מירצצושלאג

May to October is best for hiking, and for rail journeys on the Semmering line. Winter has cross-country skiing and small slopes. The museums are open most of the year.

• Wintersportmuseum shows the history of winter sports in a town that was an early centre of skiing in Austria.
• Südbahnmuseum Mürzzuschlag presents the history of the Southern Railway, which linked Vienna with Trieste.
• Südbahnmuseum Rundlokschuppen is a historic engine shed with old locomotives.
• Infobox Semmering-Basistunnel explains the new Semmering base tunnel.
• kunsthaus muerz is a contemporary art venue.
• Peter Bergner Warte is a lookout tower on a hill.
• The Brahms Museum is in a house where Johannes Brahms stayed in 1884 and 1885 while composing his Fourth Symphony.
• The Semmering railway line runs from the town, with viaducts and tunnels.

• Visit the winter sports museum.
• Ride the Semmering railway.
• Walk on the Rax.
• See the railway museums.
• Hike on the local hills.

• Semmering is about 10 minutes away by car or train.
• Mariazell is about 50 minutes away by car.
• Graz is about 1 hour 15 minutes away by car.
• Vienna is about 1 hour 15 minutes away by car or train.
• Rax cable car, near Reichenau, is about 40 minutes away by car.

• Mariazell and Graz are the nearest preferred destinations.

• By air: Vienna Airport is about 1 hour 15 minutes away by car.
• By train: Mürzzuschlag is on the Southern Railway, with trains from Vienna in about 1 hour 15 minutes and from Graz in about 1 hour 15 minutes. Check times on ÖBB.
• By car: The S6 Semmering expressway passes the town.

The centre is walkable, and the station is a few minutes from the museums. Local buses cover the surrounding villages.

The S6 expressway passes the town, and the Semmering tunnel is on the route. Winter tyres or chains are required in snow. Motorways in Austria need a vignette.

Styrian food includes Backhendl, fried chicken, and Kürbiskernöl, pumpkin seed oil. Local inns serve game and dumplings. Cakes and coffee house culture show Viennese influence.

Mürzzuschlag is very safe. Mountain routes need care in changing weather. Tap water is clean and safe to drink. The emergency number is 112. The mountain rescue number is 140.

Mürzzuschlag grew with the Semmering railway, which opened in 1854 and was completed under engineer Carl von Ghega. The town became a railway centre and a summer resort for Viennese guests. It was also an early home of skiing, and a ski club was founded here in the 1890s.

Quick practical facts for Austria at a glance: