Neue Heilbronner Hütte

The Neue Heilbronner Hütte (New Heilbronn Hut) is a mountain refuge owned and operated by the Heilbronn Section of the Deutscher Alpenverein (German Alpine Club, DAV). It sits at 2,320 metres above sea level in the Verwallgruppe range in the Austrian federal state of Vorarlberg, directly on the border between Vorarlberg and Tirol and on the European watershed dividing the Danube and Rhine drainage basins. It is one of the highest huts in the Verwallgruppe. The hut is a classic alpine base for hikers, mountaineers and mountain bikers. It is normally open from mid-June to early October and offers 114 sleeping places. It serves as a hub for day trips, summit ascents and multi-day treks, with marked transitions to neighbouring huts such as the Friedrichshafener Hütte (about 3 hours), Konstanzer Hütte (about 5 hours), Neue Reutlinger Hütte (about 5 hours) and Wormser Hütte (about 10 hours). It is also an important staging point on the Zentralalpenweg long-distance trail and on Transalp mountain-bike routes, including the Joe-Route (since 1995) and the Albrecht-Route (since 2004). The hut is reachable from all directions: from the south via the Silvretta, from the east via the Paznauntal, from the west via the Montafon and Klostertal, and from the north via the Arlberg region. A service road makes it accessible to cyclists. Outside the summer season, the Peter-Käß-Hütte, built in 1996 and named after the section chairman from 1978 to 1998, provides an unstaffed self-catering annex with 28 places. The original Heilbronner Hütte was built in 1910 at the Tascheljöchl in South Tyrol and passed to Italy in 1919. The Heilbronn Section then planned a replacement in the Verwall; construction began in autumn 1926 to designs by architect Richard Scheffler, and the hut opened for business at Christmas 1927, with official inauguration on 1 July 1928. It has been extended several times (1961, 1976, 2003 and 2010/11) and remains a well-visited summer destination.

The history of the Neue Heilbronner Hütte begins with an earlier refuge. The Alte Heilbronner Hütte was erected in 1910 at the Tascheljöchl in South Tyrol and, with that territory, passed to Italy in 1919. Around 1925 the Heilbronn Section of the Deutscher und Österreichischer Alpenverein (DuOeAV) began considering a replacement at a different location. In February 1926 the section chairman Peter Bruckmann approached the DuOeAV main committee in Munich, which recommended the Verbellner Winterjöchli near the Scheidsee as the site. After an on-site inspection in July 1926, construction began in autumn 1926 according to plans by architect Richard Scheffler — initially without a building permit, which was granted retroactively on 7 December 1926. After more than a year of construction, the still-unfinished hut began operating at Christmas 1927. The official inauguration followed on 1 July 1928, performed by chairman Peter Bruckmann. Construction costs amounted to 81,400 Reichsmarks. For the loss of the first Heilbronner Hütte, the section received about 4,300 RM in compensation in the 1927/28 accounting year. The hut attracted strong traffic — 1,000 overnight stays or more annually — so that by 1931 an expansion was first considered. After the Thousand-Mark Blockade imposed from summer 1933, only emergency operation could be maintained in winter 1933/34. By 1935 the hut's operation ceased entirely, and that summer it was broken into twice. In the meantime, in 1935, the Heilbronn Section leased the newly built Sonneckhütte near Ofterschwang in the Allgäu as a substitute for the inaccessible hut. With the annexation of Austria in March 1938, the Heilbronner Hütte in the Verwall became reachable again. In the early years of the Second World War the hut continued to be run, but in February 1943 the building was requisitioned by the army administration, Gebirgsnachrichtenabteilung 18 Bludenz. After the war the hut was broken into several times and its inventory plundered. From 1946 the Vorarlberg Section of the Austrian Alpine Club (ÖAV) looked after the hut provisionally and in 1950 installed a new hut keeper. In 1958 the hut was returned to the Heilbronn Section. At that time capacity was 36 beds and 50 mattress-camp places. The hut has since been extended several times, including in 1961, 1976, 2003 and 2010/11. It now has 114 sleeping places and is generally open from mid-June to early October. It is heavily frequented by cyclists and very busy in summer, and is reachable by a service road. Outside the summer season, the Peter-Käß-Hütte, built in 1996 and named after the section chairman from 1978 to 1998, serves as an unstaffed self-catering house with 28 places.

• 2010

  Expansion of the hut (2010/11).

• 2004

  The hut also becomes a staging point on the Albrecht-Route.

• 1996

  Peter-Käß-Hütte self-catering annex with 28 places is built.

• 1995

  The hut becomes a staging point on the Joe-Route Transalp mountain-bike route.

• 1976

  Further expansion of the hut.

• 1961

  Expansion of the hut.

• 1958

  The hut is returned to the Heilbronn Section; capacity 36 beds and 50 mattress places.

• 1950

  A new hut keeper is installed.

• 1946

  The Vorarlberg Section of the ÖAV provisionally looks after the hut.

• 1943

  The building is requisitioned by the army administration in February.

• 1938

  After the annexation of Austria, the hut becomes reachable again.

• 1935

  Hut operation ceases entirely; the section leases the Sonneckhütte in the Allgäu as a substitute.

• 1933

  Thousand-Mark Blockade forces emergency operation only in winter 1933/34.

• 1931

  First consideration of an expansion due to strong visitor numbers.

• 1928

  Official inauguration on 1 July by chairman Peter Bruckmann; construction costs 81,400 RM.

• 1927

  The still-unfinished hut begins operating at Christmas.

• 1926

  Construction of the new hut begins in autumn to plans by Richard Scheffler; building permit granted retroactively on 7 December.

• 1919

  The old hut passes to Italy with South Tyrol.

• 1910

  Alte Heilbronner Hütte built at the Tascheljöchl in South Tyrol.

A high-alpine, club-owned mountain refuge and multi-sport hub in the Verwallgruppe, positioned as a crossroads for hiking, mountaineering and Transalp mountain biking.

• Main hut accommodation (114 sleeping places)

• Peter-Käß-Hütte self-catering annex (28 places)

• Half-board and hut catering for hikers, mountaineers and mountain bikers

1. 1Neue Heilbronner Hütte I DAV Heilbronndav-heilbronn.de
2. 2Heilbronner Hütte – Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Neue Heilbronner Hütte – Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org