The job sounds like freedom, mountains, and sunrises over peaks. But behind the romantic image of hut life lies hard work – so hard that the Austrian Alpine Club is running out of tenants. In 2025, 17 Alpine Club huts across Austria were advertised for lease, and five of them are empty again after the past season.
A quarter quit after a year.
“It’s a problem that has noticeably worsened in recent years and poses a challenge for our sections,” says Georg Unterberger, head of the Huts and Trails department at the Alpine Club. Around 25 percent of new leaseholders have already given notice after just one season. Where no one can be found, improvisation is necessary: makeshift solutions, alternative models, or in extreme cases, no season start at all.
Being a mountain hut manager – More than just cooking and welcoming guests
The requirements for potential tenants are higher than one might initially assume. Unterberger speaks of "true all-rounders": The innkeepers must not only be skilled in the hospitality industry, but also be familiar with drinking water treatment, sewage treatment plants, electricity supply, material ropeways, and fire alarm systems. Furthermore, they should be able to provide mountaineering advice to their guests and create a pleasant atmosphere in the mountain hut. Team leadership and a good dose of social skills are therefore also essential for applicants.
Popular, but burdensome
There are usually no rest days at Alpine Club huts, as they have a protective function.
Carolin Scharfenstein, Austrian Alpine Club (ÖAV) Department of Huts and Trails
Rest days? Not a chance. "Mountain huts serve a protective function," explains Carolin Scharfenstein of the Austrian Alpine Club (ÖAV). For this reason, there are generally no rest days at Alpine Club huts. At the same time, however, the popularity of huts as leisure destinations is also increasing. With 14 percent more overnight stays than last year, the Alpine Club can look back on a strong season. The workdays are therefore long and the workload is high.
Another reason for the declining continuity: the mountain hut operation is no longer a "family business". Passing the hut down from generation to generation is becoming increasingly rare, as young people tend to be less willing to take over their parents' business.
And yet: For many, it remains a dream job. "Our long-time innkeepers rave about the team spirit, the freedom, and the fact that no two days are the same," says Scharfenstein.
11 years average lease term
Despite all the difficulties, the majority remain loyal: the average lease term for Alpine Club huts is eleven years. Tenants stay particularly long in Tyrol and Vorarlberg, while changes are more frequent in Lower Austria. Prime examples are the Reißeck Hut (Carinthia) with a remarkable 40 years and the Obstansersee Hut (Tyrol) with 30 years of management by the same hosts.
To attract new people to hut service, the Austrian Alpine Club (ÖAV) is pursuing several strategies:
- Consciously targeting younger audiences
- Training programs and further education for new tenants
- Fairer lease terms and less bureaucracy
- Alternative models, such as team leases or cooperative operating communities
interest aroused?
The Austrian Alpine Club currently has 12 huts available for lease. Here You can browse through the open positions. The mountain hut industry will likely only stabilize in the long term if the framework conditions more closely match the actual requirements. Whether this succeeds depends less on romantic notions than on realistic concepts – and on how many people are willing to take on this responsibility in the mountains.
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Credits: Cover photo: Alpine Club/Harald Herzog