Breitenkopfhütte

The Breitenkopfhütte is a small, self-catering mountain hut (Selbstversorgerhütte) located at 2,040 metres above sea level at the foot of the Breitenkopf's west face in the Igelskar cirque of the Mieminger Mountains in Tyrol, Austria. It is owned and maintained by the Coburg Section of the German Alpine Club (DAV Sektion Coburg). The hut is deliberately simple: it has no electricity, no shower and no Wi-Fi, and offers only six mattress places with blankets on the upper floor, plus a wood stove and a well-equipped kitchen on the ground floor, all within a footprint of roughly 4 by 4 metres. It is described by its operator as a 'jewel among high-mountain huts' and as a refuge 'off the mainstream'. The hut's history is tied to mining as well as mountaineering. At the beginning of the 20th century, an accommodation for miners working the ore mine next to the hut existed at the foot of the Breitenkopf; that mine was operated until 1913, and the tunnel directly at the hut is the highest of the former mining area in the Igelskar. In 1936 the Coburg Section took the hut into its care and renovated it from the ground up. Since then it has been maintained with great commitment and love as an unusual refuge for mountaineers and hikers from around the world. Access is on foot only, typically from Ehrwald or Oberleutasch via the Igelsee lake into the Igelskar. The operator notes that the approach leads away from mass tourism through still-intact nature, and expresses the hope that this pristine character will be preserved and that only hut lovers and hikers who appreciate and protect it will visit the Igelskar. In winter months, usually until April or June, a great deal of snow remains, and the hut is closed for overnight stays during certain periods for maintenance and events; the official site lists closures from 25 to 27 June 2026 for revision work and from 10 to 12 September 2026 for an event. The Breitenkopfhütte is not a commercial hotel or a branded hospitality chain but a club-owned alpine refuge, a small piece of mountaineering infrastructure operated on a non-profit basis by a section of the German Alpine Club. Its brand identity rests on simplicity, self-sufficiency and the protection of a remote alpine landscape.

The Breitenkopfhütte stands at 2,040 metres at the foot of the west face of the Breitenkopf in the Igelskar, a cirque in the Mieminger Mountains of Tyrol, Austria. Its site has a mining as well as an alpine past. At the beginning of the 20th century, an accommodation for miners stood at the foot of the Breitenkopf; these miners worked the ore mine next to the hut, which was operated until 1913. The tunnel directly at the hut is described as the highest of the former mining area in the Igelskar. In 1936 the Coburg Section of the German Alpine Club (DAV Sektion Coburg) took the hut into its care and renovated it from the ground up. Since that time, according to the section, the hut has been maintained with great commitment and love as a truly unusual refuge for mountaineers and hikers from around the world. The hut is a Selbstversorgerhütte — a self-catering hut — meaning that visitors bring and prepare their own food rather than being served by hut staff. It is deliberately small: roughly 4 by 4 metres of floor area, with a wood stove and a well-equipped kitchen on the ground floor and six mattress places with blankets above. There is no electricity, no shower and no Wi-Fi. The approach is on foot, typically from Ehrwald or Oberleutasch via the Igelsee into the Igelskar. The operator presents this approach as an experience in itself, leading away from mass tourism through still-intact nature, and expresses the hope that this pristine character will be preserved and that only hut lovers and hikers who appreciate and protect it will visit the Igelskar. In winter months, usually until April or June, a great deal of snow remains. The official site also lists temporary closures for overnight stays, including 25–27 June 2026 for revision work and 10–12 September 2026 for an event. The hut remains active and is operated as part of the Coburg Section's hut portfolio, accessible through the section's website.

• 2026

  Hut closed for overnight stays 25–27 June 2026 for revision work and 10–12 September 2026 for an event.

• 1936

  Coburg Section of the German Alpine Club takes the hut into its care and renovates it from the ground up.

• 1913

  Ore mine next to the hut ceases operation; the tunnel at the hut is the highest of the former mining area in the Igelskar.

A deliberately simple, off-the-mainstream self-catering alpine hut for mountaineers and hikers, maintained by a German Alpine Club section.

• Self-catering overnight stays

  Six mattress places with blankets on the upper floor; wood stove and equipped kitchen on the ground floor; no electricity, no shower, no Wi-Fi.

1. 1Breitenkopfhütte - DAV Coburgdavcoburg.de
2. 2Breitenkopfhütte - Wikidatawikidata.org