Rifugio 7º Alpini

Rifugio 7º Alpini (spoken as Rifugio Settimo Alpini) is a staffed mountain hut owned and operated by the Belluno Section of the Club Alpino Italiano (CAI), Italy's national alpine club. It sits at 1,502 metres above sea level in the Schiara group, on the southern flank of Monte Schiara, within the Belluno Dolomites National Park in the Veneto region of northern Italy. The hut is built in the upper Valle dell'Ardo at the edge of a basin known as Pis Pilón, a dramatic natural amphitheatre framed by Monte Schiara (2,565 m) to the west and Monte Pelf (2,502 m) to the east. The refuge was built between 1950 and 1951 on the initiative of the CAI Belluno Section together with the Alpini association (ANA), and it opened in September 1951. It is named in memory of the fallen soldiers of the 7th Alpini Regiment, whose regimental headquarters is in Belluno. In 1952 the chapel Regina Alpinorum was built behind the hut, dedicated to mountaineers who lost their lives in the mountains. In 1969 the Bivacco Severino Lussato was added next to the refuge, named after a section president who died on the Tofana di Rozes; it serves as a winter room. The hut was enlarged during the 1970s. As a classic Dolomites rifugio, Rifugio 7º Alpini provides essential high-altitude hospitality: dormitory sleeping places (60 beds according to the German Wikipedia entry), simple meals based on local products, and a quiet, relaxed atmosphere far from everyday bustle. It is normally open from mid-June to the end of September; the official website lists the 2026 summer season as running from 30 May to 27 September, and advises visitors to contact the hut for out-of-season openings. The refuge is the final stage of the Alta Via No. 1, a roughly 150 km long-distance route that starts at Lago di Braies and ends in Belluno. It is also a support point for hikers on the Munich–Venice route, which crosses the Alps from Germany to the Venetian lagoon. The surrounding Schiara group offers numerous via ferrata (equipped climbing routes) and alpine climbing possibilities, including routes to Monte Schiara and Monte Pelf. Access trails include paths from Case Bortot, Col de Roanza, Casere Pian di Cajada, Rifugio Pian de Fontana, and Val Cordevole – La Stanga, with walking times ranging from about three to seven and a half hours. Because it is a single mountain hut rather than a commercial chain, Rifugio 7º Alpini functions as a small hospitality brand within the CAI network of rifugi. Its identity is tied to mountaineering heritage, the Alpini military tradition, and the conservation area of the Belluno Dolomites National Park.

Rifugio 7º Alpini was built between 1950 and 1951 on the initiative of the Belluno Section of the Club Alpino Italiano (CAI) and the Alpini association (ANA). It opened in September 1951. The hut is dedicated to the fallen soldiers of the 7th Alpini Regiment, which has its regimental headquarters in Belluno. In 1952, the chapel Regina Alpinorum was built behind the hut, dedicated to mountaineers who died in the mountains. In 1969, the Bivacco Severino Lussato was erected next to the refuge, named after a section president who died on the Tofana di Rozes; it serves as a winter room. During the 1970s, the refuge was expanded. The hut is located at 1,502 m above sea level in the Belluno Dolomites National Park, in the Schiara group on the southern flank of Monte Schiara, in the upper Valle dell'Ardo at the edge of the basin called Pis Pilón. The basin is dominated by Monte Schiara (2,565 m) to the west and Monte Pelf (2,502 m) to the east. The Dolomites High Route 1 (Alta Via No. 1) passes by the hut, and the refuge is its final stage. The hut is normally open from mid-June to the end of September and offers 60 sleeping places. Access routes include: from Case Bortot (700 m) on path 501 in 3 hours; from Col de Roanza (800 m) on paths 519 and 501 in 3.5 hours; from Casere Pian di Cajada (1,157 m) on path 505 in 3 hours; from Rifugio Pian de Fontana in 7.5 hours (18 km); from Val Cordevole – La Stanga (429 m) on path 502 in 5.5 hours. Neighbouring huts and bivouacs include Rifugio Furio Bianchet (1,245 m) via path 503 and the Zacchi via ferrata in 6.5 hours; Bivacco al Marmòl (2,266 m) via paths 503 and 514 and the Marmol via ferrata in 3.5 hours; and Bivacco dalla Bernadina (2,320 m) via path 504 and the Ferti via ferrata in 5 hours. Tours from the hut include Monte Schiara (2,565 m) via the Zacchi via ferrata, Monte Schiara via the Piero Rossi and Berti via ferratas, Monte Pelf (2,502 m) via the south route, and Monte Pelf via the Piero Rossi via ferrata.

• 1970

  The refuge is expanded during the 1970s.

• 1969

  The Bivacco Severino Lussato is erected next to the refuge, serving as a winter room.

• 1952

  The chapel Regina Alpinorum is built behind the hut, dedicated to mountaineers who died in the mountains.

• 1951

  The refuge opens in September, dedicated to the fallen of the 7th Alpini Regiment.

• 1950

  Construction of the refuge begins on the initiative of the CAI Belluno Section and the Alpini association (ANA).

A historic, CAI-operated mountain refuge in the Belluno Dolomites National Park, positioned as a key stop on major alpine long-distance routes and a base for via ferrata and climbing in the Schiara group.

• Mountain hut accommodation (60 beds)

• Local food and beverage service

• Base for via ferrata and alpine climbing

• Stage on Alta Via No. 1 and Munich–Venice route

1. 1Rifugio Settimo Alpini – Official Websiterifugiosettimoalpini.it
2. 2Rifugio 7º Alpini – Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Rifugio 7º Alpini – German Wikipediade.wikipedia.org