Peter-Wiechenthaler-Hütte, Alpine club hut in Saalfelden am Steinernen Meer, Austria
Peter-Wiechenthaler-Hütte is an Alpine club hut of the Saalfelden section of the Austrian Alpine Club at 1,752 metres, on the southwestern edge of the Steinernes Meer above Saalfelden. It stands at the foot of the Persailhorn on the ridge of the Kienalkopf, in the Berchtesgaden Alps, within the Leogang district of the Saalforste forests. The building has 14 beds and 40 mattress spaces.
The hut was built between 1924 and 1926 on the initiative of Saalfelden master mason Peter Wiechenthaler (1859–1927), not by the Austrian Alpine Club. It belongs to the ÖAV's Saalfelden section. Renovations and extensions followed in 1972, 1976, 1991 and 2020; the 2020 rebuild cost about one million euros.
The hut serves climbers and hikers by offering a place to rest and eat hearty food typical of the region, making it a gathering point for people exploring the mountains together.
Three marked approaches lead to the hut: from Saalfelden-Bachwinkel (800 m) via the Hüttenweg, easy, 2¾ hours; from Saalfelden town centre (750 m) via Bachwinkel and the Hüttenweg, easy, 3½ hours; from the Kaltenbachtal car park (850 m) via Metzger-Steinalm and Persailfoissel, medium, 4 hours. The Loigom-Soifen shuttle stops at the "Parkplatz Peter-Wiechenthaler-Hütte".
The lodge earned an Environmental Quality Seal for Alpine Club Huts in 1999, showing its commitment to sustainable mountain practices. This makes it an example of how traditional shelters embrace modern environmental standards.
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