What huts are there in the Vienna Alps?

There are numerous mountain huts, refuges and mountain inns in the Vienna Alps – including on the Rax, the Schneeberg, the Semmering, the Wechsel and in the Schneebergland region. Many of these huts are ideal for a stop-off during a hike, whilst some also offer overnight accommodation.

Where in the Vienna Alps are the best places for hut-to-hut hiking?

Hut hopping on the Rax is particularly popular. From the area around the Rax cable car’s summit station, for example, hiking trails lead via the Ottohaus to the Neue Seehütte. The Rax plateau offers scenic mountain trails with several places to stop for refreshments.

What huts are there on the Schneeberg?

There are several huts and mountain inns on the Schneeberg, including the Fischerhütte, the Damböckhaus, the Berghaus Hochschneeberg, the Edelweisshütte and the Almreserlhaus. The Fischerhütte is situated near the summit of the 2,076-metre-high Schneeberg, the highest mountain in Lower Austria.

Are there any easy hut-to-hut walks in the Vienna Alps?

Yes. For example, there is an easy walk from Mönichkirchen to the Mönichkirchner Schwaig. The route is around 2.4 kilometres long, climbs about 200 metres in altitude and takes approximately 50 minutes. The walk from the Semmering Pass summit to the Hirschenkogel is also a relatively short route, at around 3.4 kilometres.

Which huts can be reached by a cable car?

Several hut-to-hut walks can be combined with a mountain railway journey. Options include the Schneebergbahn, the Rax cable car, the Semmering-Hirschenkogel mountain railway and the chair lift at the Erlebnisalm Mönichkirchen. This allows you to cover part of the elevation gain by mountain railway.

Is it possible to stay overnight in huts in the Vienna Alps?

Yes. Several huts and mountain inns in the Vienna Alps offer accommodation. These include, for example, the Fischerhütte, the Damböckhaus and the Berghaus Hochschneeberg on the Schneeberg, as well as various accommodation options on the Wechsel and in the Schneebergland region. You should check the current availability of accommodation directly with the respective establishment.

Which mountain hut walks are suitable for a day trip?

Ideas for day trips include the walk to the Fischerhütte on the Schneeberg, hut hopping on the Rax, the hike up the Hirschenkogel on the Semmering, and the walk to Mönichkirchner Schwaig on the Wechsel. Depending on your fitness level, the routes can be shortened by taking a mountain railway.

Do you need to check the opening times of the huts before setting off on a hike?

Yes. The opening hours of mountain huts can vary depending on the season, day of the week and weather. It is therefore advisable to check the current opening hours and, if necessary, accommodation options directly with the hut operator before setting off on any hike.

Waldbrandgefahr:

Praktische Tipps für ein sicheres Naturerlebnis

©© Wiener Alpen/Sophie Menegaldo

The Joy of Reaching the Summit & Time in the Mountain Huts

Win a walking holiday!

A break in the hiking village of Puchberg am Schneeberg

Truly memorable moments

Whether on Lower Austria’s highest mountain, across the vast Rax Plateau or through the rolling alpine pastures of the Wechsel:

A hike in the Vienna Alps isn’t complete without a stop for refreshments – just as much as the view from the summit. We’ve picked out four routes where the mountain experience and time in the huts come together particularly well. And if you’d prefer to take it at a more leisurely pace, you can simply let the mountain railway take care of part of the ascent.

Hiking boots or a mountain railway? Ideally, both.

The beauty of the Vienna Alps is that the joy of reaching a summit doesn’t always have to involve climbing as many metres as possible. The Schneebergbahn, the Rax cable car, the Semmering mountain railwayand the Erlebnisalm Mönichkirchen offer a wide variety of ways to tailor a day in the mountains to suit your own preferences.

The more active climb up from the valley, whilst leisurely walkers start their hike higher up the mountain – or choose the cable car for the return journey. What all these options have in common are scenic routes, a stop for refreshments along the way, and that special feeling when, after taking those final steps, the mountain hut’s terrace awaits.

©Wiener Alpen/Sophie Menegaldo
1. Auf Niederösterreichs höchsten Berg und zur Fischerhütte
Schon die Anreise nach Puchberg lässt erahnen, wer hier die Hauptrolle spielt: Mit 2.076 Metern überragt der Schneeberg die umliegende Landschaft und ist der höchste Berg Niederösterreichs. Oben angekommen öffnet sich eine überraschend weite Hochgebirgslandschaft – mit alpinen Wegen, weitem Horizont und Ausblicken, die bei klarer Sicht weit über die Wiener Alpen hinausreichen.
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©Wiener Alpen/Sophie Menegaldo
2. Rax: Hüttenhüpfen zur Neuen Seehütte
Auf der Rax wird aus einer Hütteneinkehr gleich eine ganze Hüttenwanderung. Das Hochplateau eignet sich hervorragend, um auf aussichtsreichen Wegen von einer Einkehrmöglichkeit zur nächsten zu wandern. Eine besonders schöne Runde startet bei der Bergstation der Rax-Seilbahn. Von dort führt der Weg zunächst zum Ottohaus und weiter über den Kammweg und das Preiner Wand Kreuz zur Neuen Seehütte auf 1.643 Metern.
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©© Niederösterreich Werbung/Claudia Schlager
3. Semmering: Auf den Hirschenkogel und zum Seewirtshaus
Am Semmering liegen Bergerlebnis und Genuss besonders nah beieinander. Von der Passhöhe führt eine leichte Wanderung hinauf auf den Hirschenkogel. Auf rund 3,4 Kilometern werden etwa 345 Höhenmeter überwunden – ideal für alle, die eine überschaubare Gipfeltour mit schönem Panorama suchen.
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©© Wiener Alpen/Christian Kremsl
4. Wechsel: Schwaigenwandern zur Mönichkirchner Schwaig
Sanfter werden die Berge am Wechsel – aber nicht weniger aussichtsreich. Statt schroffer Gipfel bestimmen hier Almwiesen, Wälder und die für die Region typischen Schwaigen das Landschaftsbild. Von Mönichkirchen führt eine leichte Wanderung hinauf auf die Mönichkirchner Schwaig. Für die rund 2,4 Kilometer und 200 Höhenmeter sind etwa 50 Minuten Gehzeit einzuplanen. Oben angekommen lässt sich die Weite des Wechselgebiets besonders gut genießen – am besten verbunden mit einer Einkehr beim Berggasthof Mönichkirchner Schwaig.
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Fischerhütte am Schneeberg inmitten der weitläufigen alpinen Berglandschaft — ©© Wiener Alpen/Sophie Menegaldo

Everything you need to know about hiking

Schneeberg Tour

Tour tip: Hike to the Damböckhaus and the Fischerhütte
Refreshment stop tip: Fischerhütte
A more leisurely option: Take the Schneebergbahn up

Rax Tour

Tour tip: Hut hopping on the Raxalpe – Option 2
Place to stop for refreshments: Neue Seehütte
Leisurely option: Take the Rax cable car up and back

Semmering Tour

Tour tip: Hike up the Hirschenkogel
Recommended stop: Seewirtshaus
Leisurely option: Take the Semmering-Hirschenkogel mountain railway up or down

Schwaigen Tour

Tour tip: Hike up the Mönichkirchner Schwaig
Recommended stop: Berggasthof Mönichkirchner Schwaig
Leisurely option: Ascent or descent via the Erlebnisalm chair lift

©Wiener Alpen in Niederösterreich - Bad Schönau
- DifficultyEasy
- Distance2,52 km
- Duration0:43 h
Obstlehrpfad Hollenthon
Hiking tour Starting from Community Park
©WA/Katharina Schiefer
Opening hoursCheck opening hours
Minigolfplatz Paradise Mountain Puchberg
Paradiesweg 1, 2734 Puchberg am Schneeberg
©Wexl Trails
- Distance2,74 km
- Duration0:10 h
Bergabradweg by Wexl Trails #32
Mountain bike tour Starting from Elevator Exit / Blueberry
©Wexl Trails
- DifficultyModerate
- Distance1,40 km
- Duration0:06 h
Jumpline by Wexl Trails #30
Mountain bike tour Starting from Blueberry curve
©WA/Christoph Kögler
Opening hoursCheck opening hours
Pizzeria Alpentaverne Losenheim
Losenheimer Straße 134, 2734 Puchberg am Schneeberg
Schneeberg-Line Alpen Bikepark Schneeberg
Tour
- DifficultyEasy
- Distance9,08 km
- Duration2:10 h
Around Lichtenwörth
Hiking tour Starting from Main square Lichtenwörth / GH Halbwax
©©Karl Denk
- DifficultyEasy
- Distance3,37 km
- Duration1:15 h
Stations of the Cross at Mariahilfberg - Gutenstein
Hiking tour Starting from Mariahilfberg parking lot