Semmering is a town in the district of Neunkirchen in the

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

n state of

Lower Austria Lower Austria ( , , abbreviated LA or NÖ) is one of the nine states of Austria, located in the northeastern corner of the country. Major cities are Amstetten, Lower Austria, Amstetten, Krems an der Donau, Wiener Neustadt and Sankt Pölten, which ...

. It is noted for its skiing, and has hosted the

Alpine skiing World Cup The FIS Alpine Ski World Cup is the top international circuit of alpine skiing competitions, launched in 1966 by a group of ski racing friends and experts which included French journalist Serge Lang (skiing), Serge Lang and the alpine ski team d ...

several times. When the Semmering Railway was completed in 1854, the town quickly became a popular tourist getaway in winter months. In 2011, the town had a permanent population of 571.

Population

Resort

History of the resort

At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, the better Viennese society discovered the Semmering as a nearby summer resort - destination. The town was revived with the construction of the Semmering Railway, which opened 1854. Semmering - Südbahnhotel.JPG, Südbahnhotel, build 1882 Semmering - Kurhaus.JPG, Kurhotel, build 1909 Semmering - Hotel Panhans.JPG, Hotel Panhans, build 1888 (1913)

Location

Semmering is located on the border of Lower Austria and Styria at an elevation of 1,000 m (3,280 ft) above sea level and surrounded with forest. Semmering city is located in Neunkirchen, about 100 km (60 mi) from Vienna.

Winter season

As usual, winter season starts in December and lasts until mid-April. The Semmering resort in winter is a ski village with: * 14 km slopes for daytime skiing (3 out of them for beginners, 10 - intermediate, 1 - black) * 13 km slopes for night skiing (Semmering has one of the best lighting system in Europe) * 12 km slopes available for racing ski * toboggan run of 3 km * Split Park * Vertical height up to 400 m (1,310 ft). * Semmering is famous for its alpine skiing, and has hosted the World Cup races several times. * Semmering railway was listed as World Heritage Site of UNESCO in 2005.

Sports

Semmering has hosted FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup competitions several times, sometimes during evenings in illuminated slopes. The events have usually attracted many spectators.

References

External links

* * {{Authority control Cities and towns in Neunkirchen District, Austria Fischbach Alps