Rainerova chata

Rainerova chata (also known as Rainerova útulňa, colloquially Rainerka; German: Rainerhütte; Hungarian: Rainer-kunyhó; Polish: Schronisko Rainera) is a historic mountain hut in the Slovak High Tatras. It sits at 1,301 metres above sea level on the Starolesnianska poľana (Rainer-Wiese) at the lower end of the Veľká Studená dolina (Great Kohlbach Valley), part of the Studená dolina (Kohlbach Valley) system. It is the oldest surviving shelter on the southern side of the High Tatras. The hut was built by Johann Georg Rainer, a innkeeper from Georgenberg and leaseholder of the Schmecks spa resort (today Starý Smokovec), around 1865 (some sources say 1863) to support spa guests on excursions into the Kohlbach valleys and to Lomnický štít. It was unmanaged and unnamed but became known among tourists as the Rainerhütte. It operated until 1884, when the nearby Hotel Gemse (later Kamzík) was built. Thereafter it served only as overnight accommodation for mountain guides and porters, and later as a fuel store and garage for the Kamzík hut. After Kamzík was demolished in 1980, the old hut fell further into disrepair until 1983, when restoration by the Tatra National Park administration saved it as a cultural monument. In 1997 a teacher from Kežmarok, Peter Petras, leased the hut and after further renovation reopened it to tourists on 13 July 1998. Today it houses an information centre, a small museum of hut porters, and a snack bar. It is the only Slovak Tatra hut that does not offer accommodation. Due to its relatively low altitude and proximity to the red-marked Tatranská magistrála trail, the hut is a popular destination for families with children, less demanding tourists, and hikers travelling between Hrebienok and Zamkovského chata. It can also be reached via a blue-marked path from Tatranská Lomnica, which meets a yellow path from Tatranská Lesná before the hut. The blue trail continues up to Zbojnícka chata and over the main ridge of the High Tatras to Lysá Poľana near Tatranská Javorina. Waterfalls on the Studený potok (Kohlbach) are nearby. A special attraction is the annual snow nativity scene and a folklore programme on Epiphany.

Rainerova chata was built by Johann Georg Rainer, an innkeeper from Georgenberg and leaseholder of the Schmecks spa resort (today Starý Smokovec), around 1865 (some sources say 1863). It was a simple, single-room hut intended to facilitate excursions by spa guests into the Kohlbach valleys and to Lomnický štít. It was not managed and had no official name, but tourists called it the Rainerhütte. It operated until 1884, when the nearby Hotel Gemse (later Kamzík) was built. After that, the Rainerhütte served only as overnight accommodation for mountain guides and porters, and later as a fuel store and garage for the Kamzík hut. After Kamzík was demolished in 1980, the old hut fell further into disrepair until 1983, when restoration measures by the Tatra National Park administration restored it as a cultural monument. In 1997, a teacher from Kežmarok, Peter Petras, leased the hut and after another renovation reopened it to tourists on 13 July 1998. Today it houses an information centre, a small museum of hut porters, and a snack bar. It is the only Slovak Tatra hut that does not offer accommodation.

• 1998

  After renovation, the hut reopens to tourists on 13 July.

• 1997

  Peter Petras leases the hut.

• 1983

  Restoration by the Tatra National Park administration saves the hut as a cultural monument.

• 1980

  Kamzík hut is demolished; Rainerova chata falls further into disrepair.

• 1884

  Hut ceases regular operation after the nearby Hotel Gemse (later Kamzík) is built.

• 1865

  Johann Georg Rainer builds a simple one-room hut; some sources say 1863.

Historic, family-friendly mountain hut and cultural monument in the High Tatras, offering a museum and refreshments rather than accommodation.

• Information centre

• Museum of hut porters

• Snack bar

• Snow nativity scene (annual)

• Epiphany folklore programme

1. 1Zamkovského chata | Horská chata vo Vysokých Tatráchzamka.sk
2. 2Rainerova chatawikidata.org
3. 3Rainerova chatade.wikipedia.org