Brochhütte

Brochhütte is a mountain hut of the Swiss Alpine Club (SAC), Sektion Oberhasli, located at 1,499 metres in the Reichenbachtal above Meiringen, between Rosenlaui and Schwarzwaldalp, in the municipality of Schattenhalb in the Berner Oberland. The hut began life as a construction barracks in the Grimsel area, built for workers of the Kraftwerke Oberhasli (KWO). In 1931 the SAC Sektion Oberhasli bought the structure for 4,200 Swiss francs, dismantled it, transported it to its present site and reassembled it as the Brochhütte. It was rebuilt in 1993 and renovated and modernised in the summer of 2014, retaining its original architectural character and still without a mains electricity connection. The hut offers 43 sleeping places with duvets in rooms ranging from 2 to 20 beds, plus a family room with 6 beds, and sanitary facilities integrated into the building. It is marketed as suitable for school classes, seminars, bikers, hikers, families and seniors. Its location makes it a convenient base: from Schwarzwaldalp it is reachable on foot in about ten minutes, and a PostBus runs from Meiringen towards Schwarzwaldalp four times a day. Brochhütte is a seasonal operation. The official website publishes opening notices and seasonal breaks, noting that the hut is staffed and open to all guests, with Thursday as the regular rest day. The summer season typically opens in mid-May and the hut closes for an inter-season break; in winter it operates on a reduced schedule, for example from Wednesday midday to Sunday afternoon from 1 January 2026. The hut is run by a Hüttenwart (hut warden) and a small team, and it is embedded in a network of neighbouring SAC huts including the Engelhornhütte, Dossenhütte, Gaulihütte and Glecksteinhütte. As a commercial offering, Brochhütte functions as a hospitality and accommodation brand within the Swiss Alpine Club's hut system, rather than as an independent company. Its value lies in its location, its family-friendly access and its role in the regional hiking and mountaineering infrastructure of the Haslital.

The Brochhütte originated not as a purpose-built alpine shelter but as a construction barracks in the Grimsel area, erected for the workers of the Kraftwerke Oberhasli (KWO). In 1931 the Oberhasli section of the Swiss Alpine Club (SAC) purchased the accommodation for 4,200 Swiss francs. The building was dismantled into individual parts, transported to the Reichenbachtal above Meiringen and reassembled at its present site between Rosenlaui and Schwarzwaldalp, at 1,499 metres on the territory of the municipality of Schattenhalb in the Berner Oberland. This act of reuse gave the section a hut in a strategically useful location on hiking routes in the Haslital. The hut was rebuilt in 1993, adapting the structure to changing needs while keeping its modest scale. A more substantial renovation and modernisation followed in the summer of 2014. During that work the original architectural character was deliberately retained, and the hut continued to operate without a mains electricity connection — a distinctive feature that shapes its simple, traditional offer. Local press followed the project, including a Berner Zeitung report in January 2014 on a plan change that created more space in the Brochhütte, and a Thuner Tagblatt article in May 2011 noting that the new hut warden was also a carpenter. Over the decades the Brochhütte became a fixture of the Reichenbachtal's walking and cycling infrastructure. It offers 43 sleeping places with duvets in rooms of 2 to 20 beds, plus a family room with 6 sleeping places, and sanitary facilities integrated into the house. It is used by school classes, seminars, bikers, hikers, families and seniors. Access is easy: from Schwarzwaldalp the hut is about ten minutes on foot, and a PostBus runs from Meiringen towards Schwarzwaldalp four times a day. The surrounding area supports a range of walks, including the Romantikweg (Schwarzwaldalp–Grossen Scheidegg–Oberläger–Hornseeli–Pfanni–Broch–Schwarzwaldalp, 4–5 hours, family-friendly), routes in the Rosenlauital via Schwarzwaldalp to the Grosse Scheidegg with a detour to the Rosenlaui glacier gorge (a UNESCO World Heritage site, difficulty T2), the Reichenbach Falls and Aare gorge (T2), the Rosenlaui glacier gorge to the Engelhornhütte and Chaltenbrunnen (T3), Rosenlaui to the Dossenhütte and Innertkirchen (alpine hiking T4), the demanding Wetterhorn Trek from the Glecksteinhütte to the Broch, Dossen and Gaulihütte (T2 to T4), and the Alpbach gorge (blue-white trail, T4). Neighbouring huts include the Engelhornhütte (1,901 m, about 1.5 hours from Rosenlaui, T3), the Dossenhütte (2,666 m, about 4 hours on a blue-white marked alpine footpath, T4), the Gaulihütte (2,205 m) and the Glecksteinhütte (2,317 m). Nearby summits include the Wildgärst (2,891 m), reachable from the south via the Pass Wart (2,705 m) as a hike (T3) or ski tour, and the Engelhörner climbing area. In the 2020s the hut communicates with guests mainly through its website, posting opening notices, seasonal breaks and rest days. Recent notices show a seasonal rhythm: an inter-season break announced in March 2026 with the summer season starting on 15 May; the summer season beginning in mid-May 2026 with Thursday as the rest day; winter opening from Wednesday midday to Sunday afternoon from 1 January 2026; and a full-day closure for all guests on Wednesday, 19 August 2026. The hut is staffed and open to all guests, and it remains a section-run, non-luxury mountain accommodation rather than a commercial hotel chain.

• 2026

  Winter opening from Wednesday midday to Sunday afternoon from 1 January; summer season starts on 15 May; full-day closure for all guests on 19 August.

• 2014

  The hut is renovated and modernised in summer, retaining its original architectural character and still without a mains electricity connection; Berner Zeitung reports on a plan change creating more space.

• 2011

  Thuner Tagblatt reports that the new hut warden is also a carpenter.

• 1993

  The hut is rebuilt.

• 1931

  SAC Sektion Oberhasli buys the former KWO construction barracks for 4,200 Swiss francs, dismantles it and reassembles it as the Brochhütte at its present site.

A traditional, family-friendly SAC mountain hut in the Berner Oberland, positioned for hikers, bikers, families, seniors, school classes and seminars, with simple, characterful accommodation and no mains electricity.

• Mountain hut accommodation

  43 sleeping places with duvets in 2- to 20-bed rooms, plus a family room with 6 sleeping places; sanitary facilities integrated in the house.

• Group and seminar stays

  The hut is suitable for school classes, seminars, bikers, hikers, families and seniors.

1. 1Brochhütte official websitebrochhuette.ch
2. 2Brochhütte – Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org
3. 3Brochhütte – Wikidatawikidata.org