On what was just another working Saturday – at least according to Christian, who was busy building the greenhouse – Z and the two Ls set off to make the most of the sunshine, our Lower Austria Card, and most of all, the great company of our friends from Vienna
This day was all about tapering – with a trail running race ahead for L1 and me the next day, this hike was more of a gentle warm-up and a laid-back day (Spoiler: It wasn’t).
Our logistics worked like a charm: we rolled down to the train station by bike, had our snack on the train, L2 took a short but efficient nap, and soon we arrived in Semmering. From there, we headed towards the cable car and met up with our friends from Vienna: kids company ✅, hiking motivation ✅.
A few minutes later, the gondola took us up to Hirschenkogel – a familiar place for the kids from last year, with its awesome playground, water fun, marble run, climbing frames, and pre-lunch picnic. From there, we continued on the panorama trail towards Sonnwendstein. It’s a bit longer and steeper than the forest route, but the views are stunning – and from the big cross near the summit, you get almost the same breathtaking vista as from the actual peak. Since I had sworn just three weeks earlier not to climb that mountain again for a while (More), this was a great alternative. Everyone agreed: one summit a day is plenty 😅.
All four kids hiked with enthusiasm. We carried the little ones now and then, while the two older boys managed to walk most of it on their own. When L1 got tired of the uphill, we did what Boribon (a Hungarian bear from a children’s book) would do after falling and bumping his knee: he carried the backpack, I carried him. Or in his words:
“Mum, I’m in the front, because L2 is in the back!”
At Pollereshütte, they had tasty local dishes, plus a gluten-free and vegan lentil stew – highly recommended. After a short rest, we headed back down via the forest trail.
Finally, we took the gondola down again – and thanks to our friends, we even got a ride back to the Semmering train station. From there, it was a smooth trip home.
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Route: Semmering Train Station – Passhöhe – Cable Car – Hirschenkogel – Sonnwendstein (Pollereshütte) – Hirschenkogel – Cable Car – Semmering Train Station
Hiking Distance:
• From the train station to the cable car base: about 1.8 km, 100 meters elevation gain. L1 and I did it in 20 minutes at a brisk pace.
• Hirschenkogel–Pollereshütte–Hirschenkogel: 7.8 km with 336 meters elevation gain. With four kids under five, it took us 3 hours and 15 minutes.