Hüttschlag is a municipality in the district of St. Johann im Pongau in the

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

n state of

Salzburg Salzburg is the List of cities and towns in Austria, fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020 its population was 156,852. The city lies on the Salzach, Salzach River, near the border with Germany and at the foot of the Austrian Alps, Alps moun ...

Geography

Hüttschlag lies in the Grossarl valley, south of the

Grossarl Grossarl (Großarl) is a market town in the St. Johann im Pongau (district), St. Johann im Pongau district in the Salzburg (state), state of Salzburg in western central Austria. The valley Grossarltal got its name from Grossarl. Geography Loca ...

municipality, in the Salzburg ''Pongau'' region. The settlement is situated in the upper valley immediately north of the Alpine crest, formed by the Ankogel and Hafner mountains of the

High Tauern The High Tauern (plural, pl.; , ) are a mountain range on the Main chain of the Alps, main chain of the Central Eastern Alps, comprising the highest peaks east of the Brenner Pass. The crest forms the southern border of the Austrian states of Salz ...

range. From Hüttschlag only a bridle pass leads up to ''Arlscharte'' Pass and the Malta valley in

Carinthia Carinthia ( ; ; ) is the southernmost and least densely populated States of Austria, Austrian state, in the Eastern Alps, and is noted for its mountains and lakes. The Lake Wolayer is a mountain lake on the Carinthian side of the Carnic Main ...

. The municipal area comprises the cadastral communities of Hüttschlag proper, Karteis, and See. Originally an agricultural area, Hüttschlag today mainly depends on tourism. Together with neighbouring Dorfgastein, the Grossarl valley forms a ski resort within the large Ski Amadé region.

History

The ''Arla'' valley was first mentioned about 930 AD, when Bavarian settlers had already superseded the former Slavic population. The area up to the High Tauern crest was further developed by the Archbishops of Salzburg; from the early 15th century onwards, it became an important mining area, mainly for copper and sulphur. Extended smelting works (''Hütten'') arose around 1520; as a result of miners moving in, Hüttschlag became a centre of

Protestantism Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

in the Salzburg lands —many of these

Salzburg Protestants The Salzburg Protestants () were Protestantism, Protestant refugees who had lived in the Catholic Archbishopric of Salzburg until the 18th century. In a series of persecutions ending in 1731, over 20,000 Protestants were expelled from their homel ...

were expelled under the rule of Prince-Archbishop Leopold Anton von Firmian in 1731.

Politics

Seats in the municipal council (''Gemeinderat''): *

Austrian People's Party The Austrian People's Party ( , ÖVP ) is a Christian-democratic and liberal-conservative political party in Austria. Since January 2025, the party has been led by Christian Stocker (as an acting leader). It is currently the second-largest p ...

(ÖVP): 8 *

Social Democratic Party of Austria The Social Democratic Party of Austria ( , SPÖ) is a social democratic political party in Austria. Founded in 1889 as the Social Democratic Workers' Party of Austria (, SDAPÖ) and later known as the Socialist Party of Austria () from 1945 unt ...

(SPÖ): 5

Twin towns — sister cities

Hüttschlag is twinned with: * Borken, Germany, since 1989

References

Cities and towns in St. Johann im Pongau District Radstadt Tauern {{Salzburg-geo-stub