Mountainmaniac

The Haid-Steig, named after a former mayor of Reichenau, leads to the 1783 m (5850 ft) high Preinerwand and is rightly described as one of the boldest via ferratas in the Vienna area. Its history goes back to the beginning of the 20th century. In the years between 1910 and 1913, the Haid-Steig was built by the Viennese locksmith August Cepl according to the plans of the alpinist and painter Gustav Jahn and thanks to financing from Camillo Kronich.  The trail, steeped in history, is known far beyond Austria's near border with its eastern neighbors and, like the entire region around the Rax-Schneeberg massif, enjoys great popularity. It is therefore advisable to avoid weekends or start early in the morning, especially in the summer months when the trail may be very busy. Both the large car park at Preiner Gescheid and the smaller car park in Griesleiten are popular starting points for climbing the Haid-Steig. Due to the shorter approach to the via ferrata, the Griesleiten car park w