Ennstaler Hütte

The Ennstaler Hütte is a Category I mountain hut (Schutzhütte) of the Austrian Alpine Club (Österreichischer Alpenverein, ÖAV), operated by its Steyr section. It stands at 1,544 metres above sea level in the Buchsteingruppe, the northern range of the Ennstaler Alpen, within the Gesäuse National Park in the Austrian state of Styria. Built in 1885 by the Vienna-based alpine society "Ennstaler", it is the oldest hut in the Gesäuse and was the first shelter of its kind in the Ennstaler Alps. The hut sits on the ridge between the Tieflimauer (1,820 m) to the west and the Tamischbachturm (2,035 m) to the east, and serves as an important base for hikers on the Eisenwurzenweg long-distance trail. The Ennstaler Hütte offers cold and warm meals and overnight accommodation, with reservations handled through the hut's online booking portal. It has been run since May 2020 by Burgi and Ernst Brunnmayr. The hut is deliberately remote: it has no road access and no connection to mains water, sewage or electricity. Access is on foot only, requiring at least 2.5 hours from the nearest trailheads. Facilities include washing areas (but no showers), a WC (but no flush toilet), electric light (but no mains power), a telephone (but no email), and mobile phone reception on the terrace (but no Wi-Fi or internet). Guests must bring their own hut sleeping bags. Approaches reach the hut from the railway stations at Gstatterboden (trail no. 646), Hieflau (trail no. 648) and Großreifling (trail no. 646), as well as from the car park at Erb near St. Gallen (trail no. 650). The surrounding area offers a wide range of mountaineering: hiking to the summit of the Tamischbachturm, alpine climbing (route no. 546, a black-graded trail), via ferrata (Teufelssteig) and rock climbing (Tieflimauer, Kleiner Buchstein). The Eisenwurzenweg long-distance trail (no. 08) and the Luchstrail both pass by the hut. The Ennstaler Hütte is a classic alpine club shelter rather than a commercial hospitality brand, but it functions as a trademarked, membership-oriented mountain hut operation within the ÖAV network. Its identity is tied to its history, its protected national park setting, and its role as a staging point for some of the most accessible summits in the Gesäuse.

The Ennstaler Hütte was built in 1885 by the Vienna-based alpine society "Ennstaler". It was the first shelter of its kind in the Ennstaler Alps and remains the oldest hut in the Gesäuse. In 1924 the hut was taken over by the Steyr section of the Austrian Alpine Club (ÖAV), which has operated it since. In 1930 the hut was expanded. The Teufelssteig via ferrata on the Tieflimauer was established in 2002, adding a technical climbing route to the hut's offering. Since 2004, mountain bikers have been able to ride from Gstatterboden up to the Hochscheibenalm at around 1,200 m, shortening the approach to the hut to about one hour. Since May 2020 the hut has been run by Burgi and Ernst Brunnmayr. The hut remains a key staging point on the Eisenwurzenweg long-distance trail and is noted for its lack of road, water, sewage and electricity connections, preserving its remote alpine character.

• 2020

  Burgi and Ernst Brunnmayr take over management of the hut in May.

• 2004

  Mountain bike access from Gstatterboden to Hochscheibenalm (approx. 1,200 m) opened, shortening the approach.

• 2002

  Teufelssteig via ferrata on the Tieflimauer established.

• 1930

  Hut expanded.

• 1924

  Taken over by the Steyr section of the Austrian Alpine Club (ÖAV).

• 1885

  Built by the Vienna alpine society "Ennstaler"; first shelter in the Ennstaler Alps.

Historic alpine club mountain hut in a protected national park, offering simple, remote accommodation and a base for hiking, climbing and via ferrata.

• Overnight accommodation

  Category I mountain hut lodging; reservations via the hut's online portal.

• Cold and warm meals

  Food service for hikers and climbers.

• Hiking and mountaineering base

  Access to Tamischbachturm, Kleiner Buchstein, Tieflimauer, and the Teufelssteig via ferrata.

1. 1Ennstaler-Hütte – Österreichischer Alpenvereinalpenverein.at
2. 2Ennstaler Hütte – Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org
3. 3Ennstaler Hütte – Wikidatawikidata.org