Priener Hütte

The Priener Hütte is an Alpine club mountain hut (Alpenvereinshütte) owned and operated by the Prien section of the German Alpine Club (Deutscher Alpenverein, DAV). It sits at 1,410 metres above sea level on the western side of the Geigelstein, below the Oberkaseralm, in the municipality of Aschau im Chiemgau in the Rosenheim district of Upper Bavaria, Germany. The hut lies within the Chiemgau Alps, close to the Austrian border with Tirol, and is a well-known and popular destination for hikers, mountaineers and ski tourers. The hut is open all year round, offering rest and refreshment in every season — in summer for mountain walks and in winter for ski tours. When conditions permit, the access path from Sachrang is cleared so that visitors can walk up to the hut and sledge back down. For mountaineers, the Priener Hütte is an important base for larger tours through the Chiemgau Alps and on long-distance trails such as the Königssee–Bodensee route and the Maximiliansweg. The Priener Hütte has a long history. The first plans by the Prien section of the DuOeAV to build a shelter on the Geigelstein date back to 1913. After a long search for a suitable site and the raising of the necessary funds, construction finally began in 1924. With support from the main association, the hut was opened on 10 August 1930. Rising visitor numbers brought repeated break-ins and thefts, and in 1938 the section decided to operate the hut year-round. Until 1960 it remained a small, cosy mountaineers' shelter, when it was rebuilt in keeping with the spirit of the times. The works were extensive and changed the appearance of the hut so much that it was re-inaugurated on 27 June 1964. After a further expansion in 1974, the shelter offered more comfort, over 100 beds, a modern large kitchen and showers. In 2021, as part of a realignment back towards its original mountain-hut character, the bed capacity was reduced to 71 places. The hut is reached by several marked trails: from Huben (710 m, car park) via the Schreckalm, easy, 2½ hours; from Sachrang (740 m, chargeable car park) via the Hüttenweg, easy, 2½ hours; from Walchsee (700 m, chargeable car park) via the Baumgartenalm, easy, 3 hours; and from Ettenhausen (600 m, near Schleching) via the Wuhrsteinalm and Wirtsalm, easy, 3½ hours. Transitions to other huts include the Wandberghaus (1,350 m) via the Ackeralm, easy, 1 hour, and the Spitzsteinhaus (1,265 m) via Sachrang (740 m), easy, 4 hours. Private managed huts nearby include the Wuhrsteinalm, Roßalm, Haidenholzalm and Sulzingalm. Summit ascents from the hut include the Geigelstein (1,813 m) via the west flank, easy, 1 hour; the Breitenstein (1,661 m) via the north flank, easy, 45 minutes; the Hochköpfl (1,540 m), unmarked and partly pathless, 45 minutes; the Mühlhörndl (1,520 m), unmarked and partly pathless, 1 hour; and the Weitlahnerkopf (1,615 m) via the Roßalm, easy, 1½ hours. The Priener Hütte is a classic example of a DAV section hut: a not-for-profit mountain refuge that serves as a base for outdoor recreation, a meeting point for the hiking community, and a piece of Alpine cultural heritage. It is listed on Wikidata as a building in Sachrang, Upper Bavaria, Germany.

The Priener Hütte is a mountain hut of the Prien section of the German Alpine Club (Deutscher Alpenverein, DAV) in the Chiemgau Alps. The first plans by the Prien section of the DuOeAV (the German and Austrian Alpine Club, predecessor of today's DAV) to build a shelter on the Geigelstein emerged in 1913. After a long search for a suitable location and the raising of the necessary funds, construction began in 1924. Only with the support of the main association could the Priener Hütte finally be opened on 10 August 1930. Steadily rising visitor numbers brought several break-ins and thefts, and in 1938 the section decided to operate the hut year-round. Until 1960 the hut remained a small, cosy mountaineers' shelter. Then, in keeping with the spirit of the times, it was rebuilt. The works were extensive and changed the appearance of the hut so much that it was re-inaugurated on 27 June 1964. After a further expansion in 1974, the shelter offered more comfort and over 100 sleeping places as well as a modern large kitchen and showers. In 2021, as part of a realignment back towards the original mountain-hut character, the bed capacity was reduced to 71 places. The hut remains open all year round and continues to serve as a base for hikers, mountaineers and ski tourers in the Chiemgau Alps.

• 2021

  Bed capacity reduced to 71 places as part of a realignment back to the original mountain-hut character.

• 1974

  Further expansion offers more comfort, over 100 beds, a modern large kitchen and showers.

• 1964

  Hut re-inaugurated on 27 June after extensive rebuilding.

• 1960

  Hut rebuilt in keeping with the spirit of the times; extensive works change its appearance.

• 1938

  Decision to operate the hut year-round due to rising visitor numbers and break-ins.

• 1930

  Priener Hütte opened on 10 August with support from the main association.

• 1924

  Construction begins after a long search for a suitable site and the raising of funds.

• 1913

  First plans by the Prien section of the DuOeAV to build a shelter on the Geigelstein.

A traditional, not-for-profit Alpine club mountain hut offering simple, year-round shelter and refreshment for hikers, mountaineers and ski tourers in the Chiemgau Alps.

• Mountain hut accommodation

  Year-round overnight stays for hikers, mountaineers and ski tourers.

• Food and drink service

  Rest and refreshment for day visitors and overnight guests.

• Base for tours

  Important base for larger tours through the Chiemgau Alps and on the Königssee–Bodensee and Maximiliansweg long-distance trails.

1. 1Wandern & Natur in den Chiemgauer Alpenurlaubszeit.de
2. 2Die Geschichte des Wanderns | Urlaubszeiturlaubszeit.de
3. 3Priener Hütte – Wikidatawikidata.org
4. 4Priener Hütte – Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org