This is a very basic refuge Hut near Arinsal, Andorra.

This unattended Mountain Hut has a  sleeping and an eating area, and fire place, and is near Arinsal,Andorra.

This is a large Mountain Hut with sleeping rooms and restaurant, Filzmoos, Austria

100 Hut Walks in the Alps
Kev ReynoldsWalks in France, Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia, Italy. Includes an introduction to Huts, the Alps, Safety.

Mountain Huts owned by these clubs, and privately, offer a range of facilities.

For day visitors, meals and drinks can be bought. You can expect to pay a bit more for these to cover the additional cost of getting them to the hut.  Some huts use “material cable lifts”  while some may need to have supplies brought in by helicopter.  Adults may also be charged a small “Environmental fee”.

Overnight stays are available in some huts. Membership of one of the Alpine Clubs will give you reduced charges and priority to accommodation. Some have reciprocal agreements. Membership may be necessary for overnight stay in some Huts - remember to take your membership card and passport with you. Accommodation varies from dormitories (some mixed) to bedrooms, some en-suite. You may be able to book in advance or just turn up. In busy periods some huts have very basic emergency beds.

The periods that the Huts are open varies.  Some stay open all year but most close during the winter.(There may be an emergency room available). Summer opening is normally from May / June to September / October. Some of smaller lower altitude huts may close one day a week. They normally arrange this with adjacent restaurants / cafes so you should be able to find one open.

Over the years, these basic refuge or bivouac huts have developed into a network of large buildings with sleeping accommodation and restaurants. Some are privately owned but most of the mountain huts are owned by the various Alpine Clubs:

• Austrian Alpine Club Oesterreichischer Alpenverein OeAV
• Club Alpin Francais CAF
• Club Alpino Italiano CAI
• German Alpine Club Deutscher Alpenverein DAV
• Liechtenstein Alpine Club
• Slovenia Alpine Club
• Spanish Alpine Club
• Swiss Alpine Club Schweizer Alpen-Club SAC

Alpine Mountain Huts, Cafés and Restaurants

Just outside the villages and near the mountain stations of the cable lifts you can find lots of cafés and restaurants. If you go a bit further you can find “Alpine Mountain Huts”. These Huts enable you to buy refreshments or stay overnight so you can travel further.  It is possible to travel between huts staying a night at each.

Some of the mountain huts you can find throughout the Alps are very basic refuge mountain huts were you can stay during bad weather.

Walking Austria's Alps:
Hut to Hut
Jonathan HurdleEleven treks in the Austrian alps ranging from four to eleven days in length, with nightly stops at a mountain hut. No climbing skill or equipment is necessary.

Eastern Alps: The Classic Routes on the Highest Peaks
Dieter SeibertTranslated into English, this guide for mountaineers covers hikes in the following ranges: Silvretta, Engadine & Bregaglia, Ortler & Adamello, Ötztal & Stubai, Zillertal, Hohe Tauern. It is intended for experienced hikers. Most walks cross glaciers and recommended equipment includes ice axe, crampons, rope and sit harness.

Kaltenberghütte, near St Christoph & St. Anton, Austria

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