducts and passes through tunnels built across difficult terrain.
History
Engineer Carl Ritter von Ghega directed construction of this mountain railway between 1848 and 1854, creating the first standard-gauge mountain railway in Europe. This design became a model for many other Alpine railways across the continent.
Culture
The railway takes its name from the Semmering Pass, a mountain crossing that shaped regional trade routes for centuries. Visitors can still see how this route remains important for connecting communities across the Alpine landscape.
Practical
Regular passenger trains operate daily on the route, connecting Vienna to southern Austria, and visitors can choose between scheduled services or slower scenic trains. A parallel hiking trail allows you to explore the route on foot and view different sections from various angles.
Did you know?
This railway overcomes its total elevation change through clever curves and switchbacks rather than relying on rack-and-pinion technology. This allows trains to travel faster than on other mountain railways with similar grades.
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Südbahnhotel Semmering
282 m
Kurhaus Semmering
366 m
Wolfsbergkogel
462 m
Parish church in Semmering
1.1 km
Ghega monument
981 m
Filialkirche Breitenstein
1.3 km
Park-Villa Maxi Böhm
268 m
Südbahnstrecke Semmering-Bahn (Gloggnitz-Mürzzuschlag)
1.4 km
Krausel Klause viaduct
1.6 km
Wegkapelle
957 m
Südbahnstrecke Semmering-Bahn (Gloggnitz-Mürzzuschlag)
1 km
DMU ÖBB 5144 001-4
966 m
Pfarrhof Semmering
1.1 km
Villa Neumann/Haus Hubertus und Nebengebäude
197 m
Ehem. Villa/heute Pension Alexander
1 km
Hochstraßenmuseum
1.5 km
Eduard Nittner monument, Spital am Semmering
1.8 km
Villa Bündsdorf
1.3 km
Fleischmann viaduct
1.3 km
Ehem. Villa Miomir, urspr. Villa Löwy
657 m
Meierei Südbahnhotel Semmering
1.3 km
Kommunaler Wohnbau
943 m
Kartnerkogel viaduct
63 m
Villa Max Landau
248 m
Wohnhaus, ehem. Dependance des Hotels Stefanie
1.1 km
Ehem. Kaiser Franz Josef Jubiläums-Volksschule
278 m
Meteorological column in Semmering
381 m
Sog. Pollerosshaus
260 mDiscover hidden gems everywhere you go!
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