Rifugio Franz Kostner al Vallon

Rifugio Franz Kostner al Vallon (German: Franz-Kostner-Hütte; Ladin: Ütia Franz Kostner) is a mountain hut of the Bolzano section of the Club Alpino Italiano (CAI) in the Dolomites, Italy. It sits at an altitude of about 2,536–2,550 m in the eastern part of the Sella Group, within the municipality of Corvara in Badia in South Tyrol. The hut is reachable from Corvara to the northeast, from the Campolongo Pass to the east, or from Arabba to the southeast, and serves as a base for climbing tours in the Sella massif. Nearby peaks include the Piz da Lêch to the northwest and the Piz Boè to the southwest, the latter accessible via the Vallon and Lichtenfelser via ferrata routes. The hut's history began in 1913, when the Bamberg section of the German and Austrian Alpine Club (DuOeAV) started construction. Because of the outbreak of World War I, the Vallonhütte could not be opened in 1914. In 1971 the Bolzano section of the CAI acquired the unfinished shell. In the 1980s Erich Kostner financed the completion of the hut and named it after his father Franz Kostner, a notable mountaineer and tourism pioneer of the Abtei valley. The official inauguration took place on 27 August 1988. Today the Franz Kostner Mountain Hut is operated by the Agreiter family together with the Bolzano section of the CAI. It offers accommodation in rooms and shared dormitories as well as a restaurant serving traditional Ladin cuisine, and it welcomes explorers of the Dolomites. The family's connection to mountaineering is reflected in the work of mountain guide Agreiter Manuel, who offers guided ascents in summer and winter. The hut's official website is rifugiokostner.it.

The Franz Kostner Mountain Hut was initiated in 1913, when the Bamberg section of the German and Austrian Alpine Club (DuOeAV) began construction of what was then called the Vallonhütte. The outbreak of World War I in 1914 prevented the hut from opening, and the unfinished shell remained unused for decades. In 1971 the Bolzano section of the Club Alpino Italiano (CAI) acquired the raw structure. During the 1980s, Erich Kostner financed the completion of the hut and named it after his father Franz Kostner, a significant mountaineer and tourism pioneer of the Abtei valley. The hut was officially inaugurated on 27 August 1988. Since then it has operated as a mountain hut of the CAI Bolzano section, welcoming hikers, climbers and explorers of the Dolomites. Today it is run by the Agreiter family together with the CAI, offering accommodation, traditional Ladin cuisine and guided mountain tours.

• 1988

  Hut officially inaugurated on 27 August after completion financed by Erich Kostner; named after Franz Kostner.

• 1971

  Bolzano section of the Club Alpino Italiano (CAI) acquires the unfinished shell.

• 1914

  Outbreak of World War I prevents the hut from opening.

• 1913

  Bamberg section of the German and Austrian Alpine Club (DuOeAV) begins construction of the Vallonhütte.

A historic CAI mountain hut in the heart of the Dolomites, offering authentic Ladin hospitality and a base for alpine climbing and via ferrata routes.

• Mountain hut accommodation

  Rooms and shared dormitories at 2,536 m in the Sella Group.

• Traditional Ladin cuisine restaurant

  Restaurant serving scrumptious dishes of traditional Ladin cuisine.

• Guided mountain tours

  Mountain guide Agreiter Manuel offers guided ascents in summer and winter.

1. 1Home | Mountain hut Franz Kostner in Vallon, Alta Badia: rooms, shared dorms and restaurant in the Dolomitesrifugiokostner.it
2. 2Rifugio Franz Kostner al Vallonwikidata.org
3. 3Franz-Kostner-Hüttede.wikipedia.org