Samstag 28 Mai: “The Austrian Alps”

Today I awoke at 6:30 because of the trash collections. The noise the make is enough to drive a sane man to craziness. There is no need to set an alarm as they are better than any phone! Sometimes sleeping with the windows open have its drawbacks. It was a rainy morning which, although dreary, seemed to give life to an otherwise bald and unconvincing narrative to leave the city. I had been debating planning a trip out of Vienna but could not decide where to. I was torn between hiking in the Austrian Alps or going to Bratislava. This morning I knew I needed time away – a la Beethoven – So I ran downstairs to eat breakfast with a backpack in which I packed a change of clothes and some essentials. I did not know my exact plans at this point and was just playing things by ear. After breakfast I went to the grocery store next to the hostel to get picnic supplies for a trip to Semmering. Semmering is an easy trip to the Alps outside of Vienna for hiking in the summer and skiing in the winter. It came to me recommended by a couple of bloggers. Armed with nothing more than others’ opinions, I bought my ticket. I booked my train ticket there through the OBB website. OBB is the train company in Austria. I did not want to book a return trip until I was sure of the time I would return.

The train left Vienna from the main station (Hofban) which can be reached via the U1 or Red Line. The station is sleek and clean. It looked as if it had been renovated in the past few years and kept mostly clean. To print/ purchase tickets via machine, simply go to the third/ upper level where the entrance to most platforms are and look to the right. (These directions are from the main entrance/ U1 lines. The process to get the ticket printed or to purchase is extremely simple and easy. Just set the language to your preferred langue and follow the on-screen prompts.

When taking a train in Europe it is important to notice track changed and car destinations. While my trip to Semering did not require a specific train car, the track did change with around 6-8 minutes before the scheduled departure from 8 C–E to 5 C–E. If you are not extremely mobile, then it can cause an issue with getting on the wrong train or not making your train.

The route to Semering leaves Vienna to the Southwestern side of the city and lasts around 1 hour and 15 minutes or so. The train travels through vineyards on the outskirts of Vienna. These vineyards are all a treat to see, the perfect lines of grape vines growing on the mountain produce some of the young wine drunk in the heurigartens. Much of the building I witnessed on the outer stretches of the city are in the Soviet style of architecture so prevalent in Eastern Europe as well I many of the buildings I saw and experienced in China.

Upon arrival at Semmering I took time to visit the exhibition in the railway station about the Simmering Railroad and the surrounding area which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. While the construction of the railway would not be authorized by Emperor Fran Josef until 1849, plans were begun for developing a passage through the Semmering Pass as early as 1728 when a passage was developed which Emperor Karl VI and his wife Elizabeth Christine first traveled. A statue to this is erected in Semmering not far from the ski lifts I visited. The museum is all in German, but there are brochures for the area that are in English which gives a history of the railroad and a few of the trails in the area. The trails stretch for miles around the station and go from station to station along the railway and even up on the mountains. You could spend an entire weekend or more hiking trails and still not hike on every one that exists. There are trails for all skill levels that cover all types of terrain.

In this pictures, many ski slopes can be seen in the distance.

I began my hiking a bit aimlessly, but while I did not know exactly what I wanted to do, I was able to figure out I first wanted to visit the town and explore it before lunch and then set out on a light to moderate hike through the surrounding alps. I learned more about the area and what to do through making mistakes, because it forced me to think more critically about what I wanted to get out of the experience.

During the winter months, Semmering is an escape many Viennese make to go skiing. It is an old resort town that looks like it would be worth a visit during the skiing season. During the summer months, it is also a place where people come to utilize the ski slopes, but instead of skiing they use the slopes as a BMX course. I took a bit of time to just sit and enjoy the people where use mountain biking. Most were exceedingly skilled at the sport and seemed to thoroughly enjoy it. There were participants of all ages and levels. After a bit watching, a couple of the bikers come and sat next to me and we discussed the sport and other things about Semmering and our various cultures. After a bit, they asked if I wanted to try. I opted to not as I wanted to be able to return to Vienna in one piece! (Although, it would have been extremely fun and I know I would have enjoyed the thrill of the ride.) It’s important we look for these moments when we travel and enjoy these connections because it is here we learn about what makes other think and we see humans are not all that different from each other.

In the off season, the ski slopes are used as BMX courses.

After this chance encounter, I resumed my exploration of the town and stopped by a Billa (grocery store) to get a few olives for a light snack before my longer hikes. At this time, I still had no idea of what my palns were for hiking, but I continued to explore the town. During the offseason of the winter, many of the businesses are closed or have much shorter hours. For example, there were around 5 cafés and a minigolf/ put-put course that were closed due to the lack of revenue at this time. After a bit more time in the town taking pictures of menus and bed and breakfasts for potential future use, I decided to return to the station and regroup for the rest of the trip.

One of the hiking trails I knew I wanted to go on led to what is called the 20-Schilling view, so called because it was featured on the 20-schilling bill during the 1970s. This trail departs the station and follows the tracks along to a bridge where you cross under the rails. After hiking under the rails, you begin to hike a smooth section of the trail that leads by houses in the woods. This part of the trail emerges at a train station down the tracks and then continues by an abandoned resort building. The overlooks from the resort building is absolutely amazing. With the right owner, it could be an amazing destination space for a weekend getaway.

The abandoned resort

After passing by the abandoned resort, the trail becomes a bit more rocky, leading to an observation tower with a stunning view of the Alps in this area. I continued along the path, which was a bit more challenging, and it smoothed out before leading to another viewing platform with the 20-Schilling View. The trip to this overlook lasted around an hour or so. At this moment I decided to partake in the picnic I had packed: bread, cheese, meat, olives, and pistachios. After lunch I decided to head back to the station and catch a train for Vienna.

20-Schilling View

Upon arrival at the station, I purchased a ticket from the electronic kiosk to Vienna. I was tired and ready to head back into the city to take a nap and regroup myself for later that evening. After arriving at the hostel, I took time for a nap and then drank a good bit of water to rehydrate myself after being in the sun all day. Even though it was around 50 degrees F, the sun was still beating down on me and gave me a touch of sunburn.

That evening I ventured to the bar in the hostel where I met an amazing group of people. One of the members of the group is a violist working on a master’s in viola performance in the United States but traveling in Austria with a friend. Our discussion turned toward music and musicology and some of my current research before we talked about Schloss Schöbrunn and the surrounding gardens. Other conversations turned to traveling philosophies and stories from the places we have all visited and stories from our travels. Meeting people is the key to good travel and understanding the world. With a head full of new knowledge and experiences, I decided to turn in for the evening.