Vienna/Hallstatt (OTS) – The Wiesberghaus on the Dachstein plateau at 1,884 m above sea level is the Nature Friends Hut of the Year 2024. Federal Chairman Andreas Schieder and Federal Managing Director Günter Abraham have now officially presented the coveted award.
Last Friday, the Nature Friends Federal Chairman Andreas Schieder, Federal Managing Director Günter Abraham, the hut representative of the Nature Friends Upper Austria Manfred Spitzbart and Johann Staufer from the responsible local group in Lenzing set off on a special hike. They did not miss the opportunity to personally present the award for Nature Friends Hut of the Year 2024 to hut owner Teresa Kritzinger and her team. The Wiesberghaus, a hut of the Nature Friends Upper Austria, is located in the middle of the Dachstein area and is an ideal starting point for a wealth of activities at any time of the year.
“Great hut and a great award,” says Andreas Schieder, chairman of the Nature Friends. “This year the award was given for the second time and highlights the valuable work of the hut owners.” Energy efficiency, environmentally friendly management of the hut and a sustainable, climate-friendly menu are some of the criteria by which the five-member jury named the Wiesberghaus Hut of the Year. Since it has been extensively renovated in recent years, the Wiesberghaus is now very sustainable and comfortable for visitors. The hut is supplied exclusively with rainwater and the photovoltaic system installed in 2021 saves around 4,000 liters of heating oil per year.
“We are grateful for all the investments made by the Friends of Nature in recent years, which have made our work at the hut so much easier. Without these investments, we probably wouldn’t have become Hut of the Year,” says hut owner Teresa Kritzinger. Conversions and renovations are very important to make the huts sustainable, energy-efficient and climate-friendly. However, with the resources currently available to the Alpine clubs, this is not even feasible in many huts. “In the coming decades, climate change will pose major challenges for us,” says Günter Abraham, Federal Director of the Friends of Nature and Vice President of the VAVÖ (Association of Alpine Clubs in Austria). “Preserving our Alpine huts and paths will require all of our passion and strength.” This is why the Alpine clubs have started the “Emergency Call from the Alps” petition to save the refuges and paths.
Sign now: notruf-aus-den-alpen.at
Inquiries & Contact:
• Katharina Walbert (katharina.walbert@naturfreunde.at, +43 664 848 19 43)
• Peter Emrich (peter.emrich@naturfreunde.at, +43 664 852 17 36)
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