Thoughts on Huts and Accommodation

With the following summary, thoughts on our choice of huts and accommodation are recapitulated here in a very brief form and a few key words respectively, which may provide food for thought for imitators in their planning. It should be emphasised that our thoughts are only a comparatively small snapshot from the (Corona) summer of 2020 and only reflect our own subjective impression:

• Tutzinger Hütte: Beautifully situated, friendly hut; good food and comparatively cheap beer prices; very friendly hut people – in short, a good choice!
• Gasthof Post Hinterriß: Great inn with nice and also quiet rooms as well as good food incl. super breakfast; we would definitely visit again.
• Karwendelhaus: Very rustic, ancient and still not (yet?) modernised rooms, which nevertheless or because of that radiate a great charm. Food (as always here) is top in the ranking of alpine club huts; no telephone and internet connection or only (sometimes) at a marked point approx. 30m from the house entrance; very friendly hut people, who actually always have to work with an unbelievable rush of visitors, especially over the weekends in summer season but maybe generally too. There were actually no Corona distances here between guests, i.e. all the seats in the guest room were filled to capacity: Accommodation without alternative before crossing the Birkkarspitze.
• Hallerangerhaus: Greatly renovated a few years ago with a super sun terrace and a really remarkably friendly family of hut keepers. Very cosy and the modernised rooms are equipped with everything, including a very nice and modern shower on each floor, power sockets and internet connection.
• Gasthof Schatz / Hall i.T.: Comparatively inexpensive inn in Hall or in the Inn Valley with a quiet room (in our case), as long as it does not face the street. Quite suitable for a short stay, even though it is about 1.5km west of the centre of Hall. But with the free ticket for local transport, which you’ll get at arrival for the duration of your stay, this distance is no problem and the transfer by bus to the cable car in Tulfes is also done quickly and without further costs with this option. Our recommendable choice for the evening in Hall was the „Augustiner Keller“ at the Hotel „Goldener Engl“ – great!
• Glungezer Hütte: One of the most beautiful huts on the entire tour with the friendliest hut staff. Here, in connection with the exceptionally good half-board, there was even a free second helping of the main course – a service we could not experience anywhere else. (Small) Disadvantage with the Glungezer: There are actually only 2 rooms (next to the large camp), but we had been given one of them (reserved long in advance), so this was not a problem for us. The hut manager, who is competent in every respect, held a weather and tour briefing after dinner with all the guests, which could also be described as „unusual“. This was initially planned on the terrace of the hut, but was then unceremoniously moved by him to the Sonnenspitze (approx. 10min walk to the west and 40m higher) in order to explain to us the route to the Naviser Jöchl on the following day and to explain waymarks with walking time limits that we should keep to. => The stated walking times to the Lizumer Hütte (typ. approx. 8.5h complete) can be significantly undercut here in any case if you are sure-footed (5h 40min for us). A head for heights is also not mandatory on this trail (in our opinion); however, it is important to know, that you’ll have to „touch“ the rock frequently and you should feel comfortable doing so. All in all, this is a great and, for us, one of the most beautiful stages between Munich and Venice from the Glungezer Hütte, which we really recommend over any other variant, provided the weather is suitable.
• Lizumer Hütte: Great and modern hut with super sanitary facilities, nice rooms and very cosy guest room/restaurants. The „Kaiserschmarrn“ here was of reference quality! => Worth repeating at any time!
• Tuxerjochhaus: Rather simple and somewhat very commercially-run but ok. Because the Spannaglhaus before the Friesenbergscharte is no longer available, there is no alternative, unless you go straight to the „Friesenberghaus“ on the other side of the Friesenbergscharte.
• Dominikushütte: Nice rooms, very good food, wonderful view of the Schleigeisspeicher and great service: without asking, we were offered, for example, to have our dirty laundry washed free of charge. Everything was ready by the next morning (breakfast) – service could hardly be better! When comparing reviews of the Dominikushütte, it should be noted, that the tenant (operator) changed here a few years ago. The (comparatively) new tenant is thereafter and in the most positive sense no comparison to the predecessor, so that we can recommend this accommodation without reservation.
• Bartlhof in Stein: Quite simple rooms, which in the form presented to us have not been changed since 1985. The (free) shower, however, even provides hot water, in contrast to the neighbouring „Gasthof Stein„, which is the only option for eating (apart from breakfast). According to the unanimous statements of fellow travellers, this was not the case at the „Gasthof Stein„. Gasthof Stein, on the other hand, had a really worth seeing rustic (small) guest room and otherwise offers a very good evening meal.
• Pfunders – Gasthof Brugger: Very friendly and conveniently located with nice rooms and good food for one night / one evening. On the second evening we „swerved“ to the Wieserhof (5-10min walk from the Brugger Inn), which had been recommended to us by fellow hikers (see „www.alpenwanderer.net„) extremely positive. Comparing both accommodations, we would clearly prefer the „Wieserhof“ to the Brugger Inn, despite its quite acceptable overall performance. The location, the large rooms (like a flat) and above all the homemade food on this organic farm are simply the absolute hit!!! The cheese dumplings there are the best we have ever eaten. So, not only for a rest-day accommodation, the Wieserhof in Pfunders would be the accommodation of choice for us.
• Kreuzwiesenalm: Almost everything (positive) has actually already been said in many other places about this accommodation offering really great double rooms (for those who want to afford them). For us, who had decided to make use of a mattress in the dormitory at the Kreuzwiesenalm, the overall performance here was only average and comparatively high-priced for it, which can be read off well from the price of a litre of open wine as a comparative object, among other things. In short: Next time we would swap the Kreuzwiesenalm (even if we are perhaps alone in this opinion) for the even more beautifully situated „Maurerberghütte“ – especially in view of the fact that we recommend taking the bus between Pfunders and Niedervintl, which helps you to shorten the original stage to the Kreuzwiesenalm by about flat 10 km, which you can then better easily add on at the end of the day.
• Schlüterhütte: Great hut, good food, nice (double) rooms, good prices! In short: We would always come here again.
• Puezhütte: Beautifully situated – but (for us) actually too close to the Schlüterhütte. Of course, you can avoid this in various ways, but unfortunately we didn’t realise this. It would be advisable, for example, to climb Piz Duleda (2909m) directly from Forcella Nives, i.e. immediately after the short via ferrata there (without luggage, which can be deposited on the saddle, the „forcella„), which required about 45-50min uphill from Forcella Nives. Alternatively, you could also continue right up to the Grödner Joch and spend the night there in one of the (somewhat more expensive but also more luxurious) hotels or guest houses. – As already described in our thoughts on the choice of stage, the food at the Puez Hut was also rather „below average“ and the breakfast was our worst experience in this respect on the entire tour to Venice, which would speak more in favour of staying at the Gardena Pass (Grödner Joch).
• Capanna Piz Fassa (Piz Boé): The „summit“ of our entire tour in the truest sense of the word, as far as the altitude of the accommodation at 3152m (ab. 10.341 ft) is concerned. Great small accommodation with only a few but good beds/rooms. We had one of the very few double rooms here. The food was great – the hosts too and the wine, like everything else, was still rather cheap for the exposed location (helicopter supply). We would always choose this hut again (even if the Boéhütte 300m lower (45-50min) is finished to be modernised next year). It is also accessible for (almost) everyone, at least if no one ahead of you had „spread“ a layer of 10-15cm of fresh snow on the way up to the Capanna, like it was done for us. The view all around is a dream!!!
• Rifugio Viel dal Pan: Almost luxurious and hotel-like hut with a super view onto Lake Fedaia and Marmolada. Because of the comparatively „comfortable“ route („Viel dal Pan“ = Italian for „Way of Bread„) from both the Gardena Pass and Lake Fedaia, incredibly well frequented, not only during the day. — Too close to Piz Boé for us and therefore certainly only a once-in-a-lifetime experience (see stage tips).
• Masaré – Hotel Adriana: Simple but for its location directly on the lake (with lake view room/balcony for us) very reasonably-priced hotel with great service and (not only by Italian standards) good or even excellent breakfast. We were even provided with free mountain bikes for our rest-day here, which helped us to significantly improve our „exploration range“ to Alleghe and beyond.
• Rifugio A. Tissi (Civetta): Awesome location almost on the summit of Col Reán with a 1200m vertically-sloping wall down to Masaré on Lake Alleghe. Great panoramic terrace and also guest room view of the 1200m high north-west face of the Civetta. Exceptionally friendly hosts, good rooms (but without their own power sockets), great food and good as well as cheap open wine. A perfect and great experience – anytime again!
• Rifugio Bruto Carestiato: Relatively small – but quite pleasant and with good shower, good dinner and also breakfast. The location is quite nice but not spectacular. In retrospect, according to our own experience and that of fellow hikers, we should have chosen a more favourable hut at Passo Duran (about 30 minutes further). The host of the hut is said to be very friendly and even offers to send in your via-ferrata equipment there and store it if necessary, so that it does not have to be carried along the entire route (as we did). Another advantage of spending the night on the Passo Duran is that the following stage to the Rifugio Pian de Fontana is correspondingly shorter and you can perhaps also avoid some midday heat on the ascent to the Forcella de Zita Zud associated with this stage.
• Rifugio Pian de Fontana: This rifugio, converted from a former cattle/goat alp, was altogether quite pleasant and definitely interesting. Quite lonely and in a great location, with a beautiful view of the Schiara and its Forcella Marmol, the hiking region of the coming stage, dinner, wine and also breakfast were positively mentioned here, whereby the guest room in particular seems very cosy but quite simple. The overnight stays are in neighbouring buildings (ex-stables??) with their own toilets and washrooms. The only disadvantage from our point of view was the fact that the Rifugio does not offer double rooms or smaller shared rooms. So we were accommodated here with only two other (very pleasant British) alpinists in a 10-bed room, in which we would rather not have spent the night with ten people. In terms of mattresses, our beds here could be described as „in need of replacement“; in other words, we were lying in some kind of „hollows„.
• Rifugio 7°Alpini: This small and simple rifugio is run by a really pleasant and friendly family. We were accommodated here in one of the few more modern (4-bed) rooms in the otherwise still quite simply-equipped hut alone with very good new beds, although there are probably still rather old multi-bed rooms or larger rooms here as a rule, into which we could take a look in each case, as the hut was „quite unoccupied“ (only 3 other guests) despite top weather conditions during our visit. — Unfortunately, this does not really do justice to the hut and the hut people, even though there are probably very many day guests here in good weather conditions, judging by the legions of hikers who were coming towards us on the descent to Belluno. However, since the northward access to the Rifugio 7°Alpini is described in the Rother guidebook, among others, as „demanding„, according to our conversations and experiences with fellow hikers, unfortunately very many simply do not dare to take the path and especially the Via ferrata Marmol (KS-3C) to the Rifugio – which is a pity: because in acceptable, i.e. dry weather conditions, the via ferrata is comparably easy or at least „feasible„ to almost everyone. When the weather is acceptable, i.e. dry, the via ferrata is the ultimate experience and pure joy for sure-footed hikers who know how to use the via ferrata set, which is obligatory here. The frequent belay-free sections in the descent wall are easily and safely manageable without any problems or difficulties greater than anywhere before on the way to Venice. For the total descent down on the via ferrata, i.e. from the Forcella Marmol, however, you should plan on about 2.5-3h, even if you can see the Rifugio lying below you already shortly after the Forcella, i.e. at the highest point of the „trail“.
• Belluno – Albergo Cappello: Typical simple (3-star) city hotel, not much to say about it. The hotel is equipped with air-conditioning (essential in the heat we experienced at the end of July-2020 if you want to sleep well at outside temperatures of 38°C and 90% humidity) and is quite quietly located directly in the old town. Belluno’s many interesting restaurants can all be reached very quickly on foot from here.
• Revine – Ai Cadelach Hotel Giulia: Absolute TOP hotel on the western edge of the small old town of Revine. Great rooms, and a super breakfast with all the details and wishes read from your eyes. The hotel also has a park-like garden with a very large swimming pool, where drinks are also served. It also shows two restaurants but with a comparably high level of prices, neither of which we used, as we had the option of driving to a nearby „agritourismo“ („Ca Piadere„) in the neighbouring village of Nogarolo to the south for dinner. This „agritourismo“ again proved to be highly recommendable and definitely worth visiting again!
• Venice – Combo Venezia: In Venice there are almost a billion possibilities to stay overnight and correspondingly many hotels. We’ll just mention our choice here, the „COMBO VENEZIA“ in the old Jesuit monastery on the Campo dei Gesuiti („https://thisiscombo.com/de/location/venezia/„). The rooms here are comparatively very large when compared to Italian standard and inexpensive, even if simply furnished. There is also a quite extensive breakfast as an option at a quite moderate price overall (for Venice).