Polster

The Polster is a 1,910-metre peak on the south-west edge of the Hochschwab massif in Styria. It rises above the Präbichl pass and belongs to the Northern Limestone Alps’ Grauwackenzone. The first chairlift to the summit opened in 1948; the current single-seat lift, 1,224 metres long, was built in 1984–85 and renewed in 2023 after a public appeal. Its lower station sits at 1,237 metres near the pass, the upper station at 1,797 metres, where the year-round Polsterschutzhaus offers food and views across the surrounding peaks to the Dachstein. Two hours’ walk from the pass leads to the summit along clearly marked trails of varying grades. These routes also connect to other summits in the southern Hochschwab group, such as the Griesmauer and its TAC-Spitze, the Leobner Mauer, the Trenchtling with Hochturm, and the Frauenmauerhöhle. The Leobner Hütte stands at 1,582 metres on the eastern flank. Built originally as a miner’s lodge, it was rebuilt in the 1920s by the Leoben section of the Austrian Alpine Club and reopened in 2014 for day visitors and overnight stays at weekends and during school holidays. The name ‘Polster’ appears in records as early as 1454 and may refer either to the mountain or to a nearby farm. Whatever its origin, the Polster today offers a choice of alpine routes and two staffed huts where walkers can rest and eat. From the chairlift’s top station the eye follows the high limestone ridges westwards, while the Leobner Hütte provides a quieter haven on the eastern slopes.