Gamskarkogelhütte

Gamskarkogelhütte, also known as Badgasteiner Hütte, is a mountain shelter hut owned and operated by the Bad Gastein section of the Austrian Alpine Club (Österreichischer Alpenverein). It sits at 2,467 metres above sea level on the summit of the Gamskarkogel in the Ankogel Group, within the municipality of Bad Hofgastein in the Pongau district of Salzburg, Austria. The hut is a notable historic structure, with its construction dating back to 1828, making it the first shelter hut in the entire Eastern Alps. It is considered one of the oldest mountain huts in the Alpine region and is sometimes described as 'Europe's oldest shelter hut', although that claim is contested because other huts such as the Salmhütte on the Grossglockner and the Wiesenbaude in the Riesengebirge were built earlier. The hut was commissioned by Archduke Johann of Austria, who visited the Gastein Valley almost annually between 1822 and 1859 for hunting. It was prefabricated on the Rastötzenalm, some 700 metres below, then disassembled, transported to the summit by horses, and reassembled there. In 1829, the Archduke had a footpath built from Bad Gastein to the Gamskarkogel, further opening the area for tourism. The hut is managed by a tenant (currently referred to as 'Wirtin') and serves hikers in summer, while in winter it offers a winter room for ski tourers. It is an important base on the Central Alpine Way (Zentralalpenweg), a long-distance trail from Hainburg an der Donau to Feldkirch. The hut's operators promote the Gamskarkogel as the 'highest grassy mountain in Europe', a claim also made by other Salzburg huts for different peaks, and the definition of a 'grassy mountain' remains unclear. The hut is a listed building in Bad Hofgastein, Austria. Its official website is www.gamskarkogelhuette.at, and it maintains a presence on Facebook. The responsible hut warden (Hüttenwart) for the Alpine Club is Paul Lindbichler. The hut can be contacted by phone at +43 (0) 676 4519850 or by email at wirtin@gamskarkogelhuette.at. The Bad Gastein section of the Austrian Alpine Club is based at Hans-Kudlich-Straße 3, 5640 Bad Gastein.

The Gamskarkogelhütte was built in 1828 on the summit of the Gamskarkogel at 2,467 metres above sea level. It is considered the first shelter hut in the entire Eastern Alps and one of the oldest in the Alpine region. The construction was commissioned by Archduke Johann of Austria, who visited the Gastein Valley almost every year from 1822 to 1859 and hunted in the area with his hunting party. According to the hut register of 1882, the hut was built on the orders of the Archduke. It was prefabricated on the Rastötzenalm, about 700 metres below the summit, then taken apart, transported to the top with the help of horses, and reassembled there. In 1829, the Archduke had a footpath built from Bad Gastein up to the Gamskarkogel, laying another foundation stone for the tourist development of the region. A painting by Thomas Ender, the Archduke's chamber painter, depicts the Archduke's family picnicking with their entourage on the Gamskarkogel against the backdrop of the Tauern mountains. The hut is owned by the Bad Gastein section of the Austrian Alpine Club (Österreichischer Alpenverein). It is managed by a tenant and is open in summer, while in winter it offers a winter room for ski tourers. It serves as an important base on the Central Alpine Way (Zentralalpenweg), an Austrian long-distance trail from Hainburg an der Donau to Feldkirch. The hut's tenants promote the Gamskarkogel as the 'highest grassy mountain in Europe', a claim also made by other Salzburg hut operators for the Geißstein and the Hundstein, though the definition of a 'grassy mountain' remains unclear. The hut is a listed building in Bad Hofgastein.

• 1882

  The hut register documents the construction history, noting the hut was built on the orders of the Archduke.

• 1829

  Archduke Johann had a footpath built from Bad Gastein to the Gamskarkogel, promoting tourism in the area.

• 1828

  Construction of the Gamskarkogelhütte on the summit of the Gamskarkogel, considered the first shelter hut in the Eastern Alps.

Historic alpine shelter hut and hiking base, marketed as the first shelter hut in the Eastern Alps and the 'highest grassy mountain in Europe'.

• Summer catering and overnight stays

  The hut is managed in summer and provides food and accommodation for hikers.

• Winter room

  In winter, the hut offers a winter room for ski tourers.

1. 1Gamskarkogelhütte Alpenvereinalpenverein.at
2. 2Gamskarkogelhütte - Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Gamskarkogelhütte - Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org