Hainfelder Hütte

The Hainfelder Hütte is a mountain refuge (Schutzhütte) operated by the Hainfeld section of the Österreichischer Touristenklub (ÖTK), the Austrian Tourist Club. It sits at 922 metres on the summit of the Kirchenberg in the town of Hainfeld, Lower Austria, near the border with Kleinzell. The hut is one of three refuges in the immediate area and is a stop on the traditional Dreihüttenwanderung (Three-Hut Hike), alongside the Liasenböndl and the Lindensteinhütte. It can be reached on comfortable hiking trails from Hainfeld or the neighbouring municipalities of Ramsau and Kleinzell, with ascent times ranging from about one to three hours. The current building dates from 2005, when a new hut was constructed and opened on 25 September 2005. It offers seating for 40 people inside and 70 in the guest garden. The hut is managed year-round by members of the section and is open on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. The volunteer hosts serve traditional home-style cooking, and the website notes that even on busy days they usually manage to feed the last hungry hiker. The site also promotes webcams on the Hainfelder Kirchenberg that provide a panoramic view. The Hainfelder Hütte is not a commercial hotel chain but a club-run alpine refuge with a long local history. Its first building was erected in 1915 by the Hainfeld section, which had been founded in 1913. After a larger rebuild in 1924/1925, the hut was heavily damaged during the Second World War and subsequently repaired and expanded. Since mid-1955 it has been run by members only on weekends and holidays, after earlier continuous operation by tenants. In the 1960s the access road was improved for off-road vehicles, and in 1999 the hut was connected to the public electricity grid. Because of sanitary deficiencies, inadequate technical equipment, lack of space and various structural defects in the war-damaged refuge, the club leadership decided in 2005 to build anew; the new hut was realised from May and opened on 25 September 2005, also connected to the public sewer and water networks. Today the Hainfelder Hütte remains a volunteer-run destination for hikers and day-trippers in the Lower Austrian foothills.

The Hainfelder Hütte is a mountain refuge of the Hainfeld section of the Österreichischer Touristenklub (ÖTK), the Austrian Tourist Club. The section itself was founded in 1913, and the first hut on the Kirchenberg was built in 1915. That small hut covered about 15 square metres and offered space for roughly eight people; it was erected beneath an existing viewing tower. From 1924/1925 a new building of about 65 square metres with seating for 30 guests was constructed, and it was opened on 13 September 1925 by ÖTK president Franz Matras together with section chairman Sepp Neubauer. During the Second World War the hut was heavily damaged. After the war it was repaired or rebuilt and steadily expanded in the following years. Since mid-1955 it has been managed by members and only on weekends and public holidays, after having previously been run continuously by tenants. In the 1960s the access road was expanded so that the hut could be supplied by off-road vehicle. In 1999 the hut was connected to the public electricity grid of EVN. Because of sanitary deficiencies, inadequate technical equipment, lack of space and various structural defects in the war-damaged refuge, the club leadership decided in 2005 to build a new hut. This was realised from May of the same year and opened on 25 September 2005. With the new construction, the hut was also connected to the public sewer and water supply networks. The Hainfelder Hütte lies at 922 metres on the summit of the Kirchenberg in the Lower Austrian town of Hainfeld, on the border with Kleinzell. It offers space for 40 people inside and 70 in the guest garden, and is managed year-round on weekends and public holidays. It is one of three refuges in the immediate area and is visited as part of the traditional Dreihüttenwanderung together with the Liasenböndl and the Lindensteinhütte. It can be reached from Hainfeld or the neighbouring municipalities of Ramsau and Kleinzell on comfortable hiking trails, with ascent times varying from one to about three hours. The hut is run by volunteer members who serve traditional home-style cooking, and the official website also offers webcams on the Hainfelder Kirchenberg.

• 2005

  Decision to rebuild; new hut realised from May and opened on 25 September 2005, connected to public sewer and water networks.

• 1999

  Hut connected to the public electricity grid of EVN.

• 1960

  Access road expanded in the 1960s, allowing supply by off-road vehicle.

• 1955

  From mid-1955 the hut is managed by members only on weekends and public holidays.

• 1925

  New hut opened on 13 September by ÖTK president Franz Matras and section chairman Sepp Neubauer.

• 1924

  Construction of a new hut of about 65 m² with seating for 30 guests begins.

• 1915

  First hut built on the Kirchenberg, about 15 m², space for roughly 8 people.

• 1913

  Hainfeld section of the Österreichischer Touristenklub (ÖTK) founded.

A volunteer-run, club-owned alpine refuge offering simple traditional food and a quiet nature experience for hikers in the Lower Austrian foothills.

• Traditional home-style cooking

• Mountain refuge with 40 indoor seats and 70 garden seats

• Webcams on the Hainfelder Kirchenberg

1. 1Startseite | Hainfelder Hüttehainfelderhuette.at
2. 2Hainfelder Hütte – Wikipediade.wikipedia.org
3. 3Hainfelder Hütte – Wikidatawikidata.org