Krimmler Tauernhaus

The Krimmler Tauernhaus is a traditional alpine inn and guesthouse located at 1,622 metres above sea level in the Krimmler Achental valley in the Austrian state of Salzburg. It sits on the ancient pack-horse route that crosses the Alps between Krimml in Austria and Kasern in South Tyrol, Italy. First documented in 1389 and attested as a tavern (taberna) from 1437, it is one of the oldest continuously operating mountain hostelries in the region. The house is currently run by the Geisler family, who have owned and operated it for generations. The Tauernhaus serves as a rest stop and overnight accommodation for hikers, mountain bikers and nature lovers exploring the Hohe Tauern National Park. It offers a range of rooms, from simple mattresses in shared dormitories to more comfortable rooms with private sanitary facilities, as well as an alpine wellness area. The kitchen provides à la carte meals from 11:30 to 17:00, with soups, snacks and desserts available after 15:30. The house operates seasonally: the summer season typically runs from late May to mid-October, and the winter season from late December to early April. Payment is cash only. Access to the Krimmler Tauernhaus is by foot, mountain bike or the National Park taxi. Walking time from Krimml (1,076 m) is approximately 3.5 to 4 hours, and from the Trattenköpfl car park (1,166 m) about 3.25 to 3.75 hours. The inn is a base for numerous mountain hikes, including routes to the Richterhütte, Warnsdorfer Hütte, Birnlückenhütte, Zittauer Hütte and the Krimmler Tauern pass itself (2,634 m). The building has been enlarged and modernised over the centuries. A major expansion in 2016 added more comfortable rooms with en-suite bathrooms to complement the traditional simple accommodation. In 2011, a small hydroelectric power plant was commissioned, using the steep drop of the Rainbach stream. The historic wood-panelled parlour (Stube) from the 16th century, considered the oldest in the Oberpinzgau region, has been preserved. The Krimmler Tauernhaus holds a special place in contemporary history. In 1947, it was a key waypoint on the route used by the Jewish relief organisation Brichah to smuggle 8,000 Eastern European Holocaust survivors over the Krimmler Tauern pass into Italy, from where they hoped to reach Palestine. The then-innkeeper, Liesl Geisler, who died in 1985, was posthumously honoured by the Jewish Agency for Israel in 2009 for her humanitarian efforts. Today the house remains a beloved destination for hikers and a living monument to Alpine hospitality.

The Krimmler Tauernhaus is a historic alpine inn located at 1,622 metres above sea level in the Krimmler Achental valley in the Austrian state of Salzburg. It lies on the ancient pack-horse route that crosses the main Alpine ridge between Krimml in Austria and Kasern in South Tyrol, Italy. The building was first mentioned in a document in 1389 and is attested as a tavern (taberna) from 1437. The wooden structure dating from the 16th century has been repeatedly remodelled and enlarged, but the old wood-panelled parlour with its various inscriptions has been preserved and is considered the oldest in the Oberpinzgau region. The Tauernhaus was a fief legally tied to a farm, with the obligation to feed and lodge travellers, if necessary free of charge, and to keep the Tauern path open. In return, the innkeeper received an annual grain allocation from the archiepiscopal court chamber in Salzburg. The trade route over the main Alpine ridge from the Pinzgau to southern Tyrol was mainly used to transport goods such as salt, wine, brandy and iron by packhorse. There was an interesting cooperation with the "Ahrntaler Tauernhaus" – today's Berghotel Kasern. The innkeeper there, "Kasr am Taurn", was granted land with the condition that he lend hats, gloves, ropes and similar items to poorly equipped travellers. These items were handed in on this side of the pass, at the Krimmler Tauernhaus, and then found their way back in the opposite direction to Kasern. The Tauern path was already used during the Roman Empire by legions of the province of Noricum, to which the area on both sides of the pass belonged at that time. In the Middle Ages it served as an alternative route when easier Alpine passes such as the Brenner were unusable due to political disputes; for example, the later Emperor Charles IV used it in 1340 despite the most difficult weather conditions. In the 19th century, many farmers from the Tyrolean Ahrntal acquired land in the Krimmler Achental, because this high valley offered usable pasture early in the year due to a south wind, and these pastures were much more productive than the steep and narrow Ahrntal. Since then, cows have been driven over the narrow and difficult Krimmler Tauern path during the summer. The pass gained particular significance in 1947, when 8,000 Eastern European Holocaust survivors were smuggled by the Jewish relief organisation Brichah (escape) through the Achental to Italy in order to reach Palestine via the port of Genoa. This route was chosen because it was the only section of the American occupation zone that bordered directly on Italy. The Americans tolerated the passage, unlike the British and French occupation troops. The starting point of the treks was a Displaced Persons camp (DP camp) in Saalfelden. The great humanitarian achievement of the Tauernhaus innkeeper Liesl Geisler, who died in 1985, for the Jewish emigrants was posthumously honoured in 2009 by the Jewish Agency for Israel with a certificate of honour. In 2016, the Krimmler Tauernhaus was greatly enlarged. In order to meet changed demand, the previous accommodation options in simple rooms and mattress dormitories were supplemented by more comfortable rooms with private sanitary facilities. As early as 2011, a small hydroelectric power plant had been commissioned, using the strong gradient of the Rainbach shortly before its confluence with the Krimmler Ache. From 1901, when the waterfall path along the Krimmler Waterfalls was expanded by the Warnsdorf/Krimml section, the flow of visitors in the Krimmler Achental increased greatly, and tourism became an additional source of income for the owners of the Krimmler Tauernhaus. Via this path, the Tauernhaus is reached from Krimml in about 3 hours. From there, there are further destinations: to the Richterhütte (2,374 m) in the Rainbachtal in about 3 hours; to the Warnsdorfer Hütte (2,336 m) in the upper Krimmler Achental in about 3 hours; to the Birnlückenhütte (2,441 m) in the Ahrntal in 5.5 hours; to the Zittauer Hütte (2,329 m) in the Wildgerlostal via the Rainbachscharte (2,720 m) in about 6 hours; and to the Krimmler Tauern pass (2,634 m) in about 3 hours and then on to Kasern in South Tyrol, another 3 hours.

• 2016

  Major expansion adding comfortable rooms with private sanitary facilities.

• 2011

  Small hydroelectric power plant commissioned on the Rainbach.

• 2009

  Liesl Geisler posthumously honoured by the Jewish Agency for Israel.

• 1947

  8,000 Holocaust survivors smuggled through the Krimmler Tauern pass via the Tauernhaus.

• 1901

  Waterfall path along the Krimmler Waterfalls expanded, boosting tourism in the Krimmler Achental.

• 1437

  Attested as a tavern (taberna).

• First documented mention of the Krimmler Tauernhaus.

Traditional, historic mountain inn offering authentic Alpine hospitality in the Hohe Tauern National Park.

• Overnight accommodation (rooms, comfort rooms, mattress dormitories)

• Alpine cuisine (à la carte, soups, snacks, desserts)

• Alpine wellness area

• National Park taxi and hiking bus access

1. 1Krimmler Tauernhaus | Die gastliche Herberge im Krimmler Achentalkrimmler-tauernhaus.at
2. 2Krimmler Tauernhaus - Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Krimmler Tauernhaus - Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org