Gimpelhaus

Gimpelhaus is a private mountain hut (Schutzhütte) located above the village of Nesselwängle in the Tannheimer Tal, in the Austrian federal state of Tyrol. Situated at an elevation of 1,659 metres above sea level, it operates as a hospitality and outdoor recreation brand, offering accommodation, food and beverage service, and facilities for hikers and climbers. The hut is a well-known base for tours into the nearby Gimpel, Kellenspitze and Rote Flüh mountain group. The original Gimpelhaus was built in 1938/39. In the night of 6 August 1973, the building burned down to its foundations and had to be demolished. The current structure was rebuilt in the following years by the Guem family, who continue to own and operate it. The hut provides 50 beds and 170 dormitory places (Lager) for overnight guests. It also includes a seminar room and a bouldering wall. Gimpelhaus is open and staffed from the beginning of May to the end of October each year. As a brand, Gimpelhaus represents alpine hospitality in the Tannheimer Tal. Its offering centres on traditional mountain hut services: overnight accommodation, meals, and information or support for outdoor activities. The hut's location makes it a starting point for numerous walking and climbing routes, including the Gehrenspitze (2,164 m, about 2 hours 50 minutes), the Gimpel (2,176 m, about 3 hours), the Kellenspitze (2,239 m, about 1 hour 50 minutes), the Rote Flüh (2,111 m, about 1 hour 30 minutes), and the Schneetalalm (1,626 m, about 1.5 hours, a summer-only mountain trail). It is also connected to a network of neighbouring huts and crossings, such as the Otto-Mayr-Hütte (about 3 hours), the Bad Kissinger Hütte (about 5 hours), the Tannheimer Hütte (about 10 minutes), and the Willi-Merkl-Gedächtnis-Hütte. The brand is private and family-run, with no public listing or corporate parent. Its identity is tied to the physical hut and the surrounding alpine landscape. Gimpelhaus maintains a web presence through its own site, gimpelhaus.at, and is listed on regional tourism platforms such as tannheimertal.at. It appears on alpine club maps, including the Alpenvereinskarte BY 5 Tannheimer Berge – Köllenspitze, Gaishorn (1:25,000) and the Tannheimer Tal topographic hiking map published by Athesia Buch in 2021 (1:25,000). Today, Gimpelhaus continues to serve as a seasonal mountain hut and a modest hospitality brand within the Tannheimer Tal tourism region. Its history, reconstruction after the 1973 fire, and family ownership are central to its identity.

The Gimpelhaus was originally built in 1938/39 as a private mountain hut in the Tannheimer Tal, above the village of Nesselwängle in Tyrol, Austria. It was situated at an elevation of 1,659 metres above sea level, in a sunny high-altitude location that made it a natural starting point for hiking and climbing tours to the nearby Gimpel, Kellenspitze and Rote Flüh mountain group. In the night of 6 August 1973, the original building burned down to its foundations. The remains had to be demolished. In the following years, the current Gimpelhaus was rebuilt by the Guem family, who have owned and operated the hut since then. The rebuilt hut continues to serve the same purpose: providing shelter, accommodation and refreshment to mountaineers and hikers in the Tannheimer Tal. The modern Gimpelhaus offers 50 beds and 170 dormitory places (Lager) for overnight guests. It also contains a seminar room and a bouldering wall, adapting the traditional mountain hut concept to include facilities for groups and indoor climbing training. The hut is open and staffed from the beginning of May to the end of October each year, reflecting the seasonal nature of alpine tourism in the region. As a brand, Gimpelhaus is closely tied to its physical location and the surrounding trail network. It serves as a base for walks to the Gehrenspitze (2,164 m, about 2 hours 50 minutes), the Gimpel (2,176 m, about 3 hours), the Kellenspitze (2,239 m, about 1 hour 50 minutes), the Rote Flüh (2,111 m, about 1 hour 30 minutes), and the Schneetalalm (1,626 m, about 1.5 hours, a summer-only mountain trail). It is also linked to neighbouring huts and crossings, including the Otto-Mayr-Hütte (about 3 hours), the Bad Kissinger Hütte (about 5 hours), the Tannheimer Hütte (about 10 minutes), and the Willi-Merkl-Gedächtnis-Hütte. The hut appears on alpine club maps such as the Alpenvereinskarte BY 5 Tannheimer Berge – Köllenspitze, Gaishorn (1:25,000) and the Tannheimer Tal topographic hiking map published by Athesia Buch in 2021 (1:25,000). It maintains a web presence at gimpelhaus.at and is listed on regional tourism platforms including tannheimertal.at. The brand remains private and family-run, with no public listing or corporate parent.

• 1973

  Original building burned down to its foundations in the night of 6 August 1973 and had to be demolished.

• 1938

  Original Gimpelhaus built in 1938/39.

• Current building rebuilt in the following years by the Guem family.

Private, family-run alpine mountain hut and hospitality brand in the Tannheimer Tal, serving hikers and climbers with traditional accommodation and outdoor facilities.

• Mountain hut accommodation

  50 beds and 170 dormitory places (Lager) for overnight guests.

• Seminar room

  A seminar room located inside the hut.

• Bouldering wall

  A bouldering wall inside the hut.

1. 1Gimpelhaus - Wikidatawikidata.org
2. 2Gimpelhaus - Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org
3. 3Gimpelhaus - Tannheimer Taltannheimertal.at