Spital to Krieglach by way of Mürzzuschlag

A road 9km/5.5mi long leads southwestward to Styrian writer Peter Rosegger's "forest home" of Alpl (1,100m/3,610ft).

To the southwest of Alpl (30 minutes; accessible only on foot) is the Untere Kluppeneggerhof, the house in which Rosegger was born (memorial; conducted tours).

In Alpl can be seen the Forest Schoolhouse ("Waldschulhaus"), a school endowed by Rosegger in 1902 in the hope that it would make life easier for the children and perhaps prevent their leaving for pastures new; it was closed down in 1975 (commemorative room; now the Austrian Walkers' Museum).

There are rewarding climbs to be had in the Fischbach Alps to the southeast of Mürzzuschlag - for example, up the Stuhleck (three and a half hours) or the Pretul (1,653m/5,423ft).

7km/4.5mi north of Mürzzuschlag lies Kapellen (703m/2,307ft; "Sunny Mile" training area), from which a road leads eastward over the Preiner-Gscheid-Sattel (1,070m/3,511ft) into the Höllental.

To the southwest of Mürzzuschlag, on the road to Bruck, lie the attractive summer resorts of Langenwang (638m/2,093ft) and Krieglach (614m/ 2,015ft; pop. 5,000), in which the Styrian writer Peter Rosegger died in 1918. His country villa surrounded by parkland is now the Peter Rosegger Museum, displaying first editions and letters, translations and photographs. His grave can be found in the southwestern corner of the old cemetery.

Mürzzuschlag (680m/2,231ft; pop. 12,000), the chief settlement in the Mürztal, is a lively little town. It is known as a popular summer and winter sports resort (Winter Sports and Local Museum; history of skiing and folk art), situated where the Fröschnitzbach, flowing down from the Semmering pass, joins the River Mürz.

The museum is often used by the Austrian Johannes Brahms Society as a venue for their annual concerts. The society also hosts an International Music Festival in mid-September.

The winter sport museum in Mürzzuschlag has information on the history of skiing.

4km/2.5mi past Kapellen on the road to Krieglach, at the foot of the Schneealpe, nestles Neuberg (732m/2,402ft), with an interesting former Cistercian abbey and a fine 14th-15th C. church containing the famous "Neuberg Madonna" (14th C.).

This annual festival take place in July.

This annual festival takes place in June with performances by internationally-acclaimed musicians.

7km/4.5mi southwest of the Semmering pass, on the road to Mürzzuschlag, lies the summer resort of Spital am Semmering (770m/2,526ft; pop. 2,500), from which there is a chairlift up the Hühnerkogel (1,380m/4,528ft). To the southwest rises the Stuhlech (1,782m/5,847ft), which can also be reached from Steinhaus am Semmering by a road which passes over the Pfaffensattel (1,368m/4,488ft).