The Semmering Railway

The line over the Semmering was built between 1848 and 1854 to Carl von Ghega's design, and ordinary scheduled trains still run on it, which is the unusual part. To hold a workable gradient across broken limestone country the route was strung along the valley sides on stone viaducts and threaded through tunnels, curving back on itself so that track you crossed twenty minutes ago sits below you. The Kalte Rinne viaduct, two tiers of arches over a ravine, is the one that ends up in photographs. A marked footpath, the Bahnwanderweg, follows the whole route with viewing points placed where trains can be watched crossing the arches from the slope opposite.

History

Some 20,000 workers built the line between 1848 and 1854 under its designer and director, the Venice-born engineer Carl von Ghega, and it was the first mountain railway in Europe laid with standard-gauge track; its locomotives were delivered between November 1853 and May 1854. The railway was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1998. On 25 April 2012 work began on a 27.3-kilometre Semmering base tunnel, expected to open in 2030 at a cost of €3.9 billion (Wikipedia, Semmering railway).

What you'll find

• The Kalte Rinne viaduct - two tiers of stone arches carrying the line across a ravine.
• The Bahnwanderweg - a marked path along the route with viewpoints set above the track.
• The reversing curves - loops that bring the line back over itself on the valley wall.
• A working train - regular service trains, not a preserved line, crossing the old arches.

When to go

May to October for the footpath, when the sections are clear and there is daylight enough to walk a long stretch in one go. Autumn puts colour on the beech slopes and thins the summer haze for photographs. Trains run all year and the ride over the pass takes well under an hour from Vienna. Snow closes parts of the path.

What to expect

From inside the train you mostly see tunnels and the odd flash of a drop; the viaducts only work from outside, which means walking. The path is longer than it looks, with steady climbs and stretches on tarmac, and waymarking gets vague at junctions. Semmering village is quiet and faded out of season. The big viaduct is best photographed in the morning.

Nearby

Rax and Schneeberg, and the old spa town of Reichenau an der Rax.