Naturfreundehaus Knofeleben

Naturfreundehaus Knofeleben (formerly Friedrich-Haller-Haus, also known as Knofeleben-Hütte) is a mountain hut operated by Naturfreunde Österreich (Nature Friends Austria), located at 1,250 metres in the Knofeleben area of Hirschwang an der Rax, Lower Austria, on the Gahns, a southern spur of the Schneeberg, at the foot of the Krummbachstein. Its name derives from the wild garlic (Bärlauch) that flourishes there in spring. The first hut was built by the Touristenverein die Naturfreunde (TVN) and opened on 16 July 1922. In the 1950s it was renamed Friedrich-Haller-Haus in honour of Friedrich Haller (1874–1943), head of the Nature Friends building committee. At that time the hut had 24 beds and 46 dormitory places. On 8 April 2011 the hut, then unstaffed, burned down; firefighting was difficult because of a lack of water and strong winds, and the cause of the fire remains unknown. A ground-breaking ceremony for the new building was held on 11 August 2011, the shell was completed before the winter of 2011/2012, and the opening celebration took place on 6 May 2012. In September 2022 the hut celebrated its centenary. Today Naturfreundehaus Knofeleben presents itself as a modern mountain inn, combining contemporary architecture with the cosiness of a traditional hut. Guests can stay in comfortable rooms and dormitories and enjoy all the necessary comforts for relaxation. Two interconnecting dining rooms seat more than 100 guests; the ground-floor dining room brings the surrounding nature indoors through large panoramic windows. The kitchen and menu cater to hikers, and the hut is known for convivial mountain evenings, wines from a extensive wine list, clear starry skies seen through the large windows of the "Herzerlzimmer" (little heart room), and a peaceful breakfast on the beautiful terrace the next morning. The hut is open until the end of November, Wednesday to Sunday, with Monday and Tuesday as rest days (except public holidays). Numerous marked and unmarked hiking routes lead to the hut, ranging from short and steep to long and leisurely, suitable for all kinds of hikers: from the Baumgartner station via Alpleck about 1.5 hours; via the Krummbachsattel and Krummbachstein about 2 hours (green markers); via the Wassersteig about 2 hours (red markers); from Schneedörfl or Payerbach-Reichenau railway station through the Eng about 2 to 2.5 hours (red/yellow markers); from Kaiserbrunn about 2.5 hours (red markers); from Hirschwang via Mittagstein (unmarked). Routes to other huts include the Waldburgangerhütte, the Pottschacherhütte and other shelters on the Schneeberg. The hut is a typical example of the tradition of Naturfreunde Österreich in providing walkers with accessible, affordable mountain accommodation.

The Naturfreundehaus Knofeleben (formerly Friedrich-Haller-Haus, also called Knofeleben-Hütte) is a mountain refuge of the Austrian Naturfreunde on the Knofeleben at 1,250 metres above sea level, on a southern spur of the Schneeberg known as the Gahns, in the Hirschwang an der Rax area of Reichenau an der Rax, Lower Austria. It lies at the foot of the Krummbachstein. The name comes from the wild garlic (Bärlauch) that grows abundantly there in spring. The first hut was built by the Touristenverein die Naturfreunde (TVN) as the Naturfreundehaus auf der Knofeleben (also Knofeleben-Hütte) and was handed over for use on 16 July 1922. In the 1950s the house was renamed in honour of Friedrich Haller (1874–1943), who had led the building committee of the Naturfreunde. At that time the house had 24 beds and 46 dormitory places. On 8 April 2011 the refuge, which was not being run at the time, burned down. Firefighting was difficult because of a lack of extinguishing water and strong winds; the cause of the fire is not known. On 11 August 2011 the ground-breaking for the new refuge took place, and the shell was completed before the winter of 2011/2012. The opening ceremony was held on 6 May 2012. In September 2022 the house celebrated its 100th anniversary. Today the house is presented as a modern mountain inn that combines cosiness with contemporary architecture. Guests stay in comfortable rooms and dormitories with the necessary comforts for relaxation. Two separate dining rooms, which can be combined, seat more than 100 visitors; the ground-floor dining room opens through generous panoramic glazing onto the surrounding nature. The kitchen and menu cater to hikers, and the house is known for convivial hut evenings with wine from an extensive wine list, star-gazing through the large windows of the Herzerlzimmer, and a quiet breakfast on the terrace. It is open from Wednesday to Sunday until the end of November, with Monday and Tuesday as rest days except on public holidays. Several ascent routes lead to the hut: from Baumgartner station via Alpleck (about 1½ hours); via the Krummbachsattel and Krummbachstein (about 2 hours, green marking); via the Wassersteig (about 2 hours, red marking); from Schneedörfl or Payerbach-Reichenau station through the Eng (about 2 to 2½ hours, red/yellow marking); from Kaiserbrunn (about 2½ hours, red marking); and from Hirschwang over the Mittagstein (unmarked). Transitions to other huts include the Waldburgangerhütte, the Pottschacherhütte and other refuges on the Schneeberg.

• 2022

  100th anniversary celebrated in September 2022.

• 2012

  Opening ceremony of the rebuilt refuge on 6 May 2012.

• 2011

  On 8 April 2011 the unstaffed refuge burned down; ground-breaking for the new building on 11 August 2011, shell completed before winter 2011/2012.

• 1950

  Renamed Friedrich-Haller-Haus in honour of Friedrich Haller (1874–1943), leader of the Naturfreunde building committee; house had 24 beds and 46 dormitory places.

• 1922

  First hut built by the Touristenverein die Naturfreunde (TVN) and handed over for use on 16 July 1922.

A modern, cosy mountain refuge of the Austrian Naturfreunde, offering affordable accommodation and hut cuisine to hikers on the Gahns/Schneeberg, combining contemporary architecture with traditional hut atmosphere.

• Mountain refuge accommodation (rooms and dormitories)

• Hut cuisine and à la carte menu

• Wine list

• Breakfast on the terrace

• Gift vouchers

1. 1Naturfreundehaus Knofeleben – vormals Friedrich-Hallerhausknofeleben.at
2. 2Naturfreundehaus Knofelebenwikidata.org
3. 3Naturfreundehaus Knofelebende.wikipedia.org