General Milan Rastislav Štefánik Mountain Hut

The Chata generála Milana Rastislava Štefánika (literally 'General Milan Rastislav Štefánik Mountain Hut') is a mountain hut in the Low Tatras (Nízke Tatry) in Slovakia. It stands on the main ridge directly at the Ďumbierske sedlo saddle, below Ďumbier, the highest peak of the Low Tatras, at an elevation of 1,740 metres above sea level. In Slovak it is also known briefly as Štefánikova chata, by its location as Chata pod Ďumbierom, and in tourist jargon as Štefánička or Mrška. The hut is a well-known stop on the Cesta hrdinov SNP long-distance trail and a base for hikes into the highest parts of the Low Tatras. It is open all year and is supplied by porters (in winter by tracked vehicles), who on average deliver about 40 tonnes of goods per year from Trangoška. It offers overnight accommodation (50 beds, with bed linen on request) after prior reservation, dormitories for tourists with their own sleeping bags, emergency shelter, and breakfast and dinner for guests. A snack bar and dining room are available to all visitors. The current hut was built by the Czechoslovak Tourist Club (KČST) after the founding of Czechoslovakia, on the initiative of its Podbrezová section. The foundation stone was laid on 20 July 1924, and the hut was ceremonially opened on 9 September 1928 in the presence of about 500 tourists. Construction costs were between 562,911 and 650,000 Czechoslovak korunas depending on the source. The first hut keeper was Róbert Petrla, the former construction manager, who stayed with his wife until 1943. Originally the hut had four rooms, two shared dormitories, a kitchen, a dining room and an apartment for the hut keeper, with space for 40 guests. A year after completion, stables and a washroom were added, along with a water supply. Growing visitor numbers required an extension costing 100,000 Kčs, which added five more rooms and a bath. After the Munich Agreement in late September 1938, the autonomous Slovak government founded the Klub slovenských turistov a lyžiarov (KSTL) and transferred to it ownership of all KČST huts located in Slovakia. During and after the Slovak National Uprising in late 1944, the Low Tatras became a site of heavy fighting, and insurgents, partisans and Jews hid here. On 30 October 1944 a German artillery shell fired from the nearby Diel mountain damaged the hut, breaking through the roof and destroying the dining room and an adjoining corridor; no one was killed or injured. The hut remained unoperated until 1945. After the Second World War the hut was repaired and in 1951 was renamed Chata Hrdinov SNP ('Hut of the Heroes of the Slovak National Uprising'). In the 1970s it was comprehensively renovated. On 21 July 1990 the original name was restored and a memorial plaque in honour of Milan Rastislav Štefánik was unveiled. Since 1991 the hut has been owned by the Klub slovenských turistov, and since that year the hut keeper has been Igor Fabricius. In September 2014 and July 2016 the roof and insulation were repaired after both were damaged during a hurricane in May 2014. The hut sits at an important crossroads of hiking trails and is a starting point for hikes into the highest mountains of the Low Tatras, as well as a popular stopping place for long-distance hikers. The red-marked trail, part of the Cesta hrdinov SNP long-distance route, passes immediately nearby as a ridge trail between Chopok to the west and the Čertovica saddle further east. A green-marked trail leads to the Trangoška mountain hotel (1,100 m) with connections towards Podbrezová and Brezno; a yellow-marked trail connects the hut via the Mlynná dolina valley with the resort village Mýto pod Ďumbierom; and a blue-marked trail runs via the Jánska dolina valley to the Hotel Ďumbier near Liptovský Ján. Near the hut, a yellow-marked trail from Vyšná Boca and a blue-marked trail to the Chata Kosodrevina near the Chopok juh ski area also join the red trail.

A predecessor of today's mountain hut was the Karl-Schutzhütte, a small stone hostel built directly on the summit of Ďumbier in 1902 under the patronage of the Altsohl (Zvolen) section of the Hungarian Carpathian Association (UKV). Its ruins are still visible today. After the founding of Czechoslovakia, the central office of the Czechoslovak Tourist Club (KČST), on the initiative of its Podbrezová section, decided to build a new hut at the Ďumbierske sedlo saddle. After the ceremonial foundation stone laying on 20 July 1924, the construction firm Jirásek from Uherský Brod in Moravia carried out the build, but withdrew a few months after construction began, so from July 1925 the hut was completed by the firm Šašinka from Poprad. In 1925 soldiers of the Czechoslovak Army also helped, namely with the delivery of wood and other building materials from Vyšná Boca. The ceremonial opening took place on 9 September 1928 in the presence of about 500 tourists. During this celebration an incident occurred when the Slovak composer Viliam Figuš-Bystrý replaced the Czech text in the memorial book brought from the KČST central office with a Slovak one and then threw it to the ground outside the hut in protest against the state doctrine of Czechoslovakism. Construction costs amounted to between 562,911 and 650,000 Kčs depending on the source. The former construction manager Róbert Petrla became the first hut keeper and remained here with his wife until 1943. Other construction workers became staff or porters for the hut. At that time the hut had four rooms, two shared dormitories, a kitchen, a dining room and an apartment for the hut keeper, and offered space for 40 guests. Already a year after completion, further structures were built, namely the horse stables and a washroom, plus a water supply. Growing visitor numbers made an extension necessary. This cost 100,000 Kčs and comprised five further rooms and a bath. The events after the Munich Agreement in late September 1938 led to a change of ownership, when the autonomous Slovak government founded the Klub slovenských turistov a lyžiarov (KSTL, roughly 'Club of Slovak Tourists and Skiers', which existed until 1949) and transferred to it the ownership of all KČST huts located in Slovakia. After the Low Tatras became the scene of heavy fighting during and after the Slovak National Uprising in late 1944, insurgents, partisans and Jews hid here. On 30 October 1944 a German artillery shell fired from the nearby Diel mountain damaged the hut, breaking through the roof and destroying the dining room with an adjoining corridor. No one was killed or injured. Until 1945 the hut then remained unoperated. After the end of the Second World War the hut was repaired and in 1951 received the name Chata Hrdinov SNP ('Hut of the Heroes of the Slovak National Uprising'). In the 1970s it was comprehensively renovated. On 21 July 1990 the original name was restored and a memorial plaque in honour of Milan Rastislav Štefánik was unveiled. Since 1991 the hut has been owned by the Klub slovenských turistov, and the hut keeper since that year has been Igor Fabricius. In September 2014 and July 2016 the roof and insulation were repaired after both had been damaged in May 2014 during a hurricane.

• 2014

  Roof and insulation damaged during a hurricane in May; repaired in September 2014 and July 2016.

• 1991

  Hut becomes property of the Klub slovenských turistov; Igor Fabricius becomes hut keeper.

• 1990

  On 21 July the original name is restored and a memorial plaque to Milan Rastislav Štefánik is unveiled.

• 1970

  Comprehensive renovation during the 1970s.

• 1951

  Hut renamed Chata Hrdinov SNP ('Hut of the Heroes of the Slovak National Uprising').

• 1944

  On 30 October a German artillery shell damages the hut; it remains unoperated until 1945.

• 1938

  After the Munich Agreement, ownership transferred to the newly founded Klub slovenských turistov a lyžiarov (KSTL).

• 1929

  Further structures built: horse stables, washroom, and a water supply.

• 1928

  Ceremonial opening on 9 September in the presence of about 500 tourists.

• 1925

  Construction completed by the firm Šašinka from Poprad from July; Czechoslovak Army soldiers help deliver materials from Vyšná Boca.

• 1924

  Ceremonial foundation stone laying for the new hut at Ďumbierske sedlo on 20 July.

• 1902

  Karl-Schutzhütte, a predecessor stone hostel, built on the summit of Ďumbier under the Altsohl section of the Hungarian Carpathian Association (UKV).

A historic, year-round mountain hut and trail hub on the main ridge of the Low Tatras, named after General Milan Rastislav Štefánik.

• Overnight accommodation (50 beds)

  Beds with bed linen on request, after prior reservation.

• Dormitory beds for guests with own sleeping bags

  Shared sleeping rooms for tourists with their own sleeping bags.

• Emergency shelter

  Emergency accommodation available at the hut.

• Breakfast and dinner

  Meals for guests.

• Snack bar and dining room

  Available to all visitors.

1. 1Chata generála Milana Rastislava Štefánika – Wikidatawikidata.org
2. 2Chata generála Milana Rastislava Štefánika – Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org