Payerbach – Mining History, Railways and Mountain Landscapes

Payerbach offers several distinct reasons to stay: mountain landscapes, railway experiences, local cultural history and seasonal destinations. When choosing what to do, you can first consider whether hiking and mountaineering, railway history or historic sites should be the main focus. The activities also differ in form: alongside trails, there is a seasonal railway service and an outdoor swimming pool. For planning your day, it is important to check the relevant conditions, especially the Höllentalbahn timetable and the swimming pool season.

Mountain Landscapes and Outdoor Activities

The mountain landscapes of the Rax, Schneeberg and Semmering offer opportunities in Payerbach for walking, hiking and mountaineering. This gives you a choice of different activities in the mountains, while other destinations focus on local and railway history. If you are deciding how to balance nature and culture during your stay, this distinction is a useful guide: these mountain landscapes form a focus of their own alongside the historic sites and buildings.

Semmering Railway, Höllentalbahn and Hiking Trail

The first section of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Semmering Railway runs from Gloggnitz station to Payerbach station along the left-hand slopes of the Schwarza Valley. The Höllentalbahn is another railway service in Payerbach, but it has its own route and a seasonal timetable. It runs from Payerbach-Reichenau station on Sundays and public holidays from late June to the end of October, covering its 5 km route to Hirschwang and back. Check the current timetable before travelling so you can take the stated operating days and period into account when planning.

For a hike, the railway hiking trail offers a distinct stage: it runs from Breitenstein past viaducts and structures of the UNESCO World Heritage Site to Payerbach station. This gives you a choice of different ways to explore the railway: a seasonal ride on the Höllentalbahn or a hiking stage alongside viaducts and structures. Check trail conditions before setting out.

Mining and Local History

The history of Grillenberg goes back a long way. Copper was mined there as early as the Late Bronze Age, around 1,000 BC. From the 10th century until 1945, spathic iron ore was mined at the same site. The Grillenberg show mine is a former iron ore mine that was reopened and set up as a show mine. Grillenberg thus brings together different raw materials and mining phases separated by a considerable span of time; its later conversion into a show mine adds another dimension to this historical perspective.

The St. John of Nepomuk Chapel also connects local history with a wider historic route. It lies on the old pilgrimage route to Mariazell and is one of the oldest places of worship in the municipality of Payerbach. The Payerbach-Reichenau cultural walk offers another way to explore history: it leads to sites associated with the summer retreat era, as well as historic places and buildings in Payerbach and Reichenau. While the chapel is a single site connected to the pilgrimage route, the walk takes in several sites in both towns.

Vinodukt and Outdoor Swimming Pool

Vinodukt is a wine bar located inside the Schwarzaviadukt in Payerbach. The Schwarzaviadukt is the longest viaduct on the historic Semmering Railway. This brings together a specific site in railway history and the wine bar housed in the structure.

The Payerbach outdoor swimming pool, which is over 100 years old, is located between a pavilion and a park. It has two pools, a sun terrace, a buffet, a waterslide and a playground. As it is a seasonal facility, check current opening information and facilities before your visit.

Discover more destinations: Breitenstein, Klamm, Aspangberg Sankt Peter, Bürg, Enzenreith, Feistritz Am Wechsel, Sankt Egyden Am Steinfeld, Wimpassing Im Schwarzatale.

For the broader travel overview: Neunkirchen.