Kärlingerhaus

Kärlingerhaus am Funtensee is a mountain hut of the German Alpine Club (Deutscher Alpenverein, DAV), operated by its Berchtesgaden section. It stands at 1,638 metres above sea level in the heart of Berchtesgaden National Park, in the municipality of Schönau am Königsee in Upper Bavaria, Germany. The hut lies on the Steinernes Meer plateau near the Funtensee lake and close to the Austrian border with the state of Salzburg. Because it is also known historically as Funtenseehaus, the name Kärlingerhaus is a long-established hut brand within the DAV network rather than a commercial consumer product. The hut serves hikers, mountaineers and climbers as an overnight base and refreshment stop in a roadless high-alpine area. It offers dormitory accommodation and simple meals typical of Alpine club huts, and it is a stage point on several long-distance trails across the Berchtesgaden Alps. Access is on foot only; because there are no access roads, the hut is supplied by weekly helicopter deliveries. Walking times from the Königssee area range from about four hours from Sankt Bartholomä to longer and more difficult routes from Ramsau, Maria Alm or the surrounding valleys. Kärlingerhaus is a node in the eastern Alps hut system. Nearby huts include the Wasseralm, Riemannhaus, Ingolstädter Haus, Peter-Wiechenthaler-Hütte and Wimbachgrieshütte, and the hut is used as a base for ascents such as the Feldkogel, Funtenseetauern, Schönfeldspitze, Schottmalhorn, Viehkogel and Grosser Hundstod. Its location on the Steinernes Meer makes it a classic destination for multi-day traverses between Bavaria and Salzburg. The hut's history reaches back to 1879, when the Berchtesgaden section of the German and Austrian Alpine Club built a refuge a few metres above the present site. Enlarged and rebuilt in 1890, it hosted Prince Regent Luitpold of Bavaria in 1891 and 1893. A new building followed in 1903–1904, and in 1910 the Funtenseehaus was renamed Kärlingerhaus in honour of section president Kajetan Kärlinger. Today it remains an active DAV hut with its own official website, continuing its role as a mountain hospitality and rescue base in the national park.

The history of Kärlingerhaus begins in 1879, when a refuge was built at the Funtensee a few metres above the present site. It belonged to the Berchtesgaden section of the German and Austrian Alpine Club, which had been founded in 1875; the section built the hut on 14 August 1879. In its early years the refuge was used by around 70 tourists in the preceding months and subsequently served as a base for mountaineering. By 1889 the hut had become too small, with more than 400 overnight stays recorded, so the section decided to rebuild and enlarge the existing structure slightly below the old site. After completion in 1890, the house was able to host Prince Regent Luitpold of Bavaria as a distinguished guest in 1891 and again in 1893. From 1901, problems with the building's weathertightness gave another reason to construct a new building. It was built in 1903 on the site of an old forester's hut, and by the end of November 1904 the two-storey dormitory was completely finished on the exterior. In 1910 the Funtenseehaus was renamed Kärlingerhaus in honour of the section president Kajetan Kärlinger. The hut's remote setting shaped its operation. Lying on the Steinernes Meer near the Funtensee and the Austrian border, it has no access road, so it is supplied by weekly helicopter deliveries. Hikers reach it on foot via routes from Sankt Bartholomä am Königssee through the Schrainbachtal, Saugasse and Oberlahner (easy, about 4 hours); from the Saletalm boat landing at the southern end of the Königsee via the Sagerecksteig and Grünsee (difficult, about 4.5 hours); from Saletalm via the Obersee, Fischunkel, Röthsteig, Wasseralm and Grünsee (difficult, about 7.5 hours); from Ramsau bei Berchtesgaden via the Wimbachtal, Trischübel, Sigeret and Bärengraben (difficult, about 6.5 hours); from Maria Alm via the Riemannhaus (medium, about 5.5 hours); and from the Gotzenalm via the Landtal, Wasseralm and Grünsee (medium, about 6.5 hours). As part of the eastern Alpine hut network, Kärlingerhaus connects with other refuges including the Wasseralm (1,420 m), Riemannhaus (2,180 m), Ingolstädter Haus (2,120 m), Peter-Wiechenthaler-Hütte (1,707 m) and Wimbachgrieshütte (1,330 m). It is also a base for ascents such as the Feldkogel (1,886 m), Funtenseetauern (2,579 m), Schönfeldspitze (2,654 m), Schottmalhorn (2,232 m), Viehkogel (2,158 m) and Grosser Hundstod (2,593 m). Today it remains an active hut of the DAV's Berchtesgaden section, with its own official website, serving visitors in Berchtesgaden National Park.

• 1910

  The Funtenseehaus is renamed Kärlingerhaus in honour of section president Kajetan Kärlinger.

• 1904

  By the end of November the two-storey dormitory is completely finished on the exterior.

• 1903

  A new building is constructed on the site of an old forester's hut.

• 1893

  Prince Regent Luitpold of Bavaria stays again.

• 1891

  Prince Regent Luitpold of Bavaria stays as a distinguished guest.

• 1890

  The rebuilt and enlarged house is completed.

• 1889

  With more than 400 overnight stays, the hut is deemed too small and a rebuild and enlargement is decided.

• 1879

  A refuge is built at the Funtensee a few metres above the present site by the Berchtesgaden section of the German and Austrian Alpine Club.

A traditional German Alpine Club mountain hut in a roadless national park, positioned as a high-alpine hospitality and mountaineering base rather than a commercial retail brand.

• Mountain hut accommodation

  Dormitory-style overnight stays for hikers and climbers at 1,638 m.

• Alpine meals and refreshments

  Simple hut food and drinks for day visitors and overnight guests.

• Mountaineering base services

  Base for Steinernes Meer traverses and summit ascents such as Funtenseetauern and Schönfeldspitze.

1. 1Kärlingerhaus am Funtensee (Berchtesgaden) | Offizielle Websitekaerlingerhaus.de
2. 2Kärlingerhaus – Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Kärlingerhaus – Wikipédia (fr)fr.wikipedia.org