Leopold-Happisch-Haus

The Leopold-Happisch-Haus is a mountain shelter (Schutzhütte) belonging to the Salzburg provincial organisation of Naturfreunde Österreich, situated at about 1,925 metres above sea level on the Windischriedel in the Pitschenberg valley, in the western part of the Tennengebirge in the Austrian province of Salzburg. It is named after Leopold Happisch (1863–1951), an Austrian typesetter and workers' sport functionary who served as the first secretary of the Naturfreunde Internationale and editor of the magazine Der Naturfreund. The hut stands on a small green knoll in a water-poor high valley that cuts the broad Tennengebirge plateau into two parts. Because of its remote location, supplying the hut is laborious and expensive, carried out exclusively by helicopter and porter. It serves as a base for mountaineers undertaking numerous plateau traverses and summit ascents in the Tennengebirge. Since the start of the 2016 hiking summer, the Leopold-Happisch-Haus has been operated as a self-catering shelter (Selbstversorgerschutzhaus): there is no longer a hut warden, and guests must look after themselves. Visitors participate jointly in everyday tasks such as cooking, washing up, cleaning the hut and collecting firewood. A small paid supply of food and drinks is available in the hut's storeroom, and guests may also bring their own food. In 2017 the drinking-water supply and wastewater disposal were renewed. In 2024 the hut was certified with the Austrian Environmental Label (Österreichisches Umweltzeichen). The hut is marketed as a particularly quiet location with low noise and public transport connections, and it maintains an official website as well as a Facebook presence. It is a member facility of the Naturfreunde network, which operates huts and outdoor infrastructure across Austria.

The Leopold-Happisch-Haus is a shelter of the Salzburg section of Naturfreunde Österreich, located in the western part of the Tennengebirge in the province of Salzburg. It is named after Leopold Happisch (born 1 April 1863 in Vienna; died 19 November 1951 in Berndorf), an Austrian typesetter and workers' sport functionary who was the first secretary of the Naturfreunde Internationale and editor of the magazine Der Naturfreund. The hut stands at 1,925 m above sea level on a small green knoll in the Pitschenberg valley, a water-poor high valley that cuts the extensive plateau of the Tennengebirge into two parts. Because of the remote location of this base, maintaining its operation has been difficult in recent years; supply is laborious and expensive, carried out exclusively by helicopter and porter. The hut serves as a base for mountaineers who undertake numerous plateau traverses and summit ascents in the Tennengebirge. Since the start of the 2016 hiking summer, the Leopold-Happisch-Haus has been run as a self-catering shelter (Selbstversorgerschutzhaus). This means there is no longer a hut warden on the hut, and mountaineers must provide for themselves. In 2017 the drinking-water supply and wastewater disposal were renewed. In 2024 the hut was certified with the Austrian Environmental Label (Österreichisches Umweltzeichen). The official website describes it as 'the somewhat different shelter in Salzburg' and emphasises its low-noise location, public transport connections, and the self-catering concept in which guests jointly take responsibility for cooking, washing up, cleaning and collecting firewood, with a small paid supply of food and drinks available in the storeroom.

• Hut named after Leopold Happisch (1863–1951), first secretary of Naturfreunde Internationale.

• Since the start of the 2016 hiking summer, operated as a self-catering shelter without a hut warden.

• In 2017, drinking-water supply and wastewater disposal were renewed.

• In 2024, certified with the Austrian Environmental Label (Österreichisches Umweltzeichen).

A remote, self-catering mountain shelter in the Tennengebirge, operated by Naturfreunde Österreich with an innovative self-management concept and certified with the Austrian Environmental Label.

• Self-catering mountain hut accommodation

• Small paid food and drink supply in the storeroom

• Base for plateau traverses and summit ascents

1. 1Leopold Happischhaus official websiteleopold-happisch-haus.naturfreunde.at
2. 2Leopold-Happisch-Haus – Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org
3. 3Leopold-Happisch-Haus – Wikidatawikidata.org