Austriahütte

The Austriahütte is a mountain refuge run by the Austria section of the Austrian Alpine Club. It stands at 1,638 metres on the Brandalm meadows south of the Hoher Dachstein, where the mountain’s dramatic south face towers overhead. Politically it belongs to Ramsau in Styria, yet its setting feels far removed from towns. The hut is the oldest refuge on the Dachstein massif and remains a favourite stop for walkers rather than climbers. Built in 1880 by the Section Austria, the refuge was enlarged in 1887 to cope with visitor numbers. A new building went up in 1932 and since then the hut has operated year-round, often doubling as a holiday and ski base. Inside, several rooms now house the Dachstein Alpine Museum, displaying the region’s climbing history. Paths lead to the hut from the Türlwandhütte in half an hour or from Ramsau via Edelbrunn and Brandriedel in ninety minutes. From here walkers can continue to the Dachsteinsüdwandhütte, Seethalerhütte or Simonyhütte, while nearby peaks include the Brandriedel summit and the challenging Grosse Koppenkarstein. Views stretch across the south face of the Dachstein, the Bischofsmütze and the Tauern ranges.