Südbahnhotel Semmering

The jewel of the Semmering has awakened from its slumber and continues to enchant guests today just as it did 140 years ago.

A New Chapter

In 2021, the Südbahnhotel found a new owner who is bringing it back to life with great love and care, allowing guests to experience its former magic.

Culture in a Historic Setting

Culture is coming back to life within the venerable walls of the Südbahnhotel on the Semmering —the Reichenau Festival, which returned after 15 years with Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” as well as an impressive theatrical guided tour with Maxi Blaha, who tells the story of the hotel from the perspective of its former residents.

Guided Tours—Step Back in Time

The guided tours transport visitors back to the splendor of bygone eras and let them experience the unique stories and special features of the Südbahnhotel.

A Captivating History

Half-timbered walls, spires, and a green roof visible from afar: This striking building on the Semmering has fascinated visitors since its opening in 1882. Located at an altitude of 1,000 meters, the Südbahnhotel was for many years a popular destination for Viennese high society and travelers from all parts of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Many famous figures have stayed at the Südbahnhotel, including Franz Werfel, Archduke Albrecht, Adolf Loos, Gustav and Alma Mahler, Oskar Kokoschka, Sigmund Freud, Emilie Flöge, and many more.

As the first hotel on the Semmering, it served as the foundation for the region’s tourism and social development. The Südbahnhotel was one of the coveted grand hotels along the railway line from Vienna to Trieste and was thus closely linked to Carl Ritter von Ghega’s masterpiece, the UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Semmering Railway, which remains impressive to this day.

But it wasn’t just the architecture and the idyllic location with its breathtaking views of the Rax and Schneeberg that drew the sophisticated crowd to the grand hotel. Guests wanted for nothing. The offerings ranged from cultural events to bridge and dance classes to sporting activities for every season. For example, the Südbahnhotel featured an indoor swimming pool with a terrace—a unique feature for its time. Its own golf course, which is still playable today, served as a ski training area in the winter, complete with a ski jump.

After World War II, the hotel was unable to replicate the successes of the Fin de Siècle and Belle Époque eras and closed in the 1970s.