Originally an ore mining and forestry area, Reichenau due to its picturesque setting became a summer resort of the Viennese nobility in the 19th century.

Reichenau was directly connected to Payerbach by the Höllentalbahn narrow gauge railway in 1926 at the same time with the opening of the Raxseilbahn, the oldest aerial tramway in Austria.

In 1872 Archduke Charles Louis of Austria had the Villa Wartholz residence erected near his favourite hunting grounds, according to plans by Heinrich von Ferstel.

He however did not spend much time in Reichenau and shortly afterwards donated the palais to a veterans foundation, while the Villa Wartholz remained a seat of the Habsburg family, especially of Charles and his wife Zita; their first son, Otto, was born and baptized there,[3] and when Charles become Emperor of Austria, Villa Wartholz was his summer residence in the years 1917 and 1918.

[4][5][6][7][8] Beside the Südbahn railway line, Reichenau can be reached via the B27 Höllental Straße federal highway running from Gloggnitz and the S6 Semmering Schnellstraße expressway to Rohr im Gebirge.