Hohe Wand Nature Park – hiking above the clouds

Winter walking route from Gasthof Postl, Hohe Wand

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Elevation profile

6,71 km length

Tour dates
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Route: 6,71 km
  • Ascent: 206 egm
  • Descent: 206 egm
  • Duration: 2:00 h
  • Lowest point: 875 m
  • Highest point:1.039 m
Features
  • Round tour
  • Nice views
  • With refreshment stops
  • Suitable for families and children
  • Geological highlights
  • Faunistic highlights

Details for: Hohe Wand Nature Park – hiking above the clouds

Brief description

A circular route through the Hohe Wand Nature Park, which is home to a petting zoo, an observation tower, and a skywalk and panorama terrace. An ideal destination for families!

 

NOTE: Please be aware that this winter walk may not be completely maintained in snowy conditions and can have patches of ice. Use at your own risk! Please equip yourself appropriately, such as with sturdy shoes, sticks, waterproof outdoor clothing, hat, etc. Make sure you have enough to drink in winter too! Be aware of it getting dark early and carefully plan your route!

Description

Atmospheric inversion – sun at the summit, fog in the valley. Atmospheric inversion is particularly striking in mountainous regions. While it is foggy for days on end in the valley, the Sun King reigns supreme in the mountains. There is nothing quite like heading to the Hohe Wand to soak up the sun. The Hohe Wand is indeed a plateau, but it is not always flat, and so our route leads through the hilly woodland of the nature park to various inns, the nature park centre, and the skywalk and panorama terrace.

Nature park entrance: Adults €1.80 | Children €1 | Cars €2.

Starting point of the tour

Gasthof Postl, Hohe Wand

Destination point of the tour

Gasthof Postl, Hohe Wand

Route description Hohe Wand Nature Park – hiking above the clouds

Our hike will start at Gasthof Postl, and a short visit to the skywalk and panorama terrace is always worthwhile. The mist covers everything below us like an ocean, and only sporadic mountain summits jut out, looking like small islands. You can almost imagine how the sea reached Hohe Wand millions of years ago. After this impressive view, our route will lead us through the hill forest to the Gasthof Luf (open all year, but closed on Mondays), and on to the Hochkogelhaus. A narrower, more comfortable path begins directly outside the Hochkogelhaus, towards the Gasthof Kleine Kanzel, and a 45 minute walk will lead us to the nature park centre. Once there, visit the petting zoo, the lime kilns, the charcoal kilns, the Alpin- und Heimatmuseum (Alpine and local history museum), the Generationenwald playground, or the observation tower.  We will then continue in the direction of the Gasthof Postl, calling at the deer park, where the hungry inhabitants wait for plenty of visitors who will feed and stroke them. After that, we will follow the signs to Gasthof Postl – there is a gentle descent through the forestland of the Hohe Wand Nature Park – and back to the starting point.

Directions

1) A2 – departing from Wöllersdorf – turn right onto the B21 towards Gutenstein – turn off towards Dreistetten – Muthmannsdorf – Emmerberg – Gaaden – Stollhof – toll booth (fee) – take the year-round mountain road to the Hohe Wand plateau 2) A2 – departing from Wiener Neustadt West – Weikersdorf – Winzendorf – Emmerberg – Gaaden – Stollhof – toll booth (fee) – Hohe Wand 3) From Neunkirchen – Würflach – Willendorf – Höflein – Zweiersdorf – Maiersdorf – toll booth (fee) – Hohe Wand

Parking

Parking facilities at Gasthof Postl, Gasthof Luf, or at the nature centre – vivarium car park.

By train from Vienna or Graz to Wiener Neustadt – and from there to Winzendorf (there are hourly trains from Wiener Neutstadt to Puchberg). From Winzendorf, hike to Maiersdorf via Prossetschlucht (5km), from where you can hike up Hohe Wand on one of the many routes in approximately 1 hour. Or switch in Wiener Neustadt to a train heading to Puchberg am Schneeberg. Disembark in Grünbach am Schneeberg. By following the Grafenberg route (marked by blue signs), you will reach the Wilhelm Eicherthütte on the plateau in about 1.5 hours. You can also take the Gutensteinerbahn (from Wiener Neustadt) to Oberpiesting or Waldegg, and hike on the rear side of the Hohe Wand.

See  www.oebb.at for more information.

More info/links

Gemeinde Hohe Wand, www.naturpark-hohewand.at, +43 / 2638 / 883482

Here you can get a free hiking guide about your tour. This hiking guide provides an overview of the route, and information on refreshment stops. Please note that this is not a suitable hiking map.

Equipment

Bring a suitable map. Wear suitable, sturdy shoes, and bring sun and rain protection, as well as water and a bite to eat. Bring your mobile phone, and save the emergency number of the mountain rescue team: 140

Safety information

Walking in the Viennese Alps should be a completely safe and beautiful experience. Therefore, please note the following:

Preparation

Make sure that your choice of route matches your hiking experience and your physical condition. Check the weather forecast. In the mountains, the weather can change surprisingly quickly. For this reason, make sure you are well-equipped (e.g. bring rain protection).

Check that the huts and refreshment stations that you want to visit along the way will be open. Tell someone which route you have chosen, and when you hope to return, before you set off.

Map recommendations

freytag&berndt WK5012 ; WK012

Author's tip

Soak up the sun in the Hohe Wand Nature Park!

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