Purtschellerhaus on Hoher Göll
Alpine Club hut operated by DAV Section Sonneberg- Open today
- Berchtesgaden
- 1692m
- Beds
At Purtschellerhaus, you’re standing right on the border between Germany and Austria—below Hoher Göll and above Rossfeld Panorama Road.
At an elevation of 1,692 meters on the north face of Hoher Göll, you’ll reach the Purtschellerhaus, a German Alpine Club (DAV) mountain hut operated by the Sonneberg section. The hut is located on the Eckerfirst, a northern spur of Hoher Göll. In winter, the hut is closed due to the extreme avalanche danger. Depending on snow conditions, it opens in mid-May.
History of Purtschellerhaus
Construction on Eckerfirst began in 1899, and the mountain hut opened just one year later, on July 2, 1900. Originally, it was to be called “Hut on Hoher Göll of the Sonneberg Section.” Shortly before the opening, however, Ludwig Purtscheller, one of the most important mountaineers of his time, died. The hut was subsequently named Purtschellerhaus in his honor. After World War II, when Section Sonneberg was no longer able to manage Purtschellerhaus, Section Hallein initially took over, followed by Section Berchtesgaden. In 1951, Section Berchtesgaden expanded the hut on the Bavarian side.
One mountain hut, two countries
What makes Purtschellerhaus truly unique becomes clear once you step inside: the international border between Salzburg and Bavaria runs right through the building. This was particularly significant toward the end of World War II, when the Allies prohibited cross-border travel between Austria and Germany, allowing people separated by the border to meet legally inside the hut.
Hike up to Purtschellerhaus
Several generally easy trails lead to Purtschellerhaus, differing mainly in how long they take. The quickest routes start at Ahornkaser or Enzianhütte on Rossfeld Panorama Road and lead via Eckersattel to the hut. Allow about one to one and a half hours. Routes from the Austrian side take considerably longer.
Traverses to Hoher Göll
The high-alpine traverse of Hoher Göll and Hohes Brett also passes Purtschellerhaus. From Hoher Göll, you can continue via Mannlgrat to the Eagle’s Nest.
