Rax
Encyclopedia
The Rax is a mountain range
at the border of the Austria
n federal provinces Lower Austria
and Styria, situated in the Northern Limestone Alps
.
Its highest peak is the Heukuppe at 2007 m. The Rax together with the nearby Schneeberg
as a traditional mountaineering
resort are called the Wiener Hausberge (Vienna
's local mountains). They are separated by the deep Höllental (Hell Valley).
By the Raxseilbahn aerial tramway
in Hirschwang
at the north-eastern foot of the range, the first in Austria (commencement of construction was 1925), the extensive high plateau of the Rax at about 1,500 m is an easily attainable tour area and a particular favourite with hikers from Lower Austria and Vienna. The steep flanks of the plateau offer climbing tours of various degrees of difficulty. These steige (trail
s) and the hütten, alpine huts offering basic accommodation
, were built and are kept intact by several Austrian Alpine Club
s. They were erected in the late 19th and early 20th century.
Mountain range
A mountain range is a single, large mass consisting of a succession of mountains or narrowly spaced mountain ridges, with or without peaks, closely related in position, direction, formation, and age; a component part of a mountain system or of a mountain chain...
at the border of the Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n federal provinces Lower Austria
Lower Austria
Lower Austria is the northeasternmost state of the nine states in Austria. The capital of Lower Austria since 1986 is Sankt Pölten, the most recently designated capital town in Austria. The capital of Lower Austria had formerly been Vienna, even though Vienna is not officially part of Lower Austria...
and Styria, situated in the Northern Limestone Alps
Northern Limestone Alps
The Northern Limestone Alps are the ranges of the Eastern Alps north of the Central Eastern Alps located in Austria and the adjacent Bavarian lands of southeastern Germany. The distinction from the latter group, where the higher peaks are located, is based on differences in geological composition...
.
Its highest peak is the Heukuppe at 2007 m. The Rax together with the nearby Schneeberg
Schneeberg (Alps)
The Schneeberg, with its 2076 m-high summit Klosterwappen, is the highest mountain of Lower Austria, and the easternmost 2000 m-high mountain in the Alps. It is a distinctive limestone massif with steep slopes on three sides....
as a traditional mountaineering
Mountaineering
Mountaineering or mountain climbing is the sport, hobby or profession of hiking, skiing, and climbing mountains. While mountaineering began as attempts to reach the highest point of unclimbed mountains it has branched into specialisations that address different aspects of the mountain and consists...
resort are called the Wiener Hausberge (Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
's local mountains). They are separated by the deep Höllental (Hell Valley).
By the Raxseilbahn aerial tramway
Aerial tramway
An aerial tramway , cable car , ropeway or aerial tram is a type of aerial lift which uses one or two stationary ropes for support while a third moving rope provides propulsion...
in Hirschwang
Reichenau an der Rax
Reichenau an der Rax is a market town in the Austrian state of Lower Austria, situated at the foot of the Rax mountain range on the Schwarza river, a headstream of the Leitha.-History:Reichenau castle was first mentioned in a 1256 deed...
at the north-eastern foot of the range, the first in Austria (commencement of construction was 1925), the extensive high plateau of the Rax at about 1,500 m is an easily attainable tour area and a particular favourite with hikers from Lower Austria and Vienna. The steep flanks of the plateau offer climbing tours of various degrees of difficulty. These steige (trail
Trail
A trail is a path with a rough beaten or dirt/stone surface used for travel. Trails may be for use only by walkers and in some places are the main access route to remote settlements...
s) and the hütten, alpine huts offering basic accommodation
Lodging
Lodging is a type of residential accommodation. People who travel and stay away from home for more than a day need lodging for sleep, rest, safety, shelter from cold temperatures or rain, storage of luggage and access to common household functions.Lodgings may be self catering in which case no...
, were built and are kept intact by several Austrian Alpine Club
Alpine Club
The first Alpine Club, founded in London in 1857, was once described as:Today, Alpine clubs stage climbing competitions, operate alpine huts and paths, and are active in protecting the Alpine environment...
s. They were erected in the late 19th and early 20th century.
Mountain huts
- Raxseilbahn mountain station, 1,540 m
- Ottohaus, 1,640 m
- GloggnitzGloggnitzGloggnitz is a mountain town in the Neunkirchen district of Lower Austria, Austria.Gloggnitz is situated in the south-western part of the Vienna Basin in Lower Austria. It is surrounded by the highest mountains in Lower Austria, Mount Rax and Mount Schneeberg...
er Hütte, 1,548 m - Habsburg Haus, 1,785 m
- Karl Ludwig Haus, 1,804 m
- Seehütte, 1,643 m
- Waxriegelhaus 1,361 m
- Wolfgang-Dirnbacher-Hütte, 1,477 m (shelter only)
Some Hikes and Rises
- AlpenvereinsÖsterreichischer AlpenvereinThe Austrian Alpine Club has 377,000 members in 197 branches and is the largest mountaineering club in Austria. It is responsible for the upkeep of over 242 alpine huts in Austria and neighbouring countries...
Steig: Großes Höllental – Ottohaus - Amaliensteig: Preiner Gscheid – Heukuppe
- Bärenloch: Hinternasswald – Bärengraben
- BismarckOtto von BismarckOtto Eduard Leopold, Prince of Bismarck, Duke of Lauenburg , simply known as Otto von Bismarck, was a Prussian-German statesman whose actions unified Germany, made it a major player in world affairs, and created a balance of power that kept Europe at peace after 1871.As Minister President of...
Steig: Karl Ludwig Haus – Neue Seehütte - Brandschneide: Kaiserbrunn – Bergstation Raxbahn
- Großes und kleines Fuchsloch: Preiner Gscheid – Heukuppe
- Gaislochsteig (former Guido von ListGuido von ListGuido Karl Anton List, better known as Guido von List was an Austrian/German poet, journalist, writer, businessman and dealer of leather goods, mountaineer, hiker, dramatist, playwright, and rower, but was most notable as an occultist and völkisch author who is seen as one of the most important...
Steig): Großes Höllental – Dirnbacher Hütte - Göbl-Kühn-Steig: Waxriegelhaus – Neue Seehütte
- Gamsecksteig: Nasskamm – Grasboden Alm
- GretchenFaust Part OneFaust: The First Part of the Tragedy is the first part of Goethe's Faust. It was first published in 1808.-Synopsis:The first part of Faust is not divided into acts, but is structured as a sequence of scenes in a variety of settings...
Steig: Preiner Gscheid – Karl Ludwig Haus - Grosses Wolfstal (unmarkiert, Schiabfahrt!) Kaiserbrunn – Ottohaus
- Grosser Kesselgraben (Schiabfahrt!) Höllental – Gloggnitzer Hütte
- Gsolhirnsteig
- Gustav-Jahn-Steig: Verbindung Alpenvereinssteig – Ausstieg Gaislochsteig
- Hans-von-Haid-Steig: Prein an der Rax – Preiner Wand
- Hoyossteig: Großes Höllental – Rudolfsteig
- KaiserEmperor of AustriaThe Emperor of Austria was a hereditary imperial title and position proclaimed in 1804 by the Holy Roman Emperor Francis II, a member of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine, and continually held by him and his heirs until the last emperor relinquished power in 1918. The emperors retained the title of...
Steig: Rehboden – Scheibwald - Karl-Kantner-Steig: Waxriegelhaus – Karl Ludwig Haus
- Kontrußsteig: Reißtalerhütte – Waxriegelhaus
- Peter Jokl Steig: Hinternasswald – Scheibwald
- Preinerwandsteig: Prein an der Rax – Preiner Wand
- Preintalersteig: Großes Höllental – Wachthüttelkamm
- Reißtalersteig: Preiner Gscheid – Heukuppe
- Rudolfssteig: Höllental – Klobentörl
- Schlangenweg: Waxriegelhaus – Karl Ludwig Haus
- Schüttersteig: Verbindungsstrasse Nasswald/Hinternasswald – Scheibwald
- Seeweg: Ottohaus – Neue Seehütte
- Teufelsbadstubensteig: Großes Höllental – Wachthüttelkamm
- Törlweg: Knappenhof – Ottohaus
- Wachthüttelkamm: Höllental – Ottohaus
- Waxriegelsteig: Predigtstuhl – Waxriegelhaus
- Wildes Gamseck: Nasskamm – Grasboden Alm
- Wildfährte: Hinternasswald – Grasboden Alm
- Zikafahnlsteig: Scheibwald – Habsburghaus
Other
- The local snowboard-crew is called "RAXATTAXX"
- Rax is 50% BLAM.
External links
- www.tiscover.at/semmering-rax-schneeberg
- Rax-Seilbahn
- RaxWandern.at geführte Wanderungen im Raxgebiet
- www.gustav-jahn.at Gustav-Jahn-Steig: Homepage Gustav Jahn (1879-1919) - Austrian Painter, Rax Montaineer- and Ski-Pioneer