Preintalerhütte

The Preintalerhütte is a mountain hut (Schutzhütte) of the Alpine Gesellschaft Preintaler (AGP) located at 1,656 metres in the Schladminger Tauern range of the Styria region in Austria. It sits in the heart of the Schladminger Tauern and serves as a day-trip destination, a starting point for numerous mountain crossings and summits, and a stage stop for hikers on the Tauernhöhenweg long-distance trail. The hut is reached from the Seeleiten car park at the Gasthof Riesachfall in the Untertal valley in roughly two and a half hours, either via the Riesach waterfall — the longest waterfall in Styria — or via the alpine path known as 'die Höll', which includes a 50-metre rope bridge over the gorge. From the Obere Gfölleralm the route continues almost level past the Riesachsee lake and alpine meadows to the Kotalm, followed by a gentle 45-minute ascent to the hut. The hut offers 144 overnight places, comprising 54 beds and 90 mattress dormitory places, and has no winter room. It is run by the tenants Wolfgang and Rita Höflehner, who took over in 2011. Online reservations are available around the clock through a cross-border reservation platform of alpine associations, and card payment (Bankomat) is accepted. The Preintalerhütte is a key base for tours in the water-rich Schladminger Tauern, including the Klafferkessel lake landscape, the Hochwildstelle (the highest mountain entirely within Styria), the Neualmscharte to the Hans-Wödl-Hütte, the Waldhorn, Höchstein, Kieseck, the Planai Höhenweg, and the two Sonntagskarseen. It is also an important support point on the Zentralalpenweg, a long-distance trail from Hainburg an der Donau to Feldkirch. The hut was founded in 1891 by Hans Wödl and the Alpine Gesellschaft der Preintaler, who discovered the untouched Schladminger Tauern area in the late 19th century and decided to open it up. Over more than a century it has been run by nine different tenants, with Franz and Vroni Höflehner managing it for 40 years before the current tenants. The building has been repeatedly expanded and modernised, including a first extension in 1921, a water pipeline in 1928, additional sleeping rooms in 1955, sanitary facilities in 1957, the first material cable car in 1962, major reconstruction from 1976 to 1981, and a renewed sewage treatment plant in 1997. Today it remains an active, privately operated alpine hut brand under the AGP association.

The Preintalerhütte was established in 1891 by Hans Wödl and the Alpine Gesellschaft der Preintaler (AGP), who discovered the untouched Schladminger Tauern area in the late 19th century and decided to open it up for mountaineering. The hut is a Schutzhütte of the Alpine Gesellschaft Preintaler in the Schladminger Tauern in Styria, Austria. In 1921 the first extension was built, adding sleeping rooms and a kitchen. A water pipeline was laid in 1928, and further sleeping rooms were added in 1955. Sanitary facilities were installed in 1957, and the first material cable car was built in 1962. The largest reconstruction works began in 1976, when everything except the kitchen was rebuilt. In 1977 provisional operation resumed and a sewage treatment plant was built. In 1981 the reconstruction was completed with the construction of the sanitary wing. In 1997 the sewage treatment plant was renewed. Over this hundred-year period the hut was run by nine different tenants. The last tenants, Franz and Vroni Höflehner, looked after the Preintalerhütte for 40 years. The current tenants, since 2011, are Wolfgang and Rita Höflehner. The hut offers 144 overnight places (54 beds and 90 mattress dormitory places) and has no winter room. Online reservations are available around the clock through a cross-border reservation platform of alpine associations, and card payment is possible. The ascent from Schladming leads 12 km toward Rohrmoos-Untertal, where cars can be parked for a fee at the car park near the Gasthof zum Riesachfall. The first section can be covered either on the forest road or along the Riesach waterfalls. The path along the waterfalls was expanded in July 2005 to make the very scenic waterfalls more accessible. After the waterfalls the path rejoins the forest road, which is followed along the Riesachsee lake, past several alpine pastures, to shortly before the hut. The last three-quarters of an hour and 250 metres of elevation gain lead along a hiking trail through the forest up to the hut. In total the ascent from the car park to the hut takes two and a half to three hours. The area of the Schladminger Tauern is known above all for its abundance of water and its lakes. One excursion destination is the lake landscape of the Klafferkessel, about three hours from the Preintalerhütte. There one can either walk a loop along the lakes and return to the Preintalerhütte or cross the Greifenberg to the Gollinghütte (about 6 hours walking time). Another hiking destination is the Hochwildstelle, the highest mountain that belongs to Styria alone. Further on, via the Neualmscharte, one reaches the Hans-Wödl-Hütte (about 7 hours walking time). The Waldhorn, the Höchstein, the Kieseck and the Planai Höhenweg are also destinations reachable from the Preintalerhütte. A leisurely hike is offered by the two Sonntagskarseen, with about one hour to the first and another half hour to the second. The hut is also an important support point on the Zentralalpenweg, a long-distance trail from Hainburg an der Donau to Feldkirch.

• 2011

  Wolfgang and Rita Höflehner become current tenants.

• 2005

  Path along the Riesach waterfalls expanded in July to improve access.

• 1997

  Sewage treatment plant renewed.

• 1981

  Reconstruction completed with the construction of the sanitary wing.

• 1977

  Provisional operation resumed and a sewage treatment plant built.

• 1976

  Largest reconstruction works begin; everything except the kitchen rebuilt.

• 1962

  First material cable car built.

• 1957

  Sanitary facilities installed.

• 1955

  Further sleeping rooms added.

• 1928

  Water pipeline laid.

• 1921

  First extension built, adding sleeping rooms and a kitchen.

• 1891

  Preintalerhütte established by Hans Wödl and the Alpine Gesellschaft der Preintaler (AGP).

A traditional alpine club mountain hut in the Schladminger Tauern, positioned as a day-trip destination, a starting point for mountain crossings and summits, and a stage stop on the Tauernhöhenweg and Zentralalpenweg long-distance trails.

• Overnight accommodation

  144 overnight places: 54 beds and 90 mattress dormitory places; no winter room.

• Online reservation portal

  Round-the-clock online reservation as a cross-border platform of alpine associations.

• Food and beverage service

  Hut catering for day visitors and overnight guests.

1. 1AGP - Preintalerhüttepreintaler.at
2. 2Preintalerhütte - Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Preintalerhütte - Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org