Rax-Schneeberg Group
Encyclopedia
The Rax-Schneeberg Group is a mountain range in the Northern Limestone Alps
on the Styrian-Lower Austrian border in Austria
.
massif
are the Heukuppe at and the Scheibwaldhöhe at .
Other peaks are the Große Scheibe , the Tratenkogel , the Ochnerhöhe and the Kreuzberg .
valley and are two of Vienna's "local mountains" (Hausberge).
The Schneeberg and Rax lie within the Northeastern Border Alps: Hohe Wand-Schneeberg-Rax Special Area of Conservation (FFH-Gebiet Nordöstliche Randalpen: Hohe Wand-Schneeberg-Rax).
(Schneebergbahn), a cog railway that climbs to a height of 1,800 m. The twin peaks may be reached from the valley station in one to two hours. The footpath runs eastwards over the Hengst or westwards through the Fadenwände.
There are trails to the Rax from the mountain spa of Puchberg am Schneeberg
, and from the wild Höllental
valley to the south. In addition the Schneeberg may be approached from Payerbach
, Prigglitz
and Reichenau
via the Gahns.
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...
on the Styrian-Lower Austrian border in 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...
.
Location
According to the official classification of the Eastern Alps by the Alpine Club (Alpenvereinseinteilung der Ostalpen), the Rax-Schneeberg Group is bounded by the following divisions to neighbouring groups of mountains:- to the north by the Klostertaler GscheidKlostertaler GscheidThe Klostertaler Gscheid is a high mountain pass in southern Lower Austria, which links the Klostertal valley with the valley of the River Voisbach . At the summit of the pass is a small chapel. A tarmac state road runs over the pass...
– Klausgraben – Mamauwiese – Sebastiansbach – PuchbergPuchberg am SchneebergPuchberg am Schneeberg is a town in the south-eastern part of Lower Austria with approx. 2650 inhabitants. It is situated about 80 Kilometres from Vienna. The highest point of Puchberg is the Schneeberg with 2076 m, the highest mountain of Lower Austria.... - to the northeast by the valley of the River Sierning as far as TernitzTernitzTernitz is a town in the district of Neunkirchen in the Austrian state of Lower Austria. Situated at the confluence of the Sierning stream and the River Schwarza, at the western end of the Steinfeld plain, it is a fairly large town by population , especially by Austrian standards, yet it covers an...
- to the south by the line: Ternitz – SchwarzaSchwarza (Leitha)The Schwarza is a river in Lower Austria. It is a headstream of the River Leitha.- Course :It rises on the saddle of Rohrer Sattel, flows through the Höllental gorge and the Schwarza valley. Near Haderswörth in the parish of Lanzenkirchen the Schwarza combines with the Pitten and is then called the...
near 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...
– SchottwienSchottwienSchottwien is a town in the district of Neunkirchen in the Austrian state of Lower Austria....
– Semmering – MürzzuschlagMürzzuschlagMürzzuschlag is a town in northeastern Styria, Austria, the capital of the Mürzzuschlag District. It is located on the Mürz river near the Semmering Pass, the border with the state of Lower Austria, about southwest of Vienna. The population is 8,745...
– MürzMürzThe Mürz is a river in Austria.It begins north of the Schneealpe in Lower Austria, flows into Styria, and meets the Mur River after 98 km in Bruck an der Mur. Its headwaters end at Mürzzuschlag. Along its course are the tracks of the Southern Railway as well as the Semmering Highway....
near Kapellen - to the west by the Altenberg valley – Naßkamm – Naßbach – SchwarzaSchwarza (Leitha)The Schwarza is a river in Lower Austria. It is a headstream of the River Leitha.- Course :It rises on the saddle of Rohrer Sattel, flows through the Höllental gorge and the Schwarza valley. Near Haderswörth in the parish of Lanzenkirchen the Schwarza combines with the Pitten and is then called the...
– Voisbach as far as the Klostertaler Gscheid.
Summits
The highest point in the limestone massif of the Schneeberg is the Klosterwappen at . Its nearby twin peak is known as the Kaiserstein . The two summits are the highest mountains in the state of Lower Austria. The highest two elevations in the RaxRax
The Rax is a mountain range at the border of the Austrian federal provinces Lower Austria and Styria, situated in the Northern Limestone Alps....
massif
Massif
In geology, a massif is a section of a planet's crust that is demarcated by faults or flexures. In the movement of the crust, a massif tends to retain its internal structure while being displaced as a whole...
are the Heukuppe at and the Scheibwaldhöhe at .
Other peaks are the Große Scheibe , the Tratenkogel , the Ochnerhöhe and the Kreuzberg .
Protected areas
The Rax Alpine region, together with the Schneealpe and Schneeberg belong to the river source protected area (Quellschutzgebiet) of the 1st Viennese Mountain Spring Water Supply Network (I. Wiener Hochquellenwasserleitung). The Schneeberg and Rax are separated by the HöllentalHöllental (Lower Austria)
The Höllental in Lower Austria is a narrow valley between the steep limestone massifs of the Schneeberg and Rax through which the River Schwarza flows....
valley and are two of Vienna's "local mountains" (Hausberge).
The Schneeberg and Rax lie within the Northeastern Border Alps: Hohe Wand-Schneeberg-Rax Special Area of Conservation (FFH-Gebiet Nordöstliche Randalpen: Hohe Wand-Schneeberg-Rax).
Schneeberg Railway
The Schneeberg has been linked for over 100 years by the Schneeberg RailwaySchneeberg Railway
The Schneeberg Railway is a local railway line in Lower Austria running from Wiener Neustadt to the Hochschneeberg mountain. From Wiener Neustadt to Puchberg am Schneeberg it runs as a standard gauge, adhesion railway and from Puchberg am Schneeberg to the Hochschneeberg as a narrow-gauge, cog...
(Schneebergbahn), a cog railway that climbs to a height of 1,800 m. The twin peaks may be reached from the valley station in one to two hours. The footpath runs eastwards over the Hengst or westwards through the Fadenwände.
There are trails to the Rax from the mountain spa of Puchberg am Schneeberg
Puchberg am Schneeberg
Puchberg am Schneeberg is a town in the south-eastern part of Lower Austria with approx. 2650 inhabitants. It is situated about 80 Kilometres from Vienna. The highest point of Puchberg is the Schneeberg with 2076 m, the highest mountain of Lower Austria....
, and from the wild Höllental
Höllental (Lower Austria)
The Höllental in Lower Austria is a narrow valley between the steep limestone massifs of the Schneeberg and Rax through which the River Schwarza flows....
valley to the south. In addition the Schneeberg may be approached from Payerbach
Payerbach
Payerbach is a town in the district of Neunkirchen in the Austrian state of Lower Austria.-References:...
, Prigglitz
Prigglitz
Prigglitz is a town in the district of Neunkirchen in the Austrian state of Lower Austria....
and Reichenau
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...
via the Gahns.
External links
- Bergsteigen.at with information about scrambling tours and huts in the Schneeberg/Rax region