The jewel of the Semmering has awakened from its slumber and continues to enchant guests today just as it did 140 years ago.
A New Chapter
In 2021, the Südbahnhotel found a new owner who is bringing it back to life with great love and care, allowing guests to experience its former magic.
Culture in a Historic Setting
Culture is coming back to life within the venerable walls of the Südbahnhotel on the Semmering—the Reichenau Festival is returning for the 2025 theater season after a 15-year hiatus.
Guided Tours—Step Back in Time
The newly founded association “Südbahnbühne Semmering” transports visitors back to the splendor of bygone days, allowing them to experience the unique stories and special features of the Südbahnhotel.
A Moving History
Half-timbered walls, spires, and a green roof visible from afar: This striking building on the Semmering has fascinated visitors since its opening in 1882. Located at an altitude of 1,000 meters, the Südbahnhotel was for many years a popular destination for Viennese high society and travelers from all parts of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Many famous figures have stayed at the Südbahnhotel, including Franz Werfel, Archduke Albrecht, Adolf Loos, Gustav and Alma Mahler, Oskar Kokoschka, Sigmund Freud, Emilie Flöge, and many more.
As the first hotel ever built on the Semmering, it served as the foundation for the region’s tourism and social development. The Südbahnhotel was one of the coveted grand hotels along the railway line from Vienna to Trieste and was thus closely linked to Carl Ritter von Ghega’s masterpiece, the UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Semmering Railway.
But it wasn’t just the architecture and the idyllic location with its breathtaking views of the Rax and Schneeberg that drew the sophisticated crowd to the grand hotel. The guests wanted for nothing. The offerings ranged from cultural events to bridge and dance classes to sporting activities for every season. For example, the Südbahnhotel featured an indoor swimming pool with a terrace—a unique feature for its time. Its own golf course, which is still playable today, served as a ski training area in the winter, complete with a ski jump.
After World War II, the hotel was unable to replicate the successes of the Fin de Siècle and Belle Époque eras and closed in the 1970s.
Did you know?
The Südbahnhotel on the Semmering is served by the RUFbus Semmering-Rax . (Stop: Südbahnhotel SE7)
