WAB - Stage 19: Markt Piesting - Bad Fischau - Wiener Neustadt

Difficulty: Moderate
Distance: 17,45 km
Duration: 3:00 h
Ascent: 331 m elevation gain
Descent: 405 m elevation gain

The 19th stage of the Vienna Alpine Arc (WAB) route is accompanied by forests, rock walls, and caves. The highlight is Bad Fischau with its historic thermal bath.

Starting point of the tour: Markt Piesting, parking lot in the town center at the info pavilion
Tour destination: Bad Fischau, Church Square

Difficulty: Moderate
Distance: 17,45 km
Duration: 3:00 h
Ascent: 331 m elevation gain
Descent: 405 m elevation gain

Fitness level required:
3/6
Overall experience:
4/6
Scenery:
5/6

Lowest point262 m
Highest point520 m

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Description

Along the forerunners of the Hohe Wand, where caves lie hidden and the forests gently bend in the wind, we walk out of the Piesting valley towards the great plain of Vienna. Our view sweeps over the Vienna Basin, brushes the Bucklige Welt, and shows us that every Alpine Arc has an end. Relaxed, we settle down after the hike and enjoy the crystal-clear water in the crystal thermal bath or let the Fischau Castle have an effect on us. The last viewpoints of the Vienna Alpine Arc are the Red Cross viewpoint and the Blumberg viewpoint. From here, the route continues further to the center of Wiener Neustadt. Along this short section, we often have the opportunity to look back and mentally review the journey once again.

safety instructions Your hikes in the Vienna Alps should be a thoroughly pleasant and safe experience. Please therefore consider the following:Preparation Make sure when choosing the route that it matches your mountain experience and your fitness. Inform yourself in advance about the weather forecast. The weather in the mountains can change surprisingly quickly. Therefore, always start out properly equipped (e.g., rain protection).Check whether the huts and snack stations you want to visit along the way are open. Inform someone about your route choice and planned return before you start.
Equipment Always take suitable maps with you. Wear sturdy shoes suitable for the route, take sun and rain protection, as well as water and a snack. Take your mobile phone and save the mountain rescue emergency number: 140
Route description Facing the Markt Piesting municipal office, we pass the parking lot on the right, leave the road on a left curve to the right onto Badgasse, and follow the narrow path uphill passing under the federal road. We climb the serpentine path on the left to the fire station and continue up the street holding to the right. On the left is the Markt Piesting outdoor pool; after a wayside shrine with wooden shingles, we turn right onto the marked forest path. Shortly thereafter, we switch left to a narrow forest trail, always going slightly uphill. This leads to a crossroads at a picture tree. We continue left up the forest road and marvel at the many black pines, which were scarred for resin harvesting. The marked hiking trail guides us past a rest bench through the pine forest to the Red Cross, from where we get a view of the Hohe Wand.At the crossroads at the Red Cross, we turn left onto the forest road towards Bad Fischau and spot the Red Cross viewpoint to the right after a few minutes. Continuing along the forest road in the pine forest, at a fork we keep left and follow the blue marking of the Vienna Alpine Arc. After a short descent, we reach a crossroads and turn right towards Waldandacht and Marchgraben. The path becomes a bit rougher to walk before we turn right onto the Pech educational trail and continue hiking downhill. We cross a creek on a wooden bridge, head left towards a playground, see a four-seater bicycle mounted on a spruce, and turn right onto the blue marked forest road. This leads to a clearing with barriers on the left; we continue left of all these barriers along the forest path. We follow it uphill through increasingly dense coniferous forest until the markings lead us left at a rather inconspicuous fork. On somewhat overgrown paths, we come to a hunting stand and shortly thereafter reach a blue marked ditch trail, on which we continue ascending to the right. Passing a wildlife enclosure, we cross the meadow spreading out before us straight ahead and follow the forest road downhill towards Bad Fischau. Marked forest paths lead us down to a road, which we cross slightly left and follow the partly narrow forest path downhill to a wooden shelter with resting places. Several times on the descent to Bad Fischau, we cross the forest educational trail; near the Kaisereiche, we can ascend left to the Blumberg viewpoint, the last viewpoint on the Vienna Alpine Arc.We leave the elephant playground on the right, reach a parking lot at the start of the forest educational trail, and shortly thereafter turn left onto the street. Past the Gadenkeller, we arrive in the center of Bad Fischau near the Fischau thermal baths. The 19th and final stage of the Vienna Alpine Arc route ends here.
Parking Parking is available at the Markt Piesting municipal office.
Getting there Coming from Vienna or Graz via the A2, leave the motorway at the Wöllersdorf exit and follow the B21 signs to Markt Piesting.
Public transport Take the train via Wiener Neustadt to Markt Piesting station.Further information is available at www.oebb.at
Editor’s tip A short flat section takes us from Bad Fischau to the center of Wiener Neustadt, with excellent public transport connections for the return journey.

Recommended period

Also explore the connecting routes:

WAB - Stage 18: Waxeneckhaus - Markt Piesting

Vienna Alps in Lower Austria, www.wieneralpen.at, +43 / 2622 / 78960
Municipality of Markt Piesting, www.piesting.at, +43 / 2633 / 422 41
Municipality of Bad Fischau-Brunn, www.bad-fischau-brunn.at, +43 / 2639 / 22 13

Letzte Änderung: 16 Mar 2026