Hörnlihütte, Arosa

The Hörnlihütte is a staffed mountain hut and restaurant owned by the Skiclub Arosa, located at 2,511 metres on the highest point of the Hörnligrat between the Hörnli and Tschirpen peaks in the Plessur Alps of Graubünden, Switzerland. It sits on the municipal boundary between Arosa and Chur. Built in 1923 by around fifty club members working in Frondienst (voluntary labour), it was inaugurated on 9 December 1923 and has been serving food and drink ever since, in both summer and winter. Over the decades, extensions and renovations — notably in 1937, 1962, 2004 and 2024 — transformed the original simple ski hut into a substantial restaurant operation with overnight accommodation open to non-members as well. Its location made it a natural base for early ski touring before the age of mountain railways and ski lifts. Today the hut stands in the middle of the Arosa Lenzerheide sports area, close to the Hörnli Express, the Hörnli chairlift and the Urdenbahn cable car, from where hiking trails lead to the Urdensee and onward to Tschiertschen or via the Urdenfürggli to Lenzerheide. The Hörnlihütte is widely known, popular and heavily frequented, presenting itself as a hotspot within the sports region. Since 1 November 2014 the operation of the hut has been leased to hotelier Hans-Christian «Hitsch» Leu and his Hörnli Gastro AG. Leu is the brother of Livia Leu and the initiator and CEO of the Arosa Gay Skiweek. Under this arrangement the hut has continued to be run as a hospitality business, with the Aroser Stube on the east side renovated in summer 2015 using raw log timber and rubble-stone masonry, and its seating expanded by eight places to 85. In 2016 the owners renewed the WC facilities and the furnishings of the Schanfigger Stube. The Hörnlihütte took first place in the 2017 ski-hut special of the documentary soap Mini Beiz, dini Beiz. A planned extension for the hut's 100th anniversary had to be postponed by one year to 2024 because of geological uncertainties. The Hörnlihütte remains an active, seasonal mountain restaurant and lodging house, welcoming guests daily during its opening periods and communicating current information through its social media channels.

The area around the Hörnli was discovered and used for skiing early on because of its location and special character. In the era before mountain railways and ski lifts, tourers depended on suitable accommodation in the touring areas, so in July 1923 the Skiclub Arosa decided to build a ski hut at the highest point of the Hörnligrat (2,511 m) near the transition to the Urdenfürggli. The hut was built entirely in Frondienst (voluntary labour) by around fifty club members and was inaugurated on 9 December 1923. From the beginning it was staffed and served food and drink, as it still does today in both summer and winter. Various extensions and conversions — especially in 1937, 1962, 2004 and 2024 — turned the Hörnlihütte into a substantial restaurant operation with overnight accommodation also available to non-club members. On 1 November 2014 the management of the Hörnlihütte was transferred on a lease basis to hotelier Hans-Christian «Hitsch» Leu and his Hörnli Gastro AG. Hitsch Leu is the brother of Livia Leu and the initiator and CEO of the Arosa Gay Skiweek. From 2014 the Hörnlihütte briefly lay on the route of the Swiss Irontrail. In summer 2015 the Aroser Stube on the east side was renovated using raw log timber and rubble-stone masonry, and its seating was expanded by eight places to 85 with new wooden tables. In 2016 the ownership renewed the WC facilities and the furnishings of the Schanfigger Stube. The Hörnlihütte took first place in the ski-hut special of the 2017 documentary soap Mini Beiz, dini Beiz. The extension planned for the hut's 100th anniversary had to be postponed by one year to 2024 because of geological uncertainties.

• 2024

  The extension planned for the hut's 100th anniversary is carried out after being postponed by one year because of geological uncertainties.

• 2017

  The Hörnlihütte takes first place in the ski-hut special of the documentary soap Mini Beiz, dini Beiz.

• 2016

  The ownership renews the WC facilities and the furnishings of the Schanfigger Stube.

• 2015

  In summer the Aroser Stube on the east side is renovated with raw log timber and rubble-stone masonry, and seating is expanded by eight places to 85.

• 2014

  On 1 November the management of the Hörnlihütte is leased to Hans-Christian «Hitsch» Leu and his Hörnli Gastro AG; the hut briefly lies on the route of the Swiss Irontrail.

• 1962

  Further extension and conversion of the hut.

• 1937

  One of the early extensions and conversions of the hut.

• 1923

  In July the Skiclub Arosa decides to build a ski hut on the Hörnligrat; around fifty members build it in Frondienst and it is inaugurated on 9 December 1923.

A traditional, well-known and heavily frequented ski and hiking hut turned mountain restaurant hotspot in the Arosa Lenzerheide sports area.

• Hörnlihütte restaurant

  Staffed mountain restaurant serving food and drink in summer and winter.

• Overnight accommodation

  Rooms available also to non-club members.

• Aroser Stube

  East-side dining room renovated in 2015 with raw log timber and rubble-stone masonry, seating 85.

• Schanfigger Stube

  Dining room whose furnishings were renewed in 2016.

1. 1Hörnlihütte Arosa – gemütlich und währschafthoernliarosa.ch
2. 2Hörnlihütte, Arosa – Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Hörnlihütte (Arosa) – Wikipediade.wikipedia.org