- Semmering Pass
Infobox Mountain Pass
Name = Semmering
Photo =Semmering-bahn.jpg
Caption =Satellite photo of the Semmering
Elevation = 965 m (3,166 ft)
Location = AUT
Range =Alps
Coordinates = coord|47|37|57|N|15|49|47|E|type:pass
Topographic
Traversed by ="For the town of the same name, see
Semmering, Austria ."Semmering (el. 965 m) is a
mountain pass in the EasternNorthern Limestone Alps connectingLower Austria and Styria, between which it forms a naturalborder .Location
Semmering Pass is located west of
Sonnwendstein andHirschenkogel and east of thePinkenkogel .With the
Wechsel Pass , the Semmering is the most important connection between Lower Austria and Styria. It can be crossed by road (via an "Autobahn " with a tunnel), or using theSemmering Railway .A village also bearing the name Semmering is located on the pass. The villages of
Maria Schutz andSpital am Semmering are located slightly below the pass, on the Lower Austrian and Styrian sides respectively.Schottwien andMürzzuschlag are the closest sizeable towns on either side.Rail transportation
As the Semmering is a major bottleneck in the
Austria nrailway network, the Semmering Railway, which is a UNESCOWorld Heritage site, is planned to be supplemented by a tunnel located at the base of the mountains. The project is supported by the Austrian Federal Government and the governments of Styria and Carinthia, but heavily opposed by the government of Lower Austria, which continues to oppose the project by issuing negativeenvironmental impact statement s. The project has now been stalled for several years, even though the administrative acts issued by the Lower Austrian government have been repeatedly declared invalid by theAustrian Administrative Court . The main argument against the tunnel is the possible negative effect onground water .kiing
The Semmering
ski resort , which also hosts World Cup events, is located at the pass and extends on to the Hirschenkogel mountain. It is mainly used by skiers from Vienna, from where it can be reached within one hour, but increasingly also by people fromHungary andSlovakia .The Semmering Pass in numismatics
The Semmering Pass is so popular that it features on a famous commemorative coin: the 25 euro 150 Years of the Semmering Alpine Railway Coin. The reverse of the coin shows a typical Semmering view. A steam engine has just emerged from a tunnel crossing one of the distinctive viaducts.
External links
* [http://www.stuhleck.com/ Stuhleck - Skiregion Semmering]
* [http://www.semmering.at/ http://www.semmering.at/]
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