Hochlandhütte

The Hochlandhütte is a mountain hut (Alpenvereinshütte) of the Hochland Section of the German Alpine Club (Deutscher Alpenverein, DAV), located at 1,623 m above sea level on a small grassy terrace west below the Wörner in the Bavarian part of the Karwendel, high above the Isar valley near Mittenwald. It was built in 1909 and serves as a base for mountain tours in the Soiern group and the Northern Karwendel chain, as well as a day-trip destination for visitors from Mittenwald. The hut is open only in the summer months, typically from June to early October; in winter it is closed, and there is no winter room for ski tourers because the surrounding terrain is not suitable for ski tours. The original 1909 main building was later supplemented by an annex. In 2025 that annex was replaced by a new building designed with particularly water-saving sanitary facilities (dry separation toilets) to address increasing drought in the Karwendel; during the construction year 2025 there was no overnight accommodation at the hut. On Wednesday, 1 July 2026, the Hochlandhütte reopened after a year and a half of renovation, with new hut hosts Katharina Schöner and Melwin Lieb, who are trained hotel managers and cooks. The new annex offers 25 overnight places, with another 16 to follow shortly. Reservations are made exclusively through the online booking system, and groups of 10 or more are asked to make contact before booking. The hut is owned and operated by the Sektion Hochland des DAV, a registered association founded in Munich on 23 December 1902.

The Hochlandhütte was built in 1909 by the Hochland Section of the German Alpine Club (DAV), which had been founded in Munich on 23 December 1902. The section was established by members who left the Munich section over the decision to build a summit house on the Zugspitze, and it quickly developed into an active mountaineering club. The hut was erected at 1,623 m above sea level on a small grassy terrace west below the Wörner, in the Bavarian part of the Karwendel, high above the Isar valley. It was intended as a base for tours in the Soiern group and the Northern Karwendel chain, and as a destination for day visitors from Mittenwald. The original building consisted of a main house; later an annex was added. Over the decades the hut served hikers and climbers in summer, remaining closed in winter because the surrounding terrain is not suitable for ski tours and there is no winter room. In 2025 the annex was demolished and replaced by a new building designed with particularly water-saving sanitary facilities (dry separation toilets) to address increasing drought in the Karwendel. During that construction year, no overnight accommodation was available. On 1 July 2026, after a year and a half of renovation, the hut reopened under new hosts Katharina Schöner and Melwin Lieb, a trained hotel manager and a trained cook. The new annex provides 25 overnight places, with another 16 to be added shortly. The hut remains owned and operated by the Sektion Hochland des DAV.

• 2026

  Hochlandhütte reopened on 1 July after renovation, with new hosts Katharina Schöner and Melwin Lieb.

• 2025

  Annex demolished and replaced with a new water-saving building; no overnight accommodation.

• 1909

  Hochlandhütte built at 1,623 m in the Karwendel.

• 1902

  Sektion Hochland des DAV founded in Munich on 23 December.

A traditional, historic Alpine Club hut in the Karwendel, offering simple mountain accommodation and food for hikers and climbers, with a focus on summer operations and sustainable water use.

• Overnight accommodation (25 places in new annex, 16 more to follow)

• Food and beverage service in the Gaststube and on the terrace

• Base for mountain tours in the Soiern group and Northern Karwendel

1. 1Hochlandhütte – Sektion Hochlandalpenverein-hochland.de
2. 2Geschichte – Sektion Hochlandalpenverein-hochland.de
3. 3Chronik 1902-2002 – Sektion Hochlandalpenverein-hochland.de
4. 4Rudolf Reschreiter – Sektion Hochlandalpenverein-hochland.de
5. 5Hochlandhütte – Wikidatawikidata.org
6. 6Hochlandhütte – Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org