Preiner Gscheid - Waxriegelhaus (past Helenenquelle)

Access to starting point:
From the border crossing Šentilj we continue driving on the highway towards Gradec / Graz and forward towards Linz and Salzburg. We soon leave Highway A9 and continue driving slightly to the right towards Vienna/Wien, proceeding on Highway S35. From this highway, we then merge onto Highway S6, still following the signs for Vienna. We leave the highway at the Mürzzuschlag-West exit, then follow the road to the city center, from where we follow signs for the settlement Neuberg an der Mürz. Before we reach the mentioned settlement, we turn right in the settlement Kapellen toward the mountain pass Preiner Gscheid. When we arrive at the mentioned mountain pass, we park in a larger paid parking lot. The parking fee in July 2024 was 4 euros for 24 hours.

Path description:
From the parking lot, we head north, following the signs for mountain huts Waxriegelhaus, Neue Hüttee, and Karl Ludwighaus. The path initially follows a macadam road, then continues on a footpath mostly through the forest, occasionally crossing the macadam road.
Higher, the path splits, and we continue right on the road (straight is the normal path), along which we proceed to the nearby turn. From the turn, we continue straight on a footpath, beside which are signs for the path past the spring Helenenquelle.
The path ahead crosses a grazing fence and gently descends to a torrent, where the spring is located.
Here, we turn left and begin a steep ascent, choosing either the left or right path, both of which merge after a few minutes of climbing. Further on, we continue steeply ascending for some time, then leave the forest and reach a macadam road, along which we proceed to the nearby mountain cottage.
The description and pictures refer to the condition in July 2024.

On the way: Helenenquelle (1230m)