Langkofelhütte

The Langkofelhütte (Italian: Rifugio Vicenza; Ladin: Utia de Dantersasc) is a mountain refuge in the South Tyrolean Dolomites of the Italian Alps. It sits at 2,253 metres above sea level at the junction of the Plattkofelkar and Langkofelkar valleys, on the territory of the municipality of St. Christina in Gröden (Santa Cristina Gherdëina). The hut is a base for hikers and climbers exploring the Langkofel group, with routes leading toward Monte Pana and Gröden to the north, the Seiser Alm to the west, the Langkofelscharte and Toni-Demetz-Hütte to the Sellajoch to the southeast, and the Oskar-Schuster via ferrata up the Plattkofel to the southwest. The first hut on the site was built in 1894 by the Akademische Sektion Wien (ASW) of the Deutschen und Österreichischen Alpenvereins (DÖAV), a section founded in 1887 with the aim of opening the Langkofel group to tourism. That original structure was destroyed by an avalanche in the winter of 1900–1901. A two-storey replacement was built in 1903 in a more sheltered location and was significantly expanded between 1906 and 1908. After the First World War the hut was expropriated by the Italian state and handed to the Vicenza section of the Club Alpino Italiano (CAI). In 1999, together with 24 other expropriated refuges, the Langkofelhütte passed into the ownership of the Autonomous Province of Bozen – South Tyrol, and the CAI's concession to run it expired at the end of 2010. Since 2015 the province has been assisted in administering the hut — awarding leases, monitoring operations and overseeing renovation — by a parity commission that includes the AVS and the CAI alongside public authorities. Today the refuge offers 69 beds for overnight stays, a restaurant serving typical local dishes, and a climbing wall. It is reached from Passo Sella (2,183 m, base station of the cable car), Campitello (1,414 m) in Val di Fassa, or Monte Pana (1,636 m) near Santa Cristina. The mountain face above the hut was used by climbers as a training wall in the 1960s, and in the summer of 2013 the site was developed further for climbing. A richly illustrated hut book with entries from the opening day on 9 September 1894 until 1908 is preserved in the Museum Gherdëina in St. Ulrich.

The Langkofelhütte was first built in 1894 by the Akademische Sektion Wien (ASW) of the Deutschen und Österreichischen Alpenvereins (DÖAV). The ASW, founded in 1887, had set itself the goal of opening up the Langkofel group for tourism. In keeping with the section's elitist German nationalism, the hut was also intended to contribute to the defence of Germandom and the struggle against the Irredenta movement in the border regions. The 1894 hut fell victim to an avalanche in the winter of 1900–1901. In 1903 a two-storey replacement was built in a more sheltered location, and between 1906 and 1908 it was significantly expanded. After the First World War the hut was expropriated by the Italian state and handed over to the Vicenza section of the Club Alpino Italiano (CAI). Together with 24 other expropriated refuges, the Langkofelhütte passed into the ownership of the Autonomous Province of Bozen – South Tyrol in 1999; the CAI's concession to run it expired at the end of 2010. Since 2015 the province has been assisted in administering the hut (awarding leases, monitoring operations, renovation measures) by a parity commission in which, alongside public authorities, the AVS and the CAI are represented. A richly illustrated hut book with entries from the opening day on 9 September 1894 until 1908 is kept in the Museum Gherdëina in St. Ulrich. In the 1960s the mountain face above the Rifugio Vicenza was used by some climbers as a training wall for mountain climbing, and old pitons were found during nailing. In the summer of 2013 the site was further developed for climbing.

• 2015

  Since 2015 the province has been assisted in administering the hut by a parity commission including the AVS and CAI.

• 2013

  In the summer of 2013 the site was further developed for climbing.

• 2010

  CAI's concession to run the hut expired at the end of 2010.

• 1999

  Hut passed into the ownership of the Autonomous Province of Bozen – South Tyrol, together with 24 other expropriated refuges.

• 1918

  After World War I, hut expropriated by the Italian state and handed to the Vicenza section of the Club Alpino Italiano (CAI).

• 1906

  Hut significantly expanded between 1906 and 1908.

• 1903

  Two-storey replacement built in a more sheltered location.

• 1900

  Original hut destroyed by an avalanche in the winter of 1900–1901.

• 1894

  First hut built by the Akademische Sektion Wien (ASW) of the DÖAV; opened on 9 September 1894.

Historic alpine refuge and base for hiking and climbing in the Sassolungo/Langkofel group, owned by the Autonomous Province of Bozen – South Tyrol.

• Mountain refuge accommodation (69 beds)

• Restaurant serving typical local dishes

• Climbing wall

• Hiking and climbing tours

1. 1Rifugio Vicenza - Refuge in the Dolomites/Val Gardenarifugiovicenza.com
2. 2Langkofelhütte - Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Langkofelhütte - Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org