Austria 2015, part 5 (Semmering)
In the previous instalment of these stories about travelling in Austria in May 2015, I reached the moment when I set out for a walk in nature, following the hiking trail that leads from the railway station in Semmering.
It is a well-known panoramic route about 20 km long, suitable for recreational hikers as it is not too demanding. The trail is called Bahnwanderweg and although the railway station in Breitenstein can be reached by car in about 10 minutes, since it is around 5–6 km away, when going on foot the route is somewhat longer and, of course, takes more time.
I had no intention at all of reaching Breitenstein, but it should be noted that there is an option to walk in one direction and return by train, as well as to complete the entire trail in stages or to come back by a different route. I decided to stick to a tried-and-true rule – the shortest path is the one you know. So I walked to my desired destination along a very well-marked trail and later returned to Semmering along the same path. The experience was absolutely fantastic.
But first, let me explain why I came here in the first place and how I even got the idea to walk here.
The main attraction in this area around Semmering is the historic railway line built between 1848 and 1854, which is now on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The reason for this is that these 41 km of railway across high mountains are considered one of the greatest engineering achievements from the early period of railway construction, as it was the first true mountain railway in the world. It required the construction of tunnels, viaducts and other elements, all executed at such a high level that they are still in use today. In addition, the railway passes through exceptionally beautiful mountain landscapes and, as I mentioned in the previous instalment, its construction contributed to the popularisation and development of tourism in this part of Austria.
Of course, the railway was not built just to allow wealthy Viennese to easily travel to places for rest and enjoyment in nature; its primary purpose was to connect Vienna and Graz, and it was also linked further on to Trieste. This meant that the industrial centre of the Austro-Hungarian Empire was connected to an important port on the Adriatic Sea, which at the time belonged to Austria-Hungary and is today in Italy.
However, along this route there was a major engineering challenge – the Semmering Pass itself. This meant that the section of the railway addressing this issue started at an altitude of 436 m, reached its highest point after 29 km at 895 m above sea level, and then descended over the next 12 km to 677 m. Along this stretch there are 14 tunnels (with a total length of 1,477 m), as well as 16 larger viaducts whose total length is (coincidentally) also 1,477 m. There are also 118 smaller stone bridges and 11 iron bridges. Interestingly, the tunnel entrances are simply designed, yet feature different types of decoration. In addition to the railway, houses were built for the railway workers who maintained it, roughly every 700 m.
However, with changing times and needs, certain modifications were made to the railway itself, especially in the late 1950s, when electric poles were installed along the line to support a new type of locomotives.
Although there are enthusiasts who love railways, whether travelling by train or visiting themed museums, I am not among them, even though I do appreciate trains as a means of transport. What attracted me here is that this cultural site is on the UNESCO World Heritage List and along the way I learned that there is also this hiking trail which, among other things, leads to a fairly well-known viewpoint – the 20-Schilling Blick, which simply means “View from the 20 Schilling banknote.”
Before the introduction of the euro, Austria used schillings and on the reverse side of the 20-schilling banknote there was an image of part of this railway, including an impressive viaduct. That scene was captured and reproduced from a spot on the nearby slope, so a viewpoint was established there and given an appropriate name, with a hiking trail leading up to it.
So, I took a moment to look around so I wouldn’t miss the many beautiful details I could enjoy, and then I set off.
As it turned out, although cloudy weather with rain had been forecast for that day, fortunately there wasn’t much rain, nor many clouds, so aside from that one downpour while I was in the built-up area, I didn’t have problems of that kind during the walk.
The first thing I came across was a charming area intended for children. In the immediate vicinity of the railway, a themed playground in the form of a train had been built for kids.
At one point, the railway line reaches a tunnel, while the hiking path comes to a set of stairs and its own kind of tunnel that passes beneath the railway and leads to the other side.
The trail then winds through the forest, but one shouldn’t think this is some kind of vast wilderness. Very soon, I came across a house with a yard.
Although it seemed that none of the owners were home, I stayed there for a while because I spotted a couple of exceptionally charming residents.
I think that little rabbits are at the very top among animals when it comes to cuteness. To me, it seemed like I could spend the whole day here enjoying myself just by watching them.
Nearby, I soon spotted another charming animal – a Eurasian red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris).
But I still “had” to keep moving. The trail then passes by some houses again and afterwards goes back through the forest.
The walk continued past the base of a viaduct, beneath which a stream flowed. I didn’t have to jump over it, as there was a passage under the hiking path allowing the stream to flow freely.
Then I passed by houses and properties again, as well as near the railway, where I saw another tunnel since the trail had risen to the level of the tracks.
The nature here is truly beautiful, so it’s no wonder that people enjoy building houses and living in this area.
As I’ve already mentioned, after the construction of the railway and once the beauties of this part of Austria were “discovered,” tourism developed significantly. Numerous villas were built in the area, usually owned by wealthy families or specifically constructed for rent to people who came for multi-week stays to enjoy the mountain air, but did not want or could not afford a hotel stay.
One such hotel was the Kurhaus Semmering, built between 1907 and 1909 as a luxury mountain spa for wealthy guests. Along with a few other exclusive hotels in the region, the Kurhaus served as a centre of social activity in the Austro-Hungarian monarchy and later in Austria during the interwar period. The building was advanced for its time, with large terraces and balconies for staying in the fresh air and for climate therapy, while during both world wars it was used as a military hospital. The hotel closed in 1988 and then deteriorated for decades, which I could see for myself when I passed by. The former exclusive hotel even had a long-standing reputation as an abandoned and somewhat eerie place. However, since 2019, a restoration project has been underway with the goal of fully renovating the hotel. From what I’ve read, this has not been completed yet.
Here is one of my photographs illustrating what this place looked like in May 2015.
From here, it wasn’t too far to reach the viewpoint I was heading towards, but now the trail led entirely through the forest. Still, as I’ve mentioned before, not only was the path perfectly clear, but I also regularly came across hiking markers along the way, so there was no fear of getting lost.
I was very pleased to have reached this spot and then felt the need to take a photo. At that time, I had a camera that automatically triggered a shot when a person smiled.
In addition to the hiking markers, I occasionally came across actual signposts and the one pointing to the 20-Schilling Blick viewpoint was particularly interesting.
In the end, I reached two viewpoints and both were wonderful. The first was a good warm-up, while the second was the “real” one.
Besides the truly stunning view of the entire area, from that first viewpoint I could clearly see parts of the railway and some of the interesting viaducts, as well as the village and railway station of Breitenstein and its surroundings.
Since I lingered here a bit, enjoying the beauty of the landscape, trains passed by every now and then, which made it fun for me to zoom in and take photos.
And then I started aiming the camera to the right, capturing details in that direction as well.
Of course, trains continued to pass along the railway and I photographed them sometimes up close and other times from a more realistic photographic distance.
As a farewell to this viewpoint, I also captured the landscapes in the direction of Vienna. There were still mountains visible there, all beautifully covered in greenery.
The 20-Schilling Blick viewpoint is located very close to the first viewpoint I had come across, so I went there to continue enjoying the beauty surrounding me. With a lot of luck, the sun wasn’t hidden by clouds the entire time I was at this viewpoint, which made the colours even more vivid.
To start with, I focused on observing Breitenstein and the landscapes to its east.
By the way, I must admit that I initially made a wrong connection between Semmering and the term semering thinking that the latter, meaning an oil seal, was probably some mechanical part used during the construction of the railway, hence the name. That was a mistake and purely a linguistic coincidence, not an etymological or technical connection. These two words have no real connection beyond sounding somewhat similar.
The name of the town and pass is spelled Semmering and pronounced as Zemering.
The term for the seal comes from the German word Simmerring (originating from a brand name) and as such it has been adopted not only in Serbian, but also in other Balkan and some Central European languages.
This is just a linguistic curiosity that I find amusing, but it might also be interesting to others.
In any case, at some point I finally focused on that famous “view.” And it truly was magnificent.
Once again, I photographed a train as it crossed the famous Kalte Rinne viaduct, which, like the railway itself, was built in the mid-19th century.
From this viewpoint, it wasn’t possible to see, as shown on the banknote, that this is a stone bridge with two tiers of arches. The likely reason is that the trees have grown considerably in the meantime, blocking the view, though it might be visible from another spot. In any case, this viaduct is about 46 m high and over 180 m long.
Finally, I took a photo of myself at the viewpoint and then it was already time to start heading back to Semmering and my guesthouse.
Still, it’s worth mentioning that the Semmering Railway, which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, is the first railway ever included on this prestigious list. On the other hand, intensive development, new techniques and technologies, the need for speed, and the existence of “creative” individuals whose sole goal is profit mean that those who value these “old” achievements must fight to preserve them. From what I’ve read, there are even ideas to close the entire railway and instead build, presumably, a long tunnel through the mountains that would somehow generate large profits for someone, all justified by the reasoning that “life cannot be stopped” and that it’s very important to travel from Vienna to Graz in one hour rather than two, or whatever the time may be.
On the way back towards the settlement of Semmering, I also passed some raised garden beds. In 2015, these were almost unknown in Serbia, at least I had never seen them there, and they really seemed very practical. Although I don’t engage in agriculture, I enjoy seeing new and practical ideas, and I always think how nice it would be if something like that were implemented in my own country. Not everything has to be invented from scratch; some things can simply be copied when someone else has already put in the effort to create them.
I passed by some familiar houses again and once more enjoyed the view at the adorable little rabbits.
Nearby, I also came across an impressive slug. From what I’ve read, it is most likely an invasive species, the Spanish slug (Arion vulgaris).
Half an hour later, when I was already in the built-up area and near the guesthouse where I was staying, it started to rain and soon a rainbow appeared.
I was glad to see the rainbow and even happier that I had avoided the rain. Although I had a jacket with a hood, it was still easier and more pleasant to walk relaxed, without worrying about getting wet.
At the guesthouse, I first rested and had a coffee, then went up to my room to change clothes and leave my jacket.
Since the rain had stopped, I took the opportunity to take another photo on the balcony that belonged to my room.
Still, despite the dry weather, I didn’t go out of the guesthouse again. Considering the excellent and hearty lunch I had earlier, I only had one more sweet treat – a version of plum dumplings.
Plum dumplings are a typical Central European dessert also made in various countries, including Serbia. Although I have an excellent recipe for “real” dumplings, that is, dough made with boiled potatoes, over time I have grown much fonder of the “fake” version, which is very tasty and indescribably easier and faster to prepare. In addition, since this second dough does not include eggs, it is a good recipe for a dessert that is either fasting-friendly or vegan.
However, when making the dumplings shown in the next photograph, I used a little “trick” I learned from a cookbook I bought at the famous Vienna hotel, the Hotel Sacher, so my recipe can still be considered Austrian. On this occasion, I made the dumplings with apricots, and instead of the pit, I placed a piece of marzipan. By the way, real marzipan is not made with egg whites, so this version of the dessert is still fasting-friendly, i.e., vegan. Additionally, on my own initiative, I made croquettes filled with two sour cherries each, also replacing the pits with marzipan. I don’t know if anyone had done this before me, but I know the idea came to me independently. It’s an excellent version, though quite fiddly to prepare.
So here is the photo, followed by the recipe.
PLUM DUMPLINGS WITH NO EGGS
- 200 g coarse semolina
- 200 g all purpose flour
- 4 tablespoons sugar
- 1 packet baking powder (12 g)
- 750 ml water
- 1/4 cup of oil
In a mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients, while in a saucepan, place the water and oil. Put the saucepan on the stove and heat it, and when it boils, pour it over the dry ingredients and mix well to form a smooth batter. Depending on the size and type of fruit, this amount of batter can make a varying number of dumplings. I usually make 20 dumplings with plums.
While the dough is still warm, form the dumplings. Take a piece of dough in your palm, flatten it, place the fruit in the centre, then wrap the dough around it and roll it between your palms so there are no holes in the dough.
Once all the dumplings are prepared, bring water to a gentle boil on the stove. Add a few dumplings at a time to cook, but the water should not be boiling too vigorously, just a gentle simmer. The dumplings cook for about 3–4 minutes.
Meanwhile, fry the breadcrumbs in oil (I like a lot of breadcrumbs, but I always do it with rough measurements). Be careful not to use too much oil, otherwise the breadcrumbs will be too oily – the mixture should be more on a “dry” side, meaning the oil should not be visible.
Remove the cooked dumplings with a slotted spoon, drain well but keep the surfaces slightly moist, then toss them in the breadcrumbs several times so the crumbs stick. Place the dumplings in a serving dish and sprinkle with sugar, vanilla sugar and ground cinnamon to taste.
And as for my trip around Austria in May 2015, the next day I moved on to Vienna.