Rax Cable Car Celebrates 95 Years
The Raxseilbahn is located in Lower Austria and leads from Hirschwang to the Rax . The cabin cable car leads from an altitude of 528 m above sea level. A. at 1,546 meters. It takes between seven and ten minutes to cover the operating length of 2,160 meters. The greatest distance between the gondola and the ground is 60 meters, the greatest span 800 meters.
The Rax cable car starts with a 95-year anniversary in summer 2021. Herbal tours, writing and astro workshops, gourmet events such as “Haubenkoch meets Hüttenwirt”, a 4,000 square meter alpine garden and high-quality hut gastronomy in the Raxalm mountain inn and Ottohaus make them Rax to a mountain for everyone. The new Silva Lounge on the Rax Plateau also illustrates the comeback of summer freshness. A new combined ticket with the Höllentalbahn makes the hearts of nostalgic fans beat faster. Plus: safety tips on the mountain for a carefree hiking excursion on the Raxalpe.
The aerial tramway was built between July 1925 and April 1926 as the first tourist cable car in Austria by Adolf Bleichert & Co. (concession announced on August 13, 1925). It operated as a material ropeway for a year , was opened on June 9, 1926, in the presence of Federal President Michael Hainisch , as a passenger ropeway, a cross between airplane and bus , and opened to the public the next day. The regular operating times provided for hourly trips between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. the normal price was five shillings for the ascent and four for the descent; Children's tickets cost two shillings and 50 groschen . A bus service was set up between the Payerbach train station and the valley station of the Raxseilbahn; Two years later, the Höllentalbahn was able to offer rail-bound feeder traffic.
The total cost was 3.6 million shillings. The first goods were transported to the Rax plateau on July 7th. About a year later, on June 9, 1926, the time had come: the Rax cable car, which was built according to the “Bleichert-Zuegg system”, went into operation. The rest is history. "The Green Queen" transports guests safely, quickly and comfortably to the Rax, which can be hiked step by step - with pleasure or actively.
Since the Raxseilbahn is located in the immediate excursion area of the Viennese population, it has always been very successful. It had a peculiarity that seems unusual today: the summer cabin had a railing instead of the outer walls ; the open roof could be closed by a canvas. It was also in operation during the Second World War and carried up to 240,000 passengers a year up the mountain. With the exception of brief maintenance interruptions, it runs all year round. It has been rebuilt and modernized several times since it opened, most recently in winter 2015/2016.
For 50 years now, the Scharfegger family has been setting tourist accents in the Viennese Alps in Lower Austria. The leading establishments include the Raxalm-Berggasthof, the Ottohaus, the Reichenau café-pastry shop, the excursion restaurant “Am Wasserwerk” and the Raxalpen Resort Office in Reichenau, the Raxalpenhof and Kaiserhof in Prein, the dance and event venue Preiner-Stadl and even the Rax cable car. Historian Gottfried Brandstätter, born in Hirschwang an der Rax in 1939, knows the region and above all the history of the Rax cable car like no other. “A look at the hut books reveals that the Rax was already a popular excursion destination at the turn of the century. In the beginning, the Raxalpe was conquered by muscle strength or in a Swiss alpine armchair with mountain horses. The thought was obvious also to create technical ascent aids, "says Brandstätter and adds:" As early as 1913, engineer Walter Conrad from the Ministry of Railways had a plan for the construction of a cogwheel railway that would lead from Preiner Gscheid to the Karl Ludwig House. The basic idea of opening up the Rax by means of a cable car, however, came from Camillo Kronich. "
In summer, hiking is traditionally the most important motive for excursion guests to visit Lower Austria. That means: The mountain regions are essential so that Lower Austria's tourism can start again in the summer season 2021 and quickly leave this historical crisis behind. This is where the Rax cable car is of particular importance. The tourist figurehead in Lower Austria registered around 180,000 guests a year before the COVID-19 era. “For 95 years, the Rax cable car has been more than a leading tour operator and economic factor in the Viennese Alps.
Equipped with the seal of approval “Best Austrian Summer Mountain Railways” as well as the quality stamp of the “TOP excursion destinations in Lower Austria”, the Rax cable car has a lot of charisma. In order to be competitive in tourism, the cable car was completely revitalized around five years ago. According to Bernd Scharfegger, Managing Director of Scharfegger's Raxalpen Resort, the cost of the modernization process was “around four million euros. In the course of this, the entire drive control as well as the cable car and electrical engineering were renewed and the concession was extended for 25 years. The Rax cable car is affectionately known as “The Green Queen”, and that's no coincidence. Our cable car saw the light of day in the same year as Queen Elizabeth II. She presents herself safe today
A mountain summer for everyone
In less than eight minutes, the Rax cable car takes you uphill in comfort. On the Rax plateau, hikers embark on the trail of legendary alpinists, writers and poets. Far away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, Sigmund Freud and his contemporaries already appreciated the Rax. A place of strength and inspiration with a fascinating botanical biodiversity awaits the visitors. With the new Silva Lounge on the panorama terrace directly in front of the Raxalm Berggasthof, the feeling of summer freshness on the mountain becomes even more noticeable. In the event area there are guided herb hikes (July 10th / July 11th / August 28th / August 29th), writing workshops (July 4th / September 12th / October 10th, 2021), astronomy events (September 2nd / September 4th / October 1st / October 2nd), Gourmet events "Haubenkoch meets Hüttenwirt" (13.09. - 14.09.
The term “sustainability” is omnipresent when it comes to current and future issues. It's time to recharge your batteries on the mountain, users of electric cars get clean electricity at eight e-charging stations. Traveling by public transport is also becoming increasingly popular. Attractive ÖBB packages and partnerships ensure a quick and carefree journey. NEW: The summer freshness combined ticket with the Höllentalbahn and the historic bus is intended to appeal to traditional guests. Prices: adults (34.00 euros), children (18.00 euros).
Attractive ÖBB and bus combinations enable guests from Vienna to arrive in 74 minutes - from the front door to the valley station of the Rax cable car. The “Park'n'Camp” camping adventure is within sight. Nature lovers can choose from 13 spacious parking spaces and campsites. Modernly equipped sanitary facilities, free WiFi and a self-service snack buffet ensure a comfortable stay. The ideal starting point to explore the fascinating Höllental. This extends over 16 kilometers between Schwarzau am Gebirge and Hirschwang in southern Lower Austria.
Safety on the mountain: prevention is the top priority
At 1,545 meters above sea level, those interested in the mountains encounter a gentle alpine character that appeals to a diverse group of guests, Scharfegger knows: “In order to point out the sources of danger on the mountain, we had a clear 'End of Flip-Flop Zone' safety campaign last year Signs set. In addition to the wrong footwear, it is the lack of preventive measures that spoil a carefree hike on the mountain. "
For the summer season 2021, Lower Austria's mountains are a popular excursion and holiday destination. Home holidays are trendy, "we expect more traffic on the mountain this year," says Dr. Matthias Cernusca, Regional Manager of the Mountain Rescue Service Lower Austria / Vienna, adds: “Last year 859 people were rescued from an alpine emergency. The trend is increasing. That is why we are increasingly focusing on prevention in order to reduce the number of mountain accidents. ”For 125 years now, the Lower Austria / Vienna mountain rescue service has been offering a safety net made up of over 1,300 volunteer mountain rescuers. What is striking: More and more people are going on mountain tours that have so far had little or no alpine experience. Cernusca: “The equipment of mountain enthusiasts has improved compared to before. Correct application often causes problems. In addition, the soft skills such as route planning, self-assessment or orientation are falling by the wayside more and more often. "
