150 years ago the Semmering Pass was still wild inaccessible mountain terrain. With the first high mountain railroad in the world, the imperial family, nobility and moneyed aristocracy conquered this wild nature. With castles, grand hotels and villas they built a small, second Vienna in the mountains. Today, personalities such as Christian Ludwig Attersee, who has his studio on the Semmering,make for an interesting mix with the deeply rooted country life in the region. The special tradition of folk song in the region, the water protection of the spring area, the unique mountain turkey, unusual art in the Höllental and a walk on the Rax,all form the portrait of an enchanting stretch of land just outside Vienna