Hike to the Pollereshütte (from Maria Schutz)

Description

The summit of the Sonnwendstein is home to a mountain church, and offers amazing views from an altitude of 1,523 metres. Just a stone's throw away, at a height of 1,481 metres, is the Pollereshütte inn. The terrace offers a spectacular panoramic view, which spans the World Heritage Site of the Semmering Railway, the Rax and Schneeberg mountains and the Semmering Pass, and stretches across to the Wechsel and Bucklige Welt regions. Hungry hikers can tuck into hearty dishes such as Blunzengröstl (a traditional dish containing potatoes and black pudding), Linsen (lentils) or Pinzgauer Käsepressknödel (cheese dumplings). The starting point of the hike is Maria Schutz with its popular pilgrimage church, where you can build up your strength in the Kirchenwirt or in the Gasthaus zum Auerhahn before heading into the mountains. The route takes you along a forest path and then along the north face of the Sonnwendstein on the Gebirgsjägersteig trail. The path is narrow and steep, and sturdy shoes are necessary. An alternative ascent route leads from Maria Schutz, and along the forest road on the south face of the Sonnwendstein.

If you start in Semmering, you can take a cable car up the Hirschenkogel. From here, a hiking route leads up to the Sonnwendstein. The Panoramic Circular Route also leads over the Semmering Pass, to the Pollereshütte.

Wiener Alpen in Niederösterreich, www.wieneralpen.at, +43 / 2622 / 78960