ARCH VISITS CARINTHIA

From October 19 to 22, 2023, we undertook a delegation trip to Carinthia and Slovenia. With Cheryl, Zalmay (from the USA) and Sophia (from Germany) from ARCH International, as well as Marietta, Andrea (from Lower Austria and Carinthia) and Veronica (from Italy) from ARCH Europe, we were truly culturally diverse.

Numerous meetings were on the agenda: Carinthian provincial government, Villach Alpine Association, Villach Tourism Region, Kranjska Gora municipality, Kranjska Gora Tourism Association, Novo Mesto diocese – everywhere we went we heard about the positive attitude towards the plan to realize this lighthouse project.

The positive impact on tourism in the region and the role model effect beyond the national borders were mentioned if the ecologically and technically innovative project were to be implemented. Cross-border understanding in the border region between Carinthia and Slovenia, a former conflict area of the world wars and the Cold War, was also seen as very valuable and peace-building for the future.

Specifically, we were able to familiarize ourselves with sustainable hut construction and its challenges during a joint hike with Josef Puschan from the Annahütte neu working group and architect Florian Lüftenegger. Florian explained the renovation of the Goldeckhütte, which is due to be completed at the end of the year.

The Villach Region Tourism Association, together with ARCH Europe, would now like to invite people to a symposium which will focus on the sustainability of Austrian mountain huts and invite hut managers to take part in panel discussions on the challenges of alpine tourism today and on possible solutions for the future of modern huts. The focus will be on the circular economy on the mountain and on the alpine pasture, as well as concepts for intensive and extensive management of the shelters, depending on the season and time of year.