Kurhaus Semmering

After visiting the Grande Dame Südbahnhotel we went back to the Kurhaus Semmering – another stunning former Grande Hotel (Spa) of the region. Facing towards the south-east and surround by the forrest.

In 1907 Karoline von Neumann, whose late husband architect Franz von Neumann built many of the villas in Semmering, and Dr. Franz Hansy proposed the building of a spa above the train station Wolfsbergkogel with view of the Sonnwennstein. Not only a beautiful area but also know for it´s therapeutic effects.

Development and design was done by the two very known architects Franz von Krauß und Josef Tölk. The building is made out of reinforced concrete, the out- and inside is a mixture of Jugendstil, traditional and palace-inspired elements.

The Kurhaus took up to 120 guests at once, who could choose between quite big rooms with bath en-suite in the mezzanine to smaller rooms with shared baths in the upper floors. There was a fitness, a reading, music and playing rooms, gymnastics and tennis outside.

The scenery, the mountains and the forrest added to the relaxation and spread calmness. The Kurhaus was also loved by artists, writers, poets, actors, musicians like Max Reinhardt, Arthur Schnitzler, Anton Wildgans, Raoul Auernheimer, Jakob Wassermann, Otto Brahm, Gerhart Hauptmann, Ernst Lothar, Peter Altenberg Franz Werfel and Anna Mahler who met her later husband Paul Zsolnay here. (Kurhaus Semmering)

During World War II the Kurhaus was used as a military hospital for the higher ranks and after 1945 by the Sowjets. In the 1950ies the rooms were redesigned and until 1988 used as recreation home for federal employees. The adaption to a wellness hotel felt through in the 1990is and ownership changed a few times.

During summer 2007 an interactive play was performed at the Kurhaus: “Alma – a Show Biz ans Ende” Since 2011 the Kulturverein Semmering stages the “Festival am Semmering” in the Kurhaus – and this year also at the Südbahnhotel.