Schneeberg (Alps)
Encyclopedia
The Schneeberg, with its 2076 m-high summit Klosterwappen, is the highest mountain
of Lower Austria
, and the easternmost 2000 m-high mountain in the Alps
. It is a distinctive limestone
massif with steep slopes on three sides.
The Schneeberg is one of the Northern Calcareous Alps in the borderland between Lower Austria
and Styria
, in the eastern part of Austria
. It and the Rax
(2007 m), some 13 km to the south-west, are collectively considered the Viennese
Hausberge (local mountains). The rich Karst
plateau
x have provided drinking water for Vienna
, via a 120 km-long pipeline, since 1873, claiming to be the best drinking water in the world.
On clear days, Schneeberg can be readily seen from parts of Vienna, some 65 km away (as the crow flies), together with its snow-fields that reach down its northern slopes even in summer and provide a challenge to skiers.
A rack-and-pinion railway
, the Schneeberg Railway, now over 100 years old, climbs to a height of 1800 m, reducing the walk to the summit to an hour or two. There are also a number of other routes for walkers, including from the spa resort of Puchberg am Schneeberg
to the east, or from the south, in Höllental
.
The summit plateau has a number of mountain huts which are visited by thousands of walkers, climbers and even mountain-bikers annually.
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
of Lower Austria
Lower Austria
Lower Austria is the northeasternmost state of the nine states in Austria. The capital of Lower Austria since 1986 is Sankt Pölten, the most recently designated capital town in Austria. The capital of Lower Austria had formerly been Vienna, even though Vienna is not officially part of Lower Austria...
, and the easternmost 2000 m-high mountain in the Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
. It is a distinctive limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
massif with steep slopes on three sides.
The Schneeberg is one of the Northern Calcareous Alps in the borderland between Lower Austria
Lower Austria
Lower Austria is the northeasternmost state of the nine states in Austria. The capital of Lower Austria since 1986 is Sankt Pölten, the most recently designated capital town in Austria. The capital of Lower Austria had formerly been Vienna, even though Vienna is not officially part of Lower Austria...
and Styria
Styria (state)
Styria is a state or Bundesland, located in the southeast of Austria. In area it is the second largest of the nine Austrian federated states, covering 16,401 km². It borders Slovenia as well as the other Austrian states of Upper Austria, Lower Austria, Salzburg, Burgenland, and Carinthia. ...
, in the eastern part of Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
. It and the Rax
Rax
The Rax is a mountain range at the border of the Austrian federal provinces Lower Austria and Styria, situated in the Northern Limestone Alps....
(2007 m), some 13 km to the south-west, are collectively considered the Viennese
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
Hausberge (local mountains). The rich Karst
KARST
Kilometer-square Area Radio Synthesis Telescope is a Chinese telescope project to which FAST is a forerunner. KARST is a set of large spherical reflectors on karst landforms, which are bowlshaped limestone sinkholes named after the Kras region in Slovenia and Northern Italy. It will consist of...
plateau
Plateau
In geology and earth science, a plateau , also called a high plain or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting of relatively flat terrain. A highly eroded plateau is called a dissected plateau...
x have provided drinking water for Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, via a 120 km-long pipeline, since 1873, claiming to be the best drinking water in the world.
On clear days, Schneeberg can be readily seen from parts of Vienna, some 65 km away (as the crow flies), together with its snow-fields that reach down its northern slopes even in summer and provide a challenge to skiers.
A rack-and-pinion railway
Rack railway
A rack-and-pinion railway is a railway with a toothed rack rail, usually between the running rails. The trains are fitted with one or more cog wheels or pinions that mesh with this rack rail...
, the Schneeberg Railway, now over 100 years old, climbs to a height of 1800 m, reducing the walk to the summit to an hour or two. There are also a number of other routes for walkers, including from the spa resort of Puchberg am Schneeberg
Puchberg am Schneeberg
Puchberg am Schneeberg is a town in the south-eastern part of Lower Austria with approx. 2650 inhabitants. It is situated about 80 Kilometres from Vienna. The highest point of Puchberg is the Schneeberg with 2076 m, the highest mountain of Lower Austria....
to the east, or from the south, in Höllental
Höllental (Lower Austria)
The Höllental in Lower Austria is a narrow valley between the steep limestone massifs of the Schneeberg and Rax through which the River Schwarza flows....
.
The summit plateau has a number of mountain huts which are visited by thousands of walkers, climbers and even mountain-bikers annually.
External links
(in German)- Webcams of Losenheim and Puchberg
- Webcams: Schneeberg - Fischerhütte, Damböckhaus, Losenheim
- Bergsteigen.at with information about climbing routes and huts in the Schneeberg/Rax area