Rifugio Passo Principe

Rifugio Passo Principe (German: Grasleitenpasshütte) is a private mountain hut (rifugio) in the Italian Dolomites, situated at 2,601 metres above sea level on the Grasleiten Pass (Passo Principe). The pass lies on the border between the Italian provinces of Bolzano – South Tyrol and Trentino, within the Rosengarten group, at the edge of the Schlern-Rosengarten Nature Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The hut takes its name from the pass, which sits between the Rosengartenspitze and the Kesselkogel, the highest summit of the Rosengarten massif. The original Grasleitenpasshütte was built in 1952 by Franz Kofler. In 2005 it was acquired by Sergio and Daniele Rosi, who replaced the fifty-year-old wooden structure with a new building on the same site between 2006 and 2007. The Rosi family has operated the hut since then. While the first hut was prefabricated in the valley and merely assembled at the pass, the new hut was constructed directly on site, which explains the longer construction period. The hut is a seasonal hospitality business serving hikers and climbers in the Rosengarten / Catinaccio area. It is open on winter weekends in March and April when avalanche risk is low or moderate, and in summer from late May to mid-October, provided that early snowfall does not block the access paths. Nearby mountain huts include the Grasleitenhütte, the Tierser-Alpl-Hütte (Tiers) and the Vajolet-Hütte (Pozza di Fassa). As a private Berghütte rather than a club-owned refuge, Rifugio Passo Principe operates as a small independent hospitality brand within the Dolomites mountain-hut network, offering food, drink and overnight accommodation to visitors traversing the Rosengarten group.

The Grasleitenpasshütte was built in 1952 by Franz Kofler at the Grasleiten Pass (Passo Principe) in the Rosengarten group of the Dolomites, on the border between the Italian provinces of Bolzano – South Tyrol and Trentino. The site lies at 2,601 metres above sea level, between the Rosengartenspitze and the Kesselkogel, the highest elevation of the Rosengarten, at the edge of the Schlern-Rosengarten Nature Park (a UNESCO World Heritage site). In 2005 the hut was acquired by Sergio and Daniele Rosi. They replaced the fifty-year-old wooden structure with a new building on the same site between 2006 and 2007, and have run the mountain hut themselves since then. While the first hut had been manufactured in the valley and merely assembled at the pass, the new hut was built directly on site, which explains the longer construction period. The hut operates seasonally. In winter it opens on weekends in March and April when avalanche risk is low or moderate. In summer it is open from late May to mid-October, provided that early snowfall does not block the access paths. Nearby mountain huts include the Grasleitenhütte, the Tierser-Alpl-Hütte (Tiers) and the Vajolet-Hütte (Pozza di Fassa).

• 2007

  New hut completed, replacing the fifty-year-old wooden structure.

• 2006

  Construction of the new hut on the same site begins.

• 2005

  Hut acquired by Sergio and Daniele Rosi.

• 1952

  Grasleitenpasshütte built by Franz Kofler at the Grasleiten Pass.

Private, family-run mountain hut in the Rosengarten group of the Dolomites, serving hikers and climbers on a seasonal basis.

• Seasonal mountain hut accommodation and dining

1. 1Rifugio Passo Principe – Wikidatawikidata.org
2. 2Grasleitenpasshütte – Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org