Category: less than 5 km

Chasing Views & Sandwiches – A Child-Friendly Summit Adventure 🏔️

We’ve been living at the Waldschlössl for over three years now, and even though we’ve explored the Rax countless times, we’ve somehow always skipped the Jakobskogel. It’s one of those classic peaks on the Rax that’s popular with tourists – reachable even for us mere mortals who don’t want to hike 10–20 km or conquer 700–800 meters of elevation. We added our own twist: 🚲 cycling, 🚡 a cable car ride, windy 📸 photo ops, and a real summit push. 🏞️

The lower station of the Rax cable car is located in Hirschwang, about 6.5 km from our home. With our electric bikes and a bike trailer (Z + L1 + L2), we made it there in about 25 minutes. Those who prefer not to pedal can choose to go by 🚗 car, 🚌 scheduled bus, or use the flexible Rufbus service.

The cable car quickly took us up the mountain (1,546 m), and from there we headed toward the Jakobskogel. The summit is at 1,736 meters, and is supposed to be about an hour’s walk from the station – it took us closer to 1.5 hours, but we had to inspect every second bush. 🌿👀

The Ottohaus was the perfect spot for a snack break 🧃🥪. While L1 enjoyed a well-earned snack with Nana, the rest of us (Aunt Gi, Z and L2) made the most of the windy but sunny weather to take some fresh family 📷 photos at the top.

The hike there and back is around 6 km, with 240 meters of elevation gain. At a relaxed, family-friendly pace, it took us about 2.5 hours. If you still have a bit of energy left on the way down, it’s well worth taking a short detour to the Höllentalaussicht for a breathtaking view of the entire valley. 🌄✨

⸻

🗺️ Route: Hirschwang – Rax Cable Car – upper station – Ottohaus – Jakobskogel – return

🥾 Distance: approx. 6 km round trip

📈 Elevation gain: 240 m

🕒 Time: approx. 2.5 hours at a kid-friendly pace

⸻

🎒 It turned into a perfect family outing: aunt, grandma, friends, kids, cable car, mountaintop – everything you’d want in a day that ends with both kids sleeping soundly. 💤 A few more photos for the family album, some shared memories – and another summit conquered. 💚🏞️

Autumn Magic on the Schneeberg – a Tuesday Afternoon That Turned into Something Special

Ever since we’ve had two kids, we’ve been getting the NÖ-Card (Lower Austria Card – more info here:Schneeberg with kids) every year. And since we’re already invested, we try to make the most of it – even on regular weekdays. So, one Tuesday morning in late October, I checked the weather forecast: ✅. Then the availability on the Salamander train: ✅. And just like that, our plan for the day was set.

This time, we headed up the Schneeberg on the Salamander cog railway. At noon, I picked up Leno from kindergarten, he had a quick nap in the car, and 50 minutes later, we were already having a snack on the train. After a short stop at the playground near the train’s summit station, we set off on a smaller hike – not to Klosterwappen (Lower Austria’s highest point at 2076 m), but up to the Waxriegel. I figured that this route was just the right length to manage in the afternoon with two small kids, but still with a bit of a challenge.

To me, the Waxriegel (1888 m) is a perfect destination with young children: it offers beautiful panoramic views, and the summit area isn’t steep or exposed on any side. The kids could run around freely, and I enjoyed the golden autumn light. From there, we continued to the Damböckhaus hut, with Leno already running ahead. The trail is gentle enough that he could jog down safely. We visited on the very last day the hut was open and even shared a gluten-free lentil stew together.

After the hike, we walked back to the train station, stopping by the Sisi Chapel to watch the sunset. There’s something truly magical about these evenings when the sun sets before dinner – and we can share that golden light together, surrounded by the silence of the mountains, broken only (or rather constantly 😉) by the sounds of our two kids.

Route: Schneeberg cog railway summit – Waxriegel – Damböckhaus – back to the railway

Distance: 3.5 km

Elevation gain: 140 m

Time: It took us about an hour for the loop, and we spent another 1.5 hours taking breaks

📷 We also captured the mood on Instagram – check out the video https://www.instagram.com/reel/DBt_FKUsXSZ/?igsh=MTcwM3Zta3FsZDZqMg==

Sometimes all it takes is a spontaneous idea and a bit of determination – and an ordinary Tuesday afternoon can turn into a memorable adventure.

Talhof Loop – Perfect for a Short Run or a Relaxed Walk

Perfect for anyone training for the Vienna Business Run (😋) or just looking for a relaxed, relatively flat 4.2 km route nearby – or even a peaceful nature walk. The Talhof Loop is a great choice in (almost) any weather and can even be tackled with a sturdy, off-road stroller.

Route: Waldschlössl – Scheiterplatz – Talhof – Talhofstraße – Rudolfvilla – Schneedörflstraße – Waldschlössl

Distance: 4.2 km

⏳ Depending on who you’re with, we’ve finished it in anything from 30 minutes to 2 hours

Elevation gain: 120 m

A Day on Schneeberg with the Salamander Railway – Lessons Learned

When the wind is strong, we only recommend this trip if…

  • your Lower Austria Card (NÖ-Card) is about to expire and you want to make the most of your last chance (that was our situation – the cog railway stops running from the middle of November until spring),
  • you happen to be in the area and there’s no other day that works (some of our guests went under these exact conditions),
  • or you’re up for a bit of a challenge (like my friend Évi) – though ideally without kids… unless you want the full challenge. 😉

A quick heads-up: the Rax cable car tends to be shut down about twice a year due to bad weather. And yes, we somehow picked one of those days for our little adventure.

From Waldschlössl to Puchberg, you can either take the train (with a change in Wiener Neustadt, so it takes a bit longer), or drive – it’s about 40 minutes by car through charming little villages. This time, we (Zita, L1 and L2) opted for the car.

By the way, from Puchberg (and from Waldschlössl), it’s also possible to hike up to Schneeberg on foot and simply meet up with your kids or other family members at the top.

A note on prices (as of 2025):
You can buy a regular ticket for the cog railway:
– €43.50 for a round trip
– €30.50 for a one-way ride
Children under six travel free, although officially only one child is allowed per adult.
There’s also a combined Rax–Schneeberg ticket, which is valid for two years and costs €64 for adults (2025).
Or, you can get a Lower Austria Card, which covers both mountain railways (and much more). The card is valid for a year starting April 1 until the end of March (€83 for adults).

Back to the trip:
The cog railway takes you up to 1,800 meters in about 40 minutes. From the top station, if it’s not too windy, you can walk with young children to the 1,888-meter-high Waxriegel and enjoy lunch at the Damböckhaus.

From Damböckhaus, there are two ways up to the 2,076-meter summit:
A steeper and trickier path from the left, or a more gradual (but longer) route that leads toward Fischerhütte.

In this “pleasant breeze” we managed to reach the Damböckhaus, and after about 15 minutes the kids had fully adjusted and weren’t fazed by the storm anymore.
Near the top station, the wind gusts were truly wild – but after that, let’s just say it was “only mildly unpleasant.”
The upside of hiking with two kids of the perfect age and weight: one in front, one on the back – and you don’t get blown away. 😉

Conclusion:
Check the weather forecast carefully before you go.
The views are stunning even in stormy conditions.
By the time we got back down, the summit was completely hidden in fog – and snow had started to fall.