Majláthova chata

Majláthova chata (German: Majláthhütte, Hungarian: Majláth-menedékház, Polish: Schronisko Majlatha) is a mountain hut and hospitality brand located on the northern shore of the mountain lake Popradské pleso in the Mengusovská dolina (Mengsdorfer Tal) valley of the Slovak High Tatras, at an elevation of 1,495 metres above sea level. It is one of the oldest continuously named mountain hospitality establishments in the Tatras, with a history stretching back to the late 19th century. The original hut was built following a decision of the Hungarian Carpathian Association (Ungarischer Karpathenverein) in 1876, and the single-room wooden hostel was ceremonially opened on 4 August 1879. It was named Majláthhütte in honour of Béla Majláth, deputy chairman of the association's Liptauer section. Barely a year later, on 18 July 1880, the hut burned down; local herbalists who feared the growing number of tourists were accused of arson. A simple structure called the Hinzensee-Hütte was built in 1880 and moved higher into the Žabia dolina (Froschseetal) valley in 1885. In 1881 the association built a three-room stone successor on the ruins of the wooden hut. Although it had no official name, it was called Majláthhütte like its predecessor, while the name Popperseehütte (Slovak: Popradská chata or Chata pri Popradskom plese) increasingly prevailed. The hut contained an unusual "guest book" in which guests engraved their names into the walls and wooden beams. The second hut also fell victim to fire in 1890, and the third building was erected in 1892 by the local estate owner Franz Máriássy from Batizovce (Botzdorf). In 1897 Prince Christian Kraft zu Hohenlohe-Öhringen had the third hut demolished with the intention of keeping tourists away from his hunting grounds in the Mengusovská dolina valley. Public pressure, however, forced the prince to erect a simple wooden hut, which opened in 1899. This hut was subsequently rebuilt several times, later expanded with a stone hostel for tourists, and in its final stage of expansion offered space for 150 guests in 25 rooms. In 1951, shortly after nationalisation by the communist authorities in Czechoslovakia, the hut was renamed Chata kapitána Morávku after the Slovak financial guard member and partisan Štefan Morávka, who fell below Kriváň on 13 January 1945. In 1961 the older wooden building collapsed under massive snow pressure, and the newer stone part burned down in 1964. Because a new mountain hotel, the Horský hotel Popradské pleso, had recently been built right next to it, no reconstruction took place at that time. Only in 2006 did a new building begin, which was officially inspected on 30 December 2010 and opened in February 2011. The new hut uses the historic name Majláthova chata. The hut sits on the red-marked Tatranská magistrála hiking trail on the section from Štrbské Pleso to the Sliezsky dom mountain hotel. A blue-marked trail runs nearby from the Popradské Pleso stop of the Electric Tatra Railway to the mountain lake Veľké Hincovo pleso and the Vyšné Kôprovské sedlo saddle, with a branch to the Rysy mountain on a red-marked path. A green-marked hiking trail runs parallel to the Tatranská magistrála from Štrbské Pleso. The area is also reachable via an asphalt road, but this may only be driven with a permit. Today the brand operates as a mountain hut offering accommodation and refreshments to hikers and tourists in the High Tatras.

The history of Majláthova chata begins with a decision by the Hungarian Carpathian Association (Ungarischer Karpathenverein) in 1876 to build a mountain hut at Popradské pleso in the High Tatras. The single-room wooden hostel was ceremonially opened on 4 August 1879 and named Majláthhütte in honour of Béla Majláth, deputy chairman of the association's Liptauer section. Barely a year later, on 18 July 1880, the hut burned down; local herbalists who feared the growing number of tourists were accused of arson. In 1880 a simple structure called the Hinzensee-Hütte was built, and in 1885 it was moved higher into the Žabia dolina (Froschseetal) valley. In 1881 the association built a three-room stone successor on the ruins of the wooden hut. Although it had no official name, it was called Majláthhütte like its predecessor, while the name Popperseehütte (Slovak: Popradská chata or Chata pri Popradskom plese) increasingly prevailed. The hut contained an unusual "guest book" in which guests engraved their names into the walls and wooden beams. The second hut also fell victim to fire in 1890, and the third building was erected in 1892 by the local estate owner Franz Máriássy from Batizovce (Botzdorf). In 1897 Prince Christian Kraft zu Hohenlohe-Öhringen had the third hut demolished with the intention of keeping tourists away from his hunting grounds in the Mengusovská dolina valley. Public pressure, however, forced the prince to erect a simple wooden hut, which opened in 1899. This hut was subsequently rebuilt several times, later expanded with a stone hostel for tourists, and in its final stage of expansion offered space for 150 guests in 25 rooms. In 1951, shortly after nationalisation by the communist authorities in Czechoslovakia, the hut was renamed Chata kapitána Morávku after the Slovak financial guard member and partisan Štefan Morávka, who fell below Kriváň on 13 January 1945. In 1961 the older wooden building collapsed under massive snow pressure, and the newer stone part burned down in 1964. Because a new mountain hotel, the Horský hotel Popradské pleso, had recently been built right next to it, no reconstruction took place at that time. Only in 2006 did a new building begin, which was officially inspected on 30 December 2010 and opened in February 2011. The new hut uses the historic name Majláthova chata. Today it operates as a mountain hut offering accommodation and refreshments to hikers and tourists on the Tatranská magistrála trail and surrounding routes.

• 2011

  New hut opened in February, using historic name Majláthova chata.

• 2010

  New building officially inspected on 30 December.

• 2006

  Construction of new hut begins.

• 1964

  Newer stone part burns down.

• 1961

  Older wooden building collapses under snow pressure.

• 1951

  Hut renamed Chata kapitána Morávku after nationalisation.

• 1899

  Simple wooden hut opened under public pressure.

• 1897

  Prince Christian Kraft zu Hohenlohe-Öhringen has third hut demolished.

• 1892

  Third building erected by Franz Máriássy.

• 1890

  Second hut destroyed by fire.

• 1885

  Hinzensee-Hütte moved higher into Žabia dolina valley.

• 1881

  Three-room stone successor built on the ruins.

• 1880

  Hut burns down on 18 July; Hinzensee-Hütte built.

• 1879

  First wooden hut ceremonially opened on 4 August, named Majláthhütte.

• 1876

  Hungarian Carpathian Association decides to build a hut at Popradské pleso.

Historic mountain hospitality brand in the Slovak High Tatras, catering to hikers and tourists on the Tatranská magistrála trail.

• Mountain hut accommodation

• Hiker refreshments and meals

• Tourist hospitality services

1. 1Majláthova chata – Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org
2. 2Majláthova chata – Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Majláthova chata official websitemajlatka.sk