Passengers can admire the Austrian countryside from the train’s panoramic windows.
OBB is the main operator of the line, with the first train departing just after 6am and the last, just before midnight. Services such as EC (including “Emona” trains), IC, Nightjet, Railjet, and Euronight trains depart from Vienna Meidling Station.
Railjet is OBB’s high-speed train, which travels at up to 230km/h to connect Austria’s main cities with Germany, Hungary, Slovenia, Switzerland, Czechia (the Czech Republic), and Italy.
Vienna Meidling Station is southwest of the capital, and trains connect to principal stations such as Wiener Neustadt, Semmering, Bruck an der Mur, Graz, Leibnitz, Spielfeld, Maribor, Celje, Zidani Most and Ljubljana before terminating in Trieste.
Let the journey begin
Train travellers heading to the Semmering Railway will need to begin their journey in Vienna (or Wien to the locals), consistently rated the world’s most livable city.
The former capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire is known for its landmark buildings such as St Stephansdom Cathedral, Schonbrunn and Imperial Habsburg Palaces, plus the Vienna Boys’ Choir, museums, opera, classical composers, wine houses in Grinzing, and vibrant Advent markets staged just before Christmas.
Before boarding the train, passengers can enjoy superb coffee, cakes and pastries in iconic coffeehouses such as Demel, Cafe Sacher, Cafe Central, and Cafe Hawelka, or new wines of the season in a traditional Grinzing heuriger or wine tavern.
Train enthusiasts should alight at Semmering Station which has an information centre and a small shop full of rail books and souvenirs. However, it is only open from 9am to 3.30pm on Thursdays to Sundays, between early May and late October.
After exploring the small town, rail enthusiasts should catch a local train and alight at Murzzuschlag Station to inspect the Sudbahn Museum beside the railway station.
The museum has Austria’s largest collection of rail trolleys and motor cars displayed in the roundhouse and engine shed. Highlights of the collection include the imperial and royal cafe carriage and the 180.01 steam locomotive.
From Murzzuschlag, the rail line continues onto Graz, which is Austria’s second-largest city and well worth exploring. The old historic part of the Styrian capital, with its historic architecture, is also a Unesco World Heritage Site.
In other parts of Graz, contemporary architecture stands side by side with heritage buildings. Located on the River Mur, Graz is an architectural trendsetter that includes contemporary landmarks such as the Kastner & Ohler Department Store, the Kunsthaus Gallery and Murinsel Island.
The impressive Schlossberg castle and gardens overlook the city, and visitors can take an elevator or walk up 260 zigzagged steps to admire the 473m-high view over the city’s sea of terracotta-tiled rooftops.
The train to Trieste continues from Graz, past numerous wine estates and onto the Slovenian border, through Slovenia to Zidani Most for trains to Croatia, onto the Slovenian capital, Ljubljana, and then into Trieste in Italy. The strategic Adriatic Sea port was the fourth largest city in the Habsburg Empire from 1382-1918.
It’s in the detail
Train enthusiasts will want to travel on a regional train between Payerbach-Reichenau and Murzzuschlag to take in the scenery at a slower pace than intercity trains, which pass through all the small stations at speed.
Most trains feature comfortable seating and modern facilities, as well as designated family and quiet zones, so all passengers can enjoy their journey.
While the engineering details of the Semmering Railway will fascinate trainspotters, families using the train may be more interested in the onboard facilities. Family Zones have a games area, a children’s cinema, nappy-changing facilities, and pram storage facilities.
Passengers seeking some peace and quiet or a place to work should sit in a quiet zone located throughout first- and second-class carriages.
Global Unesco railways
The Semmering Railway is one of just a few Unesco-protected railways around the globe. For example, the Blaenavon Heritage Railway travels through the Blaenavon World Heritage Site in Wales, while the Scenic Railway is located in the Great Blue Mountains Area in Australia. One of the most famous Unesco railway sites is the Rhaetian Railway in the Albula/Bernina Landscapes in eastern Switzerland.
The Mountain Railway of India protects mountain railways in Darjeeling, Nilgiri and Kalka Shimla, while closer to home; a West Sumatran railway is part of the Ombilin Coal Mining Heritage of Sawahlunto Unesco World Heritage Site. The region’s first commercial coal mine, located east of Padang in Indonesia, was once linked to Emmahaven Port (now Teluk Bayur) by a railway developed from 1889 to 1894.
Visitors to Austria should seriously consider using the railway to explore this picturesque country on their next European holiday and take time out to admire the engineering feat that is the Semmering Railway.
Source link : http://www.bing.com/news/apiclick.aspx?ref=FexRss&aid=&tid=6703b9baa3674a05b2a65fcb1271c550&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thestar.com.my%2Flifestyle%2Ftravel%2F2024%2F10%2F07%2Faustria039s-semmering-railway-is-a-great-civil-engineering-feat&c=13511832650651436117&mkt=de-de
Author :
Publish date : 2024-10-07 02:00:00
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.