Madlenerhaus

Madlenerhaus is a mountain hut and hospitality brand located at 1,986 metres above sea level in the Silvretta range of Vorarlberg, Austria, just below the Bielerhöhe and west of the Silvretta reservoir dam in the Grossvermunt area. It operates as a staffed alpine refuge offering accommodation and food service, and is owned by the Vorarlberg energy company illwerke vkw. The hut is a well-known stop on the Silvretta High Alpine Road and a base for hikers, skiers and mountaineers in both summer and winter. The hut was conceived in 1878 by the Vorarlberg section of the German and Austrian Alpine Club (DuOeAV) to improve access to the Silvretta. Construction of the Vermunthütte began in 1882, and it opened on 24 August 1884 under the name Madlenerhaus, honouring Andreas Madlener, the section's third chairman, who died on 14 March of that year. After financial difficulties, the section sold the house in June 1906 to the Wiesbaden section of the DuOeAV for 2,000 marks, with the condition that the name be retained. The Wiesbaden section operated it until 2012. A bed house was added in 1908, and the building suffered storm and fire damage over the decades, including a major fire on 31 October 2001 that destroyed two-thirds of the hut; it reopened in June 2003 after a reconstruction costing around 1.4 million euros. The Wiesbaden section sold the hut to Vorarlberger Illwerke with effect from 1 January 2013, partly because of the multi-year construction of the Obervermuntwerk II pumped-storage plant. After being closed to the public for several years as a construction site accommodation, it reopened in June 2019 following completion of the power plant. Today Madlenerhaus functions as a mountain inn and refuge within the illwerke vkw portfolio, serving regional dishes and offering overnight stays at high altitude. It is accessible in summer via the Silvretta High Alpine Road from the Montafon or Paznaun valleys, and in winter via the Vermuntbahn cable car and shuttle services through tunnels from Partenen, or by ski from Partenen or Galtür. The hut is a landmark of the Silvretta-Bielerhöhe recreation area, which also includes the Silvretta-Haus*** hotel and other mountain restaurants.

The Madlenerhaus was conceived in 1878, four years after Andreas Madlener became the third chairman of the Vorarlberg section of the German and Austrian Alpine Club (DuOeAV). The plan was to build a refuge at the Vermunt glacier to improve access to the Silvretta. Construction of the Vermunthütte began in 1882. Andreas Madlener died on 14 March of the year of completion, and the hut opened on 24 August 1884 under the name Madlenerhaus in his honour. Under a new chairman, Heinrich Hueter, the section fell into financial difficulties and in June 1906 was forced to sell the house for 2,000 marks to the Wiesbaden section of the DuOeAV, which operated it until 2012. The sale included the condition that the name be retained, and a repurchase was no longer possible. A bed house was added in 1908. In the same year the Madlenerhaus suffered damage from a foehn storm; similar damage recurred in 1926 and 1974. Ernest Hemingway was a guest several times in the winter of 1925/26 with his Schruns ski instructor Lent, and the house is mentioned in his novel The Snows of Kilimanjaro when he recalls the week in 1925 when he played poker with Lent at the hut. In 1927 a gable side was destroyed in a storm; during repairs the attic storey was also converted. From 1939 the Madlenerhaus was requisitioned for non-tourism purposes because of the war. During construction of the Silvretta reservoir, the Vorarlberger Illwerke built a construction settlement between the Madlenerhaus and the emerging dam, which has since been called Silvrettadorf. From 1952 the hut could again be used for tourism. In 1980 the building was damaged by fire. On 31 October 2001 a major fire destroyed two-thirds of the Madlenerhaus. It could only reopen in June 2003. The reconstruction with an extension (a cross-wing with sanitary facilities and a new bed wing) cost around 1.4 million euros. The Wiesbaden section sold the hut to the Vorarlberger Illwerke with effect from 1 January 2013. One reason was the multi-year construction site operation around the Bielerhöhe expected for the construction of the Obervermuntwerk II, which would impair tourism. In 2020 the former pressure pipeline from the Silvretta reservoir to the Obervermuntwerk I, which ran along the house, was dismantled. After the house had been closed to the public for several years and used as construction site accommodation, it reopened its doors from June 2019 following completion of the Obervermunt II pumped-storage plant.

• 2020

  The former pressure pipeline from the Silvretta reservoir to Obervermuntwerk I is dismantled.

• 2019

  The hut reopens in June after completion of the Obervermunt II pumped-storage plant.

• 2013

  The Wiesbaden section sells the hut to Vorarlberger Illwerke with effect from 1 January.

• 2003

  The hut reopens in June after reconstruction costing around 1.4 million euros.

• 2001

  A major fire on 31 October destroys two-thirds of the Madlenerhaus.

• 1980

  The building is damaged by fire.

• 1952

  The hut can again be used for tourism.

• 1939

  The hut is requisitioned for non-tourism purposes because of the war.

• 1927

  A gable side is destroyed in a storm; the attic storey is converted during repairs.

• 1925

  Ernest Hemingway stays at the hut in winter 1925/26 with ski instructor Lent.

• 1908

  A bed house is added; the hut suffers damage from a foehn storm.

• 1906

  Sold for 2,000 marks to the Wiesbaden section of the DuOeAV, with the condition that the name be retained.

• 1884

  Hut opens on 24 August as Madlenerhaus, named after Andreas Madlener.

• 1882

  Construction of the Vermunthütte begins.

• 1878

  Plan conceived to build a refuge at the Vermunt glacier to improve access to the Silvretta.

Historic alpine refuge and hospitality stop on the Silvretta High Alpine Road, owned by the regional energy utility illwerke vkw.

• Mountain hut accommodation

  Overnight stays at 1,986 m for hikers, skiers and mountaineers.

• Alpine restaurant

  Food service with regional dishes at the hut.

1. 1Gastronomie und Unterkünfte Silvretta-Bielerhöhe im Montafonsilvretta-bielerhoehe.at
2. 2Madlenerhaus – Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Madlenerhaus – Wikipediade.wikipedia.org