Location
The 23rd European Conference on Iteration Theory will take place at Hotel Marienhof (unfortunately the homepage is only in German) in Reichenau an der Rax.
Reichenau an der Rax is a climatic spa about 70 km South-Western from Vienna. It has about 2 500 inhabitants and its elevation is 484 m above sea level.
Officially Reichenau an der Rax is a market town (“Marktgemeinde” in German). However it received its rights being a market town in 1958 and not in medieval times. Because of the Semmering railway, which was finished in 1854, Reichenau became easily accessible from Vienna. In the late 19th century and the early 20th century it became popular as a place for summer holidays for the nobility and rich persons from Vienna. Of particular interest for Vienna is the “I. Wiener Hochquellenwasserleitung” (First Vienna Mountain Spring Pipeline) from Kaiserbrunn (6 km to the northwest of Reichenau) to Vienna, which was inaugurated in 1873 and is still supplying Vienna with water of high quality.
Places of touristic interest in Reichenau:
Note that usually it is only possible to see these buildings from outside, in the case of Villa Wartholz and Schloss Rothschild even seeing them from outside is usually not possible.
Schloss Reichenau (Castle Reichenau): A first castle at this place has been erected in the 13th century. From the 13th to the 18th century it belonged to the Stift Neuberg (Neuberg Abbey), a Cistercian monastery (dissolved in 1786) about 20 km to the west of Reichenau but separated by the mountain pass Preiner Gscheid (1070 m). Substancial rebuildings were carried out in the 19th century.
Thalhof: Here, 1 km to the north of the town centre, there has been a manor in the 17th century. Later it has been transformed to a hotel.
Rudolfsvilla: Close to the centre this mansion was built in the 19th century. During summer often members of the imperial family lived in this mansion, sometimes also Franz Josef I himself.
Villa Wartholz: About 1 km to the west of the town centre this castle was erected in the 19th century for Archduke Karl Ludwig, a brother of Emperor Franz Josef I.
Schloss Rothschild: It was built 500 m to the south of Villa Wartholz in the 19th century for Nathaniel Rothschild.
Theater Reichenau: This building in the town centre has been erected in 1926. Untill 1995 it was called “Kurtheater Reichenau”. Here every year in July the “Festspiele Reichenau” take place, mainly with theatre performances.
Freibad Reichenau: Only a bit to the south of the main road there is the “Freibad Reichenau” with an open-air swimming pool. It is opened during summer.
Places of touristic interest close to Reichenau:
Semmeringbahn (Semmering railway): Between 1848 and 1854 Carl Ghega built this railway in order to connect Gloggnitz with Mürzzuschlag. It was an important part of a railway from Vienna to Trieste/Trst (finished 1857), which at this time was the most important port of the Austrian Empire (note that untill 1867 it was called the Austrian Empire, from 1867 to 1918 the Austro-Hungarian Empire). Since between Gloggnitz and Mürzzuschlag one has to cross the mountain pass Semmering (984 m) Ghega had to construct several horseshoe curves, 16 viaducts and 14 tunnels. Although there had been predecessors of mountain railways the Semmering railway can be considered as the first “real” mountain railway.
Passing only 1 km to the east of Reichenau the Semmering railway does not touch the town area of Reichenau. Nonetheless the railway station “Payerbach-Reichenau” in the neighbouring town Payerbach is only 2 km to the east of the town centre of Reichenau.
Schwarzaviadukt: With a length of 228 m this viaduct is the longest one of the Semmering railway. However with a height of 25 m it is not the highest one. In a horseshoe curve the river Schwarza is crossed by this viaduct.
Raxseilbahn: It was the first cable car in Austria. Originally it has been built 1925–1926. From Hirschwang (4 km to the northwest of Reichenau, 528 m) it leads in a length of 2160 m to the plateau of the Rax in 1546 m above sea level.
Wasserleitungsmuseum Kaiserbrunn: In Kaiserbrunn (6 km to the northwest of Reichenau) there is the Wasserleitungsmuseum (Museum of the Mountain Spring Pipeline). Several documents and objects on the “I. Wiener Hochquellenwasserleitung” (First Vienna Mountain Spring Pipeline) are shown. The entry without guide is free, but the museum is only open between May and October on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays between 10 and 16.30.
Here there is a fountain (Kaiserbrunn means “fountain of the Emperor”) which was observed by Emperor Charles VI in the 18th century while he was hunting in this area. Because he liked this water he organized that water from this fountain has to be transported to him in Vienna. Later, between 1869 and 1873 the Mountain Spring Pipeline from Kaiserbrunn to Vienna has been built. Even nowadays this (extended) pipeline and a second one (from Hochschwab) supply Vienna with water.