Wildalmkirchl bivouac shelter

On the trail from Riemannhaus to Matrashaus on Hochkönig, you’ll find the Wildalmkirchlbiwak, an emergency shelter in one of the most remote corners of Steinernes Meer. For more than a hundred years, this unstaffed bivouac hut has offered mountaineers a place to sleep in one of the most remote corners of the Steinernes Meer.

About halfway between Riemannhaus in Steinernes Meer and Matrashaus on Hochkönig, you’ll reach the Wildalmkirchl bivouac, an emergency shelter operated by the Austrian Tourist Club (ÖTK) with space for up to eight people.

The history of the Wildalmkirchl bivouac

As early as 1958, the ÖTK headquarters set up a metal box—which at the time provided four sleeping spots—behind Wildalmkirchl as an emergency shelter. However, as more and more mountaineers and hikers began visiting this remote part of Steinernes Meer —mainly on their way to or from Hochkönig—the original bivouac box at Wildalmkirchl became too small.

To mark its 100th anniversary, the Maria Alm section of the ÖTK erected a new bivouac at the same location in 1989—an octagonal wooden structure that accommodates eight people. The bivouac was pre-assembled in the valley, flown into Steinernes Meer by a German Bundeswehr helicopter, and placed on the completed foundation there.