Anton Karg Haus
Anton Karg Haus is an Alpine club hut and mountain lodging facility in the Kaisertal valley of Austria's Kaisergebirge.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Anton Karg Haus is a historic Alpine club hut in the upper Kaisertal valley of Tyrol, Austria. It belongs to the Kufstein Section of the Austrian Alpine Club and stands beside the Kaiserbach stream at Hinterbärenbad, within the Wilder Kaiser nature reserve. The site is known for its views toward both the Wilder Kaiser and Zahmer Kaiser ranges and for its position along a scenic approach route through the Kaisertal. The building began as a hut made available to the Kufstein branch by the borough of Kufstein in 1882. After renovation, it opened as the Hinterbärenbad Hut on 25 July 1883. Further work in 1884 transferred the property into the full ownership of the Kufstein branch. A veranda was added, and a second building was converted into sleeping accommodation before the facility began receiving guests in 1887. Expansion and partial rebuilding followed in 1894, and the New Hinterbärenbad Hut was constructed during the winter of 1894–1895 and opened in spring 1895. The spacious rooms and balconies associated with the historic building largely date from this period. The hut was named for Anton Karg, a co-founder of the Kufstein Section. Karg managed the hut from 1888 and chaired the Kufstein branch of the Alpine Club from 1890 to 1919. During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the building also served as a summer retreat for prominent residents of Kufstein, giving it a role beyond basic mountain shelter. The Pavicic family hosted the hut for many years; the tenants changed in 2006. Today, Anton Karg Haus functions as a destination for hikers, day visitors, climbers, and mountaineers. It can be reached from Kufstein through the Kaisertal by an easier walking route, or by several mountain approaches from surrounding huts and passes. Routes connect it with the Kaindl Hut, Vorderkaiserfelden Hut, Hans Berger Haus, Stripsenjochhaus, and more demanding destinations such as the Grutten Hut. Nearby ascents include Kleiner Halt, Ellmauer Halt, Sonneck, Pyramidenspitze, and Stripsenkopf, while climbing routes are available on the Kleiner Halt and Gamshalt. The hut's appeal combines historic Alpine-club architecture, accessible walking routes, dramatic limestone scenery, and its location beside the stream at Hinterbärenbad.
History
Anton Karg Haus developed from the nineteenth-century Alpine-club infrastructure of the Kufstein branch in the Kaisergebirge. In 1882, the borough of Kufstein lent an Alpine hut to the branch. After remodeling, the building opened as the Hinterbärenbad Hut on 25 July 1883. An additional expansion took place in 1884, when the hut and a newly constructed wooden building became the full property of the Kufstein branch. The second structure was later adapted for sleeping accommodation, and a veranda was added. The enlarged refuge began accepting guests in 1887. The facility was expanded again in 1894, including partial new construction. During the winter of 1894–1895, the New Hinterbärenbad Hut was built and opened in spring 1895. The unusually generous rooms and some of the balconies that distinguish the historic building originate from this rebuilding period. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the hut was used not only by hikers and mountaineers but also as a summer retreat for respected citizens of Kufstein. The current name commemorates Anton Karg, a co-founder of the Kufstein Section. He became manager of the hut in 1888 and led the Kufstein branch as chairman from 1890 through 1919. These associations link the building to the institutional history of Alpine clubs and to the early development of organized mountain tourism in the region. Anton Karg Haus stands at Hinterbärenbad beside the Kaiserbach stream in the upper Kaisertal. Local tradition explains the place name by recalling brown bears cooling themselves in the stream during hot weather, although the animals may also have been searching for food. Brown bears were exterminated in the region during the nineteenth century because Alpine residents feared for people and livestock. Later proposals to reintroduce bears to the Austrian Alps did not restore a permanent historical presence at the site; old drawings and paintings remain the principal reminders of the tradition. For many years the Pavicic family hosted the hut, with a change of tenants recorded in 2006. The building continues to serve the Kufstein Section's mountain-hut network. Its access from Kufstein through the Kaisertal is comparatively approachable, making it popular with day visitors as well as overnight guests. At the same time, its position among the limestone peaks of the Wilder Kaiser and Zahmer Kaiser provides access to demanding ascents, traverses, and climbing routes. The hut therefore occupies both a historical and practical role in the regional Alpine tourism system.
- 2006
Change of hut tenants
[1]The long-running hosting arrangement associated with the Pavicic family ended or changed around 2006.
- 1895
New Hinterbärenbad Hut opens
[1]The New Hinterbärenbad Hut, constructed during the winter of 1894–1895, opened in spring 1895. Its spacious rooms and balconies remain defining historical features.
- 1894
Further enlargement and rebuilding
[1]The facility underwent another enlargement and partial reconstruction before the replacement hut was built over the following winter.
- 1888
Anton Karg becomes hut manager
[1]Anton Karg, later commemorated in the hut's name, took responsibility for managing the hut.
- 1887
Expanded refuge begins receiving guests
[1]A veranda was added and the second building was converted into sleeping accommodation, enabling the refuge to host guests.
- 1884
Property transferred to the Kufstein branch
[1]Following further expansion, ownership of the hut and a newly built wooden structure passed fully to the Kufstein branch.
- 1883
Hinterbärenbad Hut opens
[1]After remodeling, the hut opened to users on 25 July 1883 under the name Hinterbärenbad Hut.
- 1882
Kufstein branch receives an Alpine hut
[1]The borough of Kufstein lent an Alpine hut to the Kufstein branch of the Austrian Alpine Club, establishing the institutional foundation of the future Anton Karg Haus.
Products and positioning
A historic Austrian Alpine club hut positioned as a scenic mountain lodging and excursion destination in the Kaisergebirge, combining traditional refuge hospitality with access to hiking, climbing, and mountaineering routes.
Mountain lodging
Anton Karg Haus overnight accommodation
The hut provides traditional Alpine refuge accommodation in the upper Kaisertal. Its historic rooms, including unusually spacious spaces and some balconies dating from the late nineteenth-century rebuilding, distinguish it from a purely utilitarian emergency shelter. It serves hikers, climbers, mountaineers, and visitors traveling through the Kaisergebirge.
Outdoor access and excursion destination
Kaisertal hiking access
Anton Karg Haus is a destination on the route through the Kaisertal from Kufstein. The normal approach passes through the valley via Pfandlhof and is described as an easy walk, while an alternative route follows the old Kaisertal Way and St. Anthony's Chapel. The journey offers views of the limestone formations of the Kaisergebirge and attracts day visitors in favorable weather.
Mountaineering services
Mountain and climbing base
The hut supports access to surrounding mountain routes and climbing areas. Nearby objectives include Kleiner Halt, Ellmauer Halt, Sonneck, Pyramidenspitze, Vordere Kesselschneid, and Stripsenkopf. Climbing tours are available around Kleiner Halt and Gamshalt, while longer connections lead to other Alpine club huts and passes.
Sources1 sources
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