"It's very painful"

Salzburg’s First Mountain Hut Surrenders to the Heat

The Happischhaus can no longer remain open—and the risk of further closures is high.(Bild: Roland Hold)

The Happischhaus in the Tennengebirge is pulling the plug and can now only offer limited service, similar to winter operations. As the hut’s operators, the Nature Friends are deeply affected—both financially and emotionally. The reasons are devastating, explains Sophia Burtscher of the Nature Friends.

The next heat wave is on its way; water is already scarce in parts of the Flachgau region, and farmland is drier than ever. The snow on the glaciers is melting earlier and earlier, and the risk of wildfires is enormous. A look at increasingly warmer and drier periods leaves no doubt that a major change is underway. This is already having an impact.