Water shortages force more Salzburg mountain huts to close

ORF reported that drought and heat are forcing some managed mountain huts in Salzburg to close temporarily or stop operating their sanitary facilities. Operators say they have never experienced an alpine summer like this one.

The Erichhütte mountain hut on the Hochkönig in the Pinzgau region operated only on a limited basis over the weekend before closing on Monday. The hut has too little water to serve guests and run its toilets.

“It is difficult. The spring is further up and it is already completely dry,” hut operator Ludwig Bürgler said. “Until now, a little water had still been flowing, but now there is almost nothing left. That also makes daytime operations difficult because of the toilets.” The hut has already had to turn guests away because it could no longer provide adequate supplies.

The effects of the drought are also visible along the hiking trails. At the nearby Bürglalm alpine pasture, however, there is still enough water, according to Anton Bürgler. Despite the shortages, visitor numbers across the alpine pastures remain high, the Alpine Club reports, and the lack of water is a frequent topic among hikers.

The Happisch-Haus mountain hut has also had to close and be supplied with drinking water.

At the Dientalm alpine pasture in Mühlbach in the Pongau region, many guests are still arriving. But farmer Rudolf Nussbaumer said the drought was worrying for agriculture. “There will be less milk and less meat,” he said, adding that farmers would need to capture more water and use it more carefully in the future.

Many operators are now hoping for rain so that the alpine season can continue in many places until Austria’s national holiday.