Etappe 09: BergZeitReise Mürzzuschlag - Stuhleck - Pretul

Already connected to the railroad network driven from the south since 1844, Mürzzuschlag gained great importance in 1854 with the completion of the Semmering Railway as the starting or end point of this first mountain railroad. Archduke Johann had already had the idea of running a railroad line from Vienna over the Semmering to Trieste. The technical masterpiece was finally planned by Carl Ritter von Ghega . In 1998, the Semmering Railway was added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. From Mürzzuschlag to Spital am Semmering, the BergZeitReise leads along the Styrian Railway Trail and gives you the opportunity to experience the railroad "up close and personal". But before that, you should visit the Südbahnmuseum (Southern Railway Museum), which focuses on the history of the construction of the Semmering Railway.

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.