Kreuzeckhaus

Kreuzeckhaus (also known as Adolf-Zoeppritz-Haus) is a mountain hut operated by the Garmisch-Partenkirchen section of the Deutscher Alpenverein (German Alpine Club, DAV). It sits on the Kreuzeck at 1,650 m above sea level, directly opposite the distinctive Alpspitze in the Wetterstein mountains of Upper Bavaria, Germany. The hut was inaugurated in 1906 and is run almost all year round, making it a key base for hikers, climbers and ski tourers in the Garmisch-Partenkirchen area. Access is easy: the Kreuzeck gondola lift runs from Garmisch/Hammersbach up to right beside the house, and a hiking route from Hammersbach via the Waldeck takes about three hours. From the hut, mountaineers can continue to the Alpspitze (2,620 m) via the Schöngänge and east ridge (about 3.5 hours, requiring alpine experience, sure-footedness and a head for heights) or via the north-face via ferrata, and to the Hoher Gaif (2,289 m) via the Schöngänge, north flank and upper east ridge (about 3.5 hours, a climbing tour of difficulty grade II). As a DAV section hut, Kreuzeckhaus is part of the club's network of mountain refuges. The DAV Garmisch-Partenkirchen section also operates the Meilerhütte, Wankhaus, Oberreintalhütte, Stuibenhütte, Höllentaleingangshütte and Schüsselkar-Biwak, and the section website lists Kreuzeckhaus among its managed huts with seasonal opening dates. The hut's cultural interest includes a fresco in the stairway painted in 1928 by the painter and graphic artist Wilhelm Emil "Elk" Eber, following the hut's 1926 conversion; his mountaineer motif and his painting Der Bergführer (1925) can still be seen there. Kreuzeckhaus is a commercial hospitality offering within the non-profit alpine club structure: it provides accommodation, food and drink to members and the public during its opening season, and it functions as a trademarked hut name within the DAV system. Its location next to the Kreuzeckbahn cable car makes it one of the more accessible high huts in the region, popular both in summer hiking season and in winter for skiers and snowshoe walkers.

Kreuzeckhaus was inaugurated in 1906 as a mountain hut of the Garmisch-Partenkirchen section of the Deutscher Alpenverein, on the Kreuzeck at 1,650 m above sea level, directly opposite the Alpspitze. The hut was built to serve the growing number of mountaineers and hikers exploring the Wetterstein mountains above Garmisch and Hammersbach. In 1926 the hut was converted. Following that rebuild, the painter and graphic artist Wilhelm Emil "Elk" Eber created a fresco with a mountaineer motif in the stairway in 1928; like his painting Der Bergführer (1925), it can still be seen in the house today. The hut is also known by the name Adolf-Zoeppritz-Haus. Over the twentieth century the Kreuzeck area developed into an accessible alpine recreation zone. The Kreuzeck gondola lift, running from Garmisch/Hammersbach, now ends right next to the house, making Kreuzeckhaus one of the more easily reached high huts in the region. The hut is operated almost all year round, with seasonal opening periods published by the DAV Garmisch-Partenkirchen section; the section website lists it among its managed huts alongside the Meilerhütte, Wankhaus, Oberreintalhütte, Stuibenhütte, Höllentaleingangshütte and Schüsselkar-Biwak. As part of the DAV section system, Kreuzeckhaus functions both as a refuge for club members and as a public hospitality business during its opening season. It serves as a starting point for classic tours to the Alpspitze via the Schöngänge and east ridge or the north-face via ferrata, and to the Hoher Gaif via the Schöngänge, north flank and upper east ridge. It also connects to other huts: the Höllentalangerhütte via the Hupfleitenjoch and Knappenhäuser (about 2.5 hours, sure-footedness required), the Reintalangerhütte via the lower Bernadeinweg, Bockhütte and the Reintal (about 4.5 hours), and the Meilerhütte via the lower Bernadeinweg, Bockhütte, Oberreintal and Schachenhaus (about 6 hours). In winter it serves self-caterers heading to the Stuibenhütte.

• 1928

  Wilhelm Emil "Elk" Eber paints a mountaineer fresco in the stairway of the rebuilt hut.

• 1926

  The hut is converted.

• 1906

  Kreuzeckhaus is inaugurated as a hut of the DAV Garmisch-Partenkirchen section on the Kreuzeck at 1,650 m.

A nearly year-round DAV section mountain hut and hospitality base on the Kreuzeck, easily reached by cable car and used by hikers, climbers and skiers in the Garmisch-Partenkirchen area.

• Mountain hut accommodation and overnight stays

• Food and drink service for hikers, climbers and skiers

• Base for Alpspitze and Hoher Gaif tours

1. 1DAV Sektion Garmisch-Partenkirchen | Berghütten, Kurse & Tourenalpenverein-gapa.de
2. 2Kreuzeckhaus – Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Kreuzeckhaus – Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org