The Rax cable car takes you to the extensive Rax plateau in eight minutes. You can choose from a range of themes for your excursions: trails and mountain scenery, summer theatre, or insights into the history of the area and how water is managed.
Rax: Trails and Views
Marked trails on the Rax offer a variety of hikes. On the “hut-hopping” tour on the Raxalpe, you hike from hut to hut, over mountain peaks and through dwarf pine fields. The Rax also has numerous via ferratas of varying difficulty levels. In winter, the mountain station of the Rax cable car is a popular starting point for snowshoe hikes.
Another hiking route leads from Kaiserbrunn to Reichenau through the Höllental valley and along the high-spring water pipeline. These hiking options differ in character: hut-hopping focuses on huts, peaks and dwarf pine fields, while the route from Kaiserbrunn to Reichenau follows the water pipeline through the valley. Along the stretch between Reichenau and Hirschwang, you can enjoy magnificent views of the Rax.
You can also plan a cycling route to Reichenau: the Schwarzatal Cycle Route runs 39.52 kilometres from Lanzenkirchen to Reichenau an der Rax. This gives you a choice of hiking trails with different routes as well as a named cycle route with a specified length when planning your excursions.
Festivals and Cultural History
The Reichenau Festival is Lower Austria’s largest summer theatre festival and takes place every year in Reichenau an der Rax during the summer, from July to early August. During this time, more than 100 performances are staged in the Great Hall, the New Performance Space and other venues. If you plan to include the festival in your trip, check the specific event dates before setting your travel dates.
Reichenau Castle dates back to a medieval castle built in the late 12th century. The permanent exhibition “Cultural Heritage Reichenau” provides insights into the history of the area, from early mining to summer retreats. The exhibition thus spans the period from an early economic activity to a later form of recreation.
Wartholz Castle was built in the Historicist style and handed over in 1872 after three years of construction. Archduke Karl Ludwig’s openness to the public and his support for science, art and literature made the castle a cultural meeting place. Another historical date links the site with Otto von Habsburg: he was born at Wartholz Castle on 20 November 1912. The building’s history, its cultural significance and a specific biographical milestone offer different ways to explore the past.
The Kaiserbrunn Water Pipeline Museum focuses on a different subject. There you can learn how people in earlier times obtained and transported water. Along with the history of mining and summer retreats, the subject of water offers another perspective on how people have interacted with the landscape and its resources.
Getting to the Rax Cable Car
To get to the Rax cable car, take the train to Payerbach-Reichenau station and then take Retter bus route 341 to the Rax-Seilbahn stop. Check the timetable and connections before departure so you can plan your journey accordingly.
Discover more destinations: Sankt Egyden Am Steinfeld, Sankt Corona Am Wechsel, Mönichkirchen, Kirchberg Am Wechsel, Zöbern, Puchberg Am Schneeberg, Pitten, Tratten.
Return to the main travel overview: Neunkirchen.
