Hilschberghaus

The Hilschberghaus is a mountain hut (Schutzhütte) and hiker's hostel in the Middle Palatinate Forest (Mittlerer Pfälzerwald) above the town of Rodalben in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It sits at an elevation of 336 metres on the southern slope of the Hilschberg (387.9 m), roughly 80 metres above the town, and takes its name from that hill. The hut is owned and run by the Rodalben local branch (Ortsverein) of the Pfälzerwald-Verein (PWV), a large German hiking and conservation association, and has been continuously managed by that branch since 1979. The house is a hospitality and accommodation business rather than a manufacturer: it offers 19 guest rooms with 59 beds in double and multi-bed rooms, all with shower/WC and central heating. Its dining facilities include a large taproom seating about 50, a side room seating about 70, and a terrace with about 80 seats. It is open from 12:00 on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and from 11:00 on Sundays and public holidays; Tuesday is the rest day. A large car park is available directly at the house, and there is a children's playground. The kitchen serves Palatinate specialities and hiker's fare, including pickled herring, herring salad, white cheese, pickled Limburger and house-made platters, with the full menu available throughout opening hours. Beyond food and lodging, the Hilschberghaus functions as a base for organised outdoor activity. It is a waypoint and start/end point on the Rodalber Felsenwanderweg and on long-distance routes such as the Pfälzer Waldpfad and the connecting route between the northern and southern branches of the Palatinate Way of St James. Around 110 km of marked circular trails lead from the house. The PWV Rodalben branch runs a regular programme from the hut, including Nordic walking every Thursday, women's hikes on the first and third Wednesday of each month, a "Ü 80" (over-80s) group meeting on the second Wednesday, singing afternoons, guided tours such as the Münchweilerer Höhentour, and the Rodalb hiking marathon on the Felsenwanderweg. Since 1997 a "Waldklause" outdoor facility has provided a recreation area for youth groups. In 2021 the Hilschberghaus, together with the other huts of the Pfälzerwald-Verein, was recognised as part of the intangible cultural heritage of Germany by the German UNESCO Commission under the entry "Pfälzerwaldhütten-Kultur" (Palatinate Forest Hut Culture). The hut remains an active, membership-oriented hospitality and recreation venue in the Naturpark Pfälzerwald.

The Hilschberghaus was built by the Rodalben local branch of the Pfälzerwald-Verein, a hiking and conservation association founded in the Palatinate in 1902. The foundation stone was laid on 23 July 1977, and the topping-out ceremony (Richtfest) was celebrated on 8 July 1978. Operations began on 1 May 1979, before the hut was fully completed, and the official inauguration followed on 26 April 1980. The name of the house derives from the nearby Hilschberg (387.9 m above sea level), on whose southern slope it stands, about 80 metres above the town of Rodalben. From 1997 the association added the so-called Waldklause in the outdoor grounds, creating a recreation facility for youth groups. A modernisation of the guest rooms began in 2006. A significant extension of the half-timbered-style hut followed with the addition of a residential tower from 2015; after a construction pause in 2017, the topping-out ceremony for this extension was celebrated in 2018. In 2021 the Hilschberghaus, together with the other houses of the Pfälzerwald-Verein, became part of the intangible cultural heritage of Germany through the entry "Pfälzerwaldhütten-Kultur" (Palatinate Forest Hut Culture) maintained by the German UNESCO Commission. The hut continues to be operated by the PWV Rodalben branch as a hospitality and activity centre, with a regular programme of hikes, Nordic walking, singing afternoons and the annual Rodalb hiking marathon on the Felsenwanderweg.

• 2021

  Included in the German UNESCO Commission's intangible cultural heritage entry 'Pfälzerwaldhütten-Kultur'.

• 2018

  Topping-out ceremony for the extension.

• 2017

  Construction pause on the extension.

• 2015

  Major extension begins with the addition of a residential tower.

• 2006

  Modernisation of the guest rooms begins.

• 1997

  Construction of the Waldklause outdoor youth recreation facility begins.

• 1980

  Official inauguration celebrated on 26 April 1980.

• 1979

  Operations begin on 1 May 1979, before completion of the hut.

• 1978

  Topping-out ceremony (Richtfest) celebrated on 8 July 1978.

• 1977

  Foundation stone laid on 23 July 1977.

A traditional, club-owned hiker's hut and hostel in the Palatinate Forest, combining affordable regional food, simple accommodation and organised outdoor activities for members and visitors.

• Overnight accommodation

  19 rooms with 59 beds in double and multi-bed rooms, all with shower/WC and central heating.

• Regional cuisine

  Palatinate specialities such as pickled herring, herring salad, white cheese, pickled Limburger and house-made platters.

• Event and group facilities

  Large taproom (50 seats), side room (70 seats) and terrace (80 seats).

• Waldklause youth recreation area

  Outdoor facility for youth groups, built from 1997.

1. 1PWV Rodalben | Hilschberghauspwvhilschberghaus.de
2. 2Hilschberghaus – Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Hilschberghaus – Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org