Etappe 09: BergZeitReise Mürzzuschlag - Stuhleck - Pretul
But also the southern railroad played and still plays a major role for the town on the Styrian side of the Semmering. Dager we walk, past the Südbahnmuseum, along the railroad hiking trail from Mürzzuschlag to Spital am Semmering. At the parish church of Spital, which was already built in 1066, we start our ascent to the Stuhleck (today a ski resort). We reach it after about 3 hours of walking.
The 1,783m high peak is one of the most beautiful vantage points in the Eastern Alps, about 1/3 of the entire Austrian territory can be overlooked here on a nice day.
After a rest at the Güntherhaus near the summit, we follow the broad mountain ridge (wind wheels) to the Rosegger shelter, which we reach from the Stuhleck in about 2 hours on foot.
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So we first hike from Mürzzuschlag (train station) along the railroad hiking trail to Spital am Semmering. There we change the side of the valley and start the ascent to the Stuhleck summit at the parish church, which is well worth seeing. Via the Hocheck and the Lechnerhaus, which is partly open in summer, we reach the broad summit of the Stuhleck with the Alois Güntherhaus (open all year) not far from the highest point.
The summit is considered to be one of the most panoramic peaks in the Eastern Alps - it is said that it overlooks 1/3 of the entire Austrian territory.
Near the mighty summit cross stands today the mountain station of the Stuhleck - lift facilities.
We now hike along the broad ridge dominated by large wind turbines in a leisurely up and down to Pretul. There is a small lookout with a dramatic story (see below).
Only a few minutes' walk to the west is where we will spend the night today, the Rosegger Schutzhaus.
You should also visit the International Winter Sports Museum! which houses a huge collection and impressively presents the history of skiing and winter sports, as well as the lovingly designed Brahms Museum, which commemorates the composer's summer stays in 1884 and 1885 and his IV. Symphony, before moving on to the next stage of the journey.
Since the middle of the 20th century, numerous variants for tunneling under the Semmering Pass have been developed. In May 2015, the green light was finally given for the construction of the Semmering Base Tunnel , which will neatly shorten the travel time on the Southern Railway.
The Stuhleck, the highest peak in the Fischbach Alps, was the first Alpine peak to be climbed on skis in 1892 by Toni Schruf and two companions. Not far from the summit, some stone and wall fragments remind us of the Nansenhütte , the first ski hut, while today on the northwestern foothills countless skiers cavort on the slopes of the largest ski area in eastern Austria.
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Free Pocket Card Hiking route "From glacier to wine" can be found at www.steiermark.com Hiking map BergZeitReise durch die Hochsteiermark can be found at www.hochsteiermark.at Compass WK212 Hochschwab, Mariazell, Eisenwurzen www.steiermark.com/buecher Freytag &Berndt WK41 Hochschwab - Veitschalpe - Eisenerz - Bruck an der Mur www.steiermark.com/buecher Hiking guide "BergZeitReise" available in the webshop Hochsteiermark, in the office of the TRV in Bruck or in well-stocked bookstores.