Who says you have to travel all the way to Tyrol or Salzburg to see impressive, snow-capped peaks? You can also enjoy the “Viennese Alps,” located just an hour’s drive from Vienna! The cable car that leads to the top of the mountain was the first to be built in Austria, back in the 1930s.
In this article, we have compiled the most important information for a visit to the Rax mountains.
- Rax Mountain Range – General Information
- The Cable Car to Mount Rax
- What Can You Do at the Summit?
- Interactive Games for Children
- Additional Essential Information for Your Visit – Cable Car Operating Times and How to Get There from Vienna by Public Transport
Rax Mountain Range – General Information
This mountain range is located on the border between the states of Lower Austria and Styria. It is part of the Northern Limestone Alps. The highest mountain in this range is called Heukuppe and it rises to a height of 2,007 meters above sea level. The Rax mountains and the nearby Schneeberg mountain (which can be seen from the Myra Falls) are known as the Vienna Alps due to their proximity to the capital and their popularity among the city’s residents. The valley that runs between these two mountain ranges is called the Höllental (Hell’s Valley).
In the northeastern part of the Rax range, there is a large cable car (Raxseilbahn), the first to be built in all of Austria. Using the cable car, you can reach the top of the mountain, which rises to an altitude of about 1,600 meters. At the top, there are vast open spaces with about 30 diverse hiking trails. The trails are signposted and well-maintained. In addition, there are several mountain huts where you can stay overnight and have a hot meal.
Here’s what the view from the summit looks like:
The Cable Car to Mount Rax
The ascent to the summit of Mount Rax is quite simple; all you have to do is get into the enclosed cable car (also accessible for people with disabilities) and travel quickly to the top of the mountain. The cable car was built about 90 years ago and has been taking enthusiastic hikers up all year round ever since.
Don’t worry! Today, the cable car has been renewed and renovated, and it meets all the necessary safety standards.
This is what the cable car looked like in the 1940s:
What Can You Do at the Summit?
When you exit the cable car at an altitude of about 1,600 meters, vast spaces open up where you can hike along the marked trails. You can find possible routes on the trail map.
Even if you don’t feel like hiking the various trails, you can sit comfortably at the restaurant of the Raxalm-Berggasthof hotel, located right outside the upper cable car station. You can enjoy the clear mountain air and gaze at the view unfolding before your eyes.
It is highly recommended to walk from the cable car station towards the Ottohaus guest house, which is a 30-minute walk from the upper cable car station. Near the guest house, a 5-minute walk away, you will reach the viewpoint over the Höllental valley – a spectacular view that should not be missed!
If you continue a little down the road from the guest house, you will reach a special Alpine garden with a variety of protected plants.
There is even an app that will explain the types of plants growing in the garden.
Interactive Games for Children
If you want to play a fun interactive game with your children, you can download the Mount Rax app. In the app, you can learn about the area, complete tasks, and solve puzzles, all while you enjoy walking along the mountain trails.
Download the app:
Additional Essential Information
Cable Car Operating Hours:
The cable car operates throughout the year. Here is the current schedule.
Prices: Updated price list.
If you are unsure about the weather and visibility from the summit, you can first check the webcams on-site. The cameras can be seen at this link.
Cable car departure point: Dr. Ewald Bing-Straße 3, 2651 Reichenau an der Rax
How to get from Vienna to the Rax range?
The drive by car is about an hour south.
You can take public transport from Vienna to reach the village where the mountain cable car station is located. From Vienna’s main train station (Wien HBF), take a regional train towards Payerbach-Reichenau Bahnhof. You need to get off at the final stop and change to a bus that goes towards Preiner Gscheid Edelweißhütte. The bus stops at the Hirschwang an der Rax Kirche station, where you will need to get off. The total travel time is about two hours.
You can plan your route on the Austrian railway website.
Map:
If you haven’t had enough of the wonderful nature and hiking trails, you can travel from there to the Myra Falls and do the trail along the waterfalls. On the way back, you can wander a bit in the spa town of Baden and have coffee and cake in the well-kept town center.
Other options for a trip in the Viennese Alps include a visit to the impressive Schneeberg mountain, the highest in this area, the Semmering ski resort and its adjoining resort town, and the Hohe Wand nature park.
