Niedersachsenhaus

Niedersachsenhaus is an Alpine Club mountain hut (Schutzhütte) of the Hannover section of the German Alpine Club (Deutscher Alpenverein, DAV). It sits at 2,471 metres above sea level in the Riffelscharte, a pass in the Goldberggruppe of the Hohe Tauern range in the Austrian state of Salzburg. The hut lies roughly four kilometres east of the Hoher Sonnblick and connects the Raurisertal valley and Kolm-Saigurn with the Naßfeld area. It is a traditional base for hikers and mountaineers in the Rauris and Gastein valleys. The hut was inaugurated in 1926 and burned down to its foundations on 26 December 1984. It was rebuilt in 1986/87 and has since been continuously equipped with environmentally friendly technology. The building is owned and maintained by the DAV Hannover section, while the day-to-day operation is typically leased to hut keepers (Hüttenwirtsleute). Access is on foot only. From the Lenzanger car park in the rear Rauriser Tal, hikers reach Kolm-Saigurn and then follow a trail to the hut in about 2.5 hours. From Sportgastein, the Hermann-Bahlsen-Weg leads to the hut in roughly 2.5 hours. From the hut, popular summit tours include the Neunerkogel (2,826 m, about 1 hour), the Herzog-Ernst-Spitze (2,932 m, about 1.5 hours) and the Schareck (3,122 m, about 2.5 hours); these three peaks can be climbed in sequence via the Pröll-Weg. The Hoher Sonnblick (3,105 m) and its Zittelhaus are reached in about 5 hours via the Naturfreundehaus Neubau and the Rojacher Hütte. The hut also serves as a waypoint for crossings to the Zittelhaus (about 5 hours), the Duisburger Hütte (2,572 m, about 4 hours via the Schareck), the Hagener Hütte (2,446 m, about 4 hours with descent to Sportgastein) and the Naturfreundehaus Kolm-Saigurn (about 2.5 hours). The hut celebrated its 100th anniversary on 22 August, according to the official website, and participates in the "Freie Nacht fürs Klima" (Free Night for the Climate) campaign. In recent years the hut was run by the hut keepers Sigi and Sepp, who announced that they would leave the Niedersachsenhaus after seven years, closing the hut from 20 September and citing new conditions set by the section. The hut remains a DAV facility and a landmark of the Rauris and Gastein high alpine landscape.

The Niedersachsenhaus was built by the Hannover section of the German Alpine Club (Deutscher Alpenverein, DAV) and inaugurated in 1926. It was erected in the Riffelscharte, a high pass in the Goldberggruppe of the Hohe Tauern, at 2,471 metres above sea level, linking the Raurisertal and Kolm-Saigurn with the Naßfeld. The location made it a key shelter for mountaineers crossing between the Rauris and Gastein valleys and for ascents of nearby peaks such as the Schareck and the Hoher Sonnblick. On 26 December 1984 the hut burned down to its foundations. It was rebuilt in 1986/87 and subsequently equipped with environmentally friendly technology on a continuous basis. The hut has remained in the ownership of the DAV Hannover section, which leases its operation to hut keepers. Over the decades it has served as a base for hikers on the Hermann-Bahlsen-Weg from Sportgastein and on the trail from Kolm-Saigurn, and as a waypoint for hut-to-hut crossings in the Goldberggruppe. In the 2020s the hut was run by the hut keepers Sigi and Sepp, who described themselves as "Hüttenwirtsleute aus Leidenschaft" (hut keepers by passion). According to the official website, they announced that the hut would be closed from 20 September and that they would leave the Niedersachsenhaus after seven years, citing new conditions set by the section. The website also noted that the hut's 100th anniversary would be celebrated on 22 August, with some remaining places available, and that the hut participates in the "Freie Nacht fürs Klima" campaign. The hut remains a DAV facility and an active mountain shelter in the Austrian Alps.

• 2026

  100th anniversary celebration planned for 22 August.

• 2024

  Hut keepers Sigi and Sepp announced their departure after seven years; hut closed from 20 September.

• 1987

  Rebuilt hut reopened and subsequently equipped with environmentally friendly technology.

• 1986

  Rebuilding of the hut began (completed 1987).

• 1984

  Hut burned down to its foundations on 26 December.

• 1926

  Niedersachsenhaus inaugurated by the DAV Hannover section.

Traditional Alpine Club mountain hut in the Hohe Tauern, catering to hikers and mountaineers in the Rauris and Gastein valleys.

• Mountain hut accommodation

  Overnight stays for hikers and mountaineers at 2,471 m.

• Hut catering

  Food and drinks served to day visitors and overnight guests.

• Alpine shelter

  Emergency shelter and base for summit tours and hut crossings.

1. 1Niedersachsenhaus - Startseiteniedersachsenhaus.at
2. 2Niedersachsenhaus (Schutzhütte) - Wikipediade.wikipedia.org
3. 3Niedersachsenhaus - Wikidatawikidata.org