Discover Bad Schönau: Trails and History

Bad Schönau combines circular hiking trails, historic buildings, cultural offerings and mineral water therapies. The trails each have a different focus, while the town’s architectural history spans several periods.

Hiking: Circular Trails, Views and Quiet Paths

The “Weg der Blicke Bad Schönau” (Path of Views Bad Schönau) is an easy circular hiking trail, 5.99 kilometres long. It starts and ends at the Kurpark. Several signs with short texts and quotations invite hikers to pause and reflect. Taking time to consider the thoughts on the signs is therefore as much a part of the trail’s character as the circular route itself.

The Hutwisch circular hike focuses on the panoramic views. The trail follows well-marked hiking paths to Hutwisch and back. From the viewing platform, the 360-degree view stretches to Schneeberg, Rax and Wechsel. In the other direction, the panorama extends as far as Lake Neusiedl, Hungary and beyond southern Burgenland. The actual visibility depends on the weather.

Another option is the walking trail through the Tiefenbachtal valley. It runs alongside the Tiefenbach Au from Bad Schönau towards Krumbach and is described as a shaded route with little traffic. The options thus differ in their stated features: a circular hike with information signs, views from Hutwisch, or a walking trail along the floodplain. The Teufelsmühle can also be reached on foot from Gasthof Koder: the route passes through the Kurpark and by the tennis courts.

Fortified Church, Rectory and Further Architectural History

Bad Schönau’s fortified church was protected by a triple rampart that also enclosed the rectory. The rectory was built around 1320 as a fortified residential tower or castle on a middle terrace. The eastern section of the building features a Renaissance façade dating from the 16th century.

The Marienkirche (Church of St. Mary) was completed in the summer of 1968, after the older fortified church had become too small. In September 1995, its stained-glass windows were replaced with new windows from the Stift Schlierbach art glass workshop. The sequence of the fortified church, rectory and Marienkirche illustrates different building phases and uses.

The Teufelsmühle was built in 1977 at Hoher Stein by Josef Kager, the retired farmer from Stroblhof. In 2012, the “Schön & Aktiv” association renovated the mill. It thus adds another local building to the architectural history of the churches and rectory.

Culture and Mineral Water Therapies

At the Sconarium in Bad Schönau, the cultural hall hosts concerts, cabaret and screenings. A modern, interactive exhibition explores the use of naturally occurring carbon dioxide gas as a local remedy. The cultural programme and exhibition offer different ways to engage with Bad Schönau: events in the hall and an exploration of the local theme of carbon dioxide gas.

Mineral water therapies offered in Bad Schönau include baths, walking exercises and drinking cures. If you would like to include a specific treatment in your plans, check with local providers about its availability. Check specific hotel details with the respective provider.

Getting There by Public Transport

To get to Bad Schönau by public transport, take the Südbahn to Wiener Neustadt, continue on the Aspangbahn to Edlitz-Grimmenstein station, and then take the bus to Bad Schönau. Check the transport operators’ timetables before travelling. This lets you plan the rail and bus legs together.

Discover more destinations: Sollenau, Kirchschlag in the Bucklige Welt, Lanzenkirchen, Stollhof, Wiener Neustadt, Markt Piesting, Loipersdorf, Bromberg.

Go to the regional travel overview: Wiener Neustadt.