Göppinger Hütte

The Göppinger Hütte is a Category I alpine refuge of the German Alpine Club (Deutscher Alpenverein, DAV), owned and operated by its Hohenstaufen-Göppingen section. It sits at 2,245 metres above sea level on the southeastern edge of the Gamsboden, a high plateau between the upper Lechtal and the Grosses Walsertal in the Lechquellen Mountains of Vorarlberg, Austria. It is the only Alpine Club hut in Lech am Arlberg and is known for its remote, car-free setting, reachable only on foot. Built in 1913 under extremely difficult conditions, the hut is more than a century old. It was first expanded in 1969, more than fifty years after its founding, and again in 2007, when it was enlarged, technically modernised and given a shingled facade. The building has no road access. Supplies and goods arrive via a 2.5-kilometre material cable car that floats up to one hundred metres above the ground and can carry up to 250 kilograms; heavy loads must be flown in by helicopter. There are no mains connections for water, electricity or telephone. Electricity comes from solar cells feeding batteries, with a diesel generator as backup. A cistern collects rain and snowmelt, which is sterilised with modern UV technology but still intended for washing only. Because there is no sewer connection, a system handles waste on site. The hut offers food, lodging and a traditional mountain experience far from noise, haste and mass tourism. It is open in summer; the official website lists opening dates of 17 June to 27 September 2026. Access routes include a roughly two-hour ascent from Lech via Zug and the Unteres Älple, a 3.5-hour climb from Sonntag via the Metzgertobel-Alpe, and approaches from Schröcken via the Butzensee or Fürkele. Neighbouring huts include the Biberacher Hütte and the Freiburger Hütte, and nearby summits include the Braunarlspitze (2,649 m), the Hochlichtspitze (2,600 m) and the Johanneskopf peaks. The Göppinger Hütte is a well-known base for hiking and climbing in the Lechquellen range and remains a classic example of a self-sufficient high-alpine shelter.

The Göppinger Hütte was built in 1913 under extremely difficult conditions as a shelter on the Gamsboden, a unique high plateau above Zug, a small village belonging to Lech am Arlberg in Vorarlberg, Austria. It is a Category I Schutzhütte of the German Alpine Club (Deutscher Alpenverein, DAV), owned by the DAV's Hohenstaufen-Göppingen section. It is the only Alpine Club hut in Lech. More than fifty years after its founding, in 1969, the building was expanded for the first time. In 2007 it was enlarged again, brought technically up to date, and its facade was beautified with shingles. The hut has no road access. Supplies and disposal are handled via a 2.5-kilometre material cable car, which was rebuilt some years ago and floats up to one hundred metres above the ground, carrying up to 250 kilograms; heavy loads must be transported by helicopter. There are no mains lines for water, electricity or telephone. Electricity is generated from solar cells and stored in batteries, with a diesel generator as backup. A cistern collects rain and snowmelt, which the sun helps melt and modern UV technology makes germ-free, though the water should still be used only for washing. Because there is no connection to the sewer network, an on-site system handles waste. The hut lies in a karst area, and water supply is limited in dry summers. It sits at 2,245 metres above sea level on the southeastern edge of the Gamsboden, northeast of the Johanneskopf. Access routes include from Lech via Zug and the Unteres Älple (car or bus to that point, then about two hours of ascent on the south slope); from Sonntag via the Metzgertobel-Alpe (3.5 hours from the alp, with the former toll road closed to general traffic and private cars only reaching Buchboden); and from Schröcken (1,269 m) to the Butzensee and over the Theodor-Prassler-Weg, or to the Fürkele (2,145 m) via the Weimarer Steig and the Braunarlspitze and the Theodor-Prassler-Weg. Transitions to neighbouring huts include the Biberacher Hütte via the Alpschelle-Alpe and the Lite-Hütte (about 3 hours) and the Freiburger Hütte via the Steinmayerweg, Oberes Johannesjoch and Freiburger Weg (about 3.5 to 4 hours, sure-footedness required). To Oberlech, the scenic Theodor-Prassler-Weg crosses the roughly 2,400-metre Butzenschulter. Nearby summits include the Braunarlspitze (2,649 m), the Hochlichtspitze (2,600 m), the Östlicher Johanneskopf (2,508 m) and the Westlicher Johanneskopf (2,573 m). A local landmark is the 'Propellerdenkmal', a concrete-embedded, bent propeller from an RAF bomber squadron aircraft that was to bomb the Messerschmitt works in Augsburg on the night of 16–17 August 1940. After the aircraft was hit, its crew left formation and changed course, possibly to reach Switzerland, and the bomber crashed in fog on the Hochlichtspitze. The hut remains active and is listed as open in summer 2026 from 17 June to 27 September.

• 2026

  Listed summer opening from 17 June to 27 September 2026.

• 2007

  The hut was expanded again, technically modernised and its facade beautified with shingles.

• 1969

  The building was expanded for the first time, more than fifty years after its founding.

• 1913

  The Göppinger Hütte was built under extremely difficult conditions on the Gamsboden above Zug.

Remote, self-sufficient Category I Alpine Club refuge offering a traditional mountain experience away from mass tourism.

• Alpine hut accommodation

• Mountain meals and refreshments

• Hiking and climbing base services

1. 1Göppinger Hütte - Goeppinger Huette Lech am Arlberggoeppinger-huette.at
2. 2Göppinger Hüttewikidata.org
3. 3Göppinger Hüttede.wikipedia.org