In the Belle-Époque era of tourism (late 19th and early 20th Century), the Semmering, easily accessible by railway, was a very popular upper class holiday destination. Grand Hotels such as the Kurhaus Semmering (which had opened in 1909) later ran into troubles due to a change in the way of tourism. In the early 21st Century, the Kurhaus was occasionally used for cultural events, but not as a hotel.