Built between 1848 and 1854 the Semmering railway over the Semmering Pass (982m) in Eastern Austria was the world's first true mountain railway using several technical artifacts such as viaducts, tunnels and loops to gain elevation. It linked the imperial city of Vienna with Trieste in the Adriatic. It was highly influential for the subsequent planning and construction of large-scale railways in difficult and mountainous environments.

The Semmering railway opened up the surrounding landscape for tourism and recreational activities just in the right time, at the heydays of the industrial revolution in central Europe when a growing number of people received rising incomes and were desperately seeking distraction from the pollution and chaos of their urban homes. The Semmering region then became one of the first tourism destinations of the then Austro-Hungarian empire. The importance of the Semmering Railway for the railway history and the uniqueness of its surrounding landscape was approved in 1998 when the UNESCO inscribed the line as world heritage.

The planning of the Semmering railway started as early as 1842. The strategic and economic importance of railway networks were duly recognized and it was acknowledged to construct a major railway linking Vienna, the capital of the Austro-Hungarian empire with Trieste, the major port in the Adriatic. The engineering director was Carlo Chega (or Karl Ritter von Chega after he received knighthood). Chega made extensive field trips to study the then state of the art of railway engineering. One of his research expeditions led him to the U.S. where he was greatly impressed by the quality of American railway construction and the power of their locomotives.

After years of planning and disputes about construction details, the building works finally started in 1848 soon after the revolutionary turmoils which have shattered the old order in continental Europe. Some 20.000 workers were involved in building a total of 41 km (26 miles) of railway through serious mountainous terrain. The maximum incline of the railway is 2.5 promille while the minimus radius of curvature is 190m (623 ft.). To traverse the mountains 15 tunnels, 16 viaducts (among them several two-story viaducts), 11 iron bridges and about 100 smaller curved stone bridges had to be constructed. From its base in the small town of Gloggnitz (457m) to the Semmering station (898m) the railway gains about 450m of elevation traversing over several deep ravines.

The railway was opened for public transport in 1854 and soon became the prototype for (high) mountainous railways. Besides its eminent role as major link between Vienna and Trieste the Semmering region soon became one of the leading recreational and tourism locations of the Hapsburg empire and was internationally acclaimed for its beautiful landscape, its grand hotels and its many innovative sporting & recreational facilities. Nobles, rich business persons and the intelligentsia alike marveled about the fresh air, the aesthetic quality and the inspiring atmosphere around the Semmering.

Dozens of weekend mansions (some of them constructed by famous and influential architects) and several Art Noveau (Jugendstil) grand hotels are still a testimony of this 'golden' period of the Semmering region. The Semmering railway became sort of 'national pride' of the Republic of Austria, the much smaller successor state of former Austro-Hungarian empire. The works became a showcase of the high standards of Austrian engineering and a certain viaduct of the Semmering railway was featured on a banknote (20 ATS note) for several decades.

The Semmering railway is still in operation today (operated by the Austrian Federal Railways). It is one of the major train corridors in Austria linking the capital city Vienna with Graz, Austria's second largest city. The railway is from eminent European importance as part of the trans-European corridor Warsaw-Rome.

Discussions about building a base tunnel between Gloggnitz and Mürzzuschlag and thus avoiding the elevation necessary to traverse the mountain pass are going on and off now for decades and have recently concluded to some exploratory geological studies. However, the continuing operation of the mountain railway is guaranteed at least for the foreseeable future.

This twofold legacy of the Semmering railway as an engineering masterpiece and an early example of landscape management for recreational purposes was acknowledged by the Unesco which justified the selection of the railway as world heritage on following grounds (UNESCO, 1998):

“Criterion (ii): The Semmering Railway represents an outstanding technological solution to a major physical problem in the construction of early railways.

Criterion (iv): With the construction of the Semmering Railway, areas of great natural beauty became more easily accessible and as a result these were developed for residential and recreational use, creating a new form of cultural landscape”

Today the Semmering railway and its surrounding region offer a multitude of recreational activities for virtual all tastes:

• The train journey from Gloggnitz to Mürzzuschlag fulfills all dreams of the railway maniac. Depending on the type of train connection the ride takes between 40 and 60 minutes. A railway museum in Mürzzuschlag gives insights into the interesting railway history of this region.
• The best views (and photo opportunities) of the railway are to be experienced by using the special railway hiking trail from station Semmering to Klamm-Schottwien and then to Gloggnitz or Payerbach. This trail follows directly along the railway.
• Various nearby cable cars transport hikers within minutes to the higher mountain regions. The cable car Raxalp in Reichenau-Hirschwang is the oldest cable car in Austria (built in 1921) and opens the high-mountain plateau of the Raxalp (1500-2000m) for visitors. It offers splendid views over the Semmering region. A second cable car is located directly at the Semmering Pass and transports visitors up to the Hirschenkogel (1340m). The summit is equipped with hiking paths, a viewing platform, restaurants and a modern mountain-bike park with several downhill runs.
• The Semmering region is a gem for all students of the history of European architecture. The dominant style of the historical buildings is Art Noveau (Jugendstil) of around 1900 vintage (fin de siecle). The Panhans, the quintessential grand hotel of this epoch, is still in operation today and one of the leading hotels in Eastern Austria.
• During the winter months the region boasts some of the finest ski resorts of Eastern Austria and the greater Vienna region. Indeed this region has been playing an important role in the Austrian ski history. The Stuhleck (1782m) a mountain towering above the Styrian part of the Semmering railway was Austria's first mountain to be climbed by using skis (in 1892) and the region around the Semmering was the home-base of several Austrian ski pioneers. A museum for skiing history in Mürzzuschlag is testimony for the role this region played for the development of skiing. Today all the resorts around the Semmering (Hirschenkogel-Zauberberg, Spital-Stuhleck, Wechsel) have modern lift facilities and man-made snow to guarantee skiing even if natural snow is somewhat lacking. These ski resorts are the first choice for the growing number of skiers from Hungary and Slovakia giving them an international flair. Besides alpine piste skiing facilities for cross-country skiing and back-country skiing (ski touring) are abundant throughout the whole region.