Purtschellerhaus
a mountain hut in two countries

The drive along Rossfeld Panorama Road is part of the outing. Leave your car at Ahornkaser and follow the signs towards Purtschellerhaus. The first part goes downhill: in around fifteen minutes, you reach Eckersattel at 1,413 metres, below the Eckerfirst ridge on which the hut stands.

Two routes continue from the saddle. We suggest climbing the German route, marked Deutscher Weg, with its steep steps, and returning by the Salzburg trail, marked Salzburgersteig. Remember that the final stretch from the saddle back to your car is uphill.

From Eckersattel, the path heads directly up the slope. A long staircase in the first third leads on into the mountain woods and towards the hut. The signposted time from the saddle is around forty minutes; allow roughly an hour to an hour and a quarter for the whole outward walk from Ahornkaser.

It’s a short mountain walk, but with steep sections. Take the steps at your own pace and leave time for the terrace. Wooden steps and earthy paths become slippery in the wet, so choose a dry day and walking shoes with good grip.

From the Salzburg side, the view drops into the Salzach valley and, on clear days, reaches towards Tennengebirge and Dachstein. The other side looks across the Berchtesgaden basin towards Untersberg, with the Göll massif close above the hut.

Part of the building stands in Bavaria, the other part in the Austrian municipality of Kuchl. Opened in 1900, the hut is named after mountaineer Ludwig Purtscheller and belongs to the Sonneberg branch of the German Alpine Club.

Follow the signs for Salzburgersteig, also called Österreichischer Weg, the Austrian route. Its wider bends take you back to Eckersattel, with views towards the rock faces of Hoher Göll and the Salzach valley opening between the slopes.

At the saddle, rejoin the outward path and climb back to Ahornkaser. Allow about two and a half hours of walking for the entire circuit. Lunch and stops for the view turn it into a leisurely half-day.

Purtschellerhaus is usually staffed from around mid-May to mid-October, depending on snow and weather. It is closed in winter and has no winter room. Check trail conditions, especially in spring and autumn.

The hut is the destination of this walk. Continuing to Hoher Göll leads into demanding alpine terrain and needs separate planning and experience; it is not a casual extension to this circuit. Children should be used to steep paths and long flights of steps. The route is unsuitable for pushchairs.

From Lampllehen, drive via Unterau and Oberau onto Rossfeld Panorama Road and continue to Ahornkaser. The current car toll is €9.50 including all occupants; food at the hut is separate. You can add stops on the high section of the road after the walk and return via Obersalzberg.

Starting at Enzianhütte is another option, with roughly thirty minutes uphill to Eckersattel. The two-and-a-half-hour timing above is for the circuit from Ahornkaser. Read more about the drive in our Rossfeld Panorama Road guide.