Saarbrücker Hütte

The Saarbrücker Hütte is a mountain hut (Schutzhütte) in the Silvretta range of the Alps, located at 2,538 metres above sea level on a spur of the eastern ridge of the Kleinlitzner in the municipality of Gaschurn, Vorarlberg, Austria. It is the highest refuge in the Silvretta and is owned and operated by the Saarbrücken section of the German Alpine Club (Deutscher Alpenverein, DAV). The hut is classified as Category I by the DAV, meaning it has preserved its original character as a base for mountaineers and hikers, and is also rated as particularly suitable for families. It is a listed building. The hut offers 88 sleeping places and is staffed over Easter and from late June to late September. When closed, an always-open winter room is available, equipped with a liquid gas cooker but no stove. The Saarbrücker Hütte serves as a starting point for numerous mountain tours, including ascents of the Kleinlitzner, Großes Seehorn, Kleines Seehorn, Kromerspitzen, Hochmaderer, Großlitzner, Sattelkopf, Verhupfspitze, Winterberg and Sonntagsspitze. It is also a stage on the Montafon-Runde, a long-distance hut-to-hut route crossing the Rätikon, Silvretta and Verwall ranges, and a base for the famous Silvretta ski traverse. The hut was built in 1911 by the Saarbrücken section of the German and Austrian Alpine Club. The first building burned down in December 1931, and construction of a new hut began the following year. That hut has been extended several times and remains in use today. The Saarbrücker Hütte is a commercial operation within the DAV hut network, offering accommodation, food and beverage service to mountaineers, hikers and ski tourers. It is marketed through its own website and Facebook page, and is run by the Schöpf family as hut keepers.

The Saarbrücker Hütte was erected in 1911 by the Saarbrücken section of the German and Austrian Alpine Club (Deutscher und Österreichischer Alpenverein). It was built as a refuge in the Silvretta, a heavily glaciated mountain range in the central Alps, to serve mountaineers and hikers exploring the region. The original hut burned down in December 1931. Undeterred, the section began construction of a new hut the very next year, 1932. This second hut has been extended several times over the decades and remains the structure in use today. In 2011, the hut celebrated its 100th anniversary, marked by a publication in the DAV magazine Panorama by Wolfgang Schirra titled '100 Jahre Saarbrücker Hütte – Ausguck für Bergfamilien'. The hut is now a listed building (Denkmalschutz) and is classified as Category I by the German Alpine Club, a designation reserved for huts that have preserved their original character as bases for mountaineers and hikers and are located in areas of significant mountaineering importance. It is also rated by the DAV as particularly suitable for families. The hut is operated by the Schöpf family as hut keepers and continues to serve as a key base in the Silvretta, offering 88 sleeping places and a winter room when closed.

• 2011

  The hut celebrates its 100th anniversary, marked by a publication in DAV's Panorama magazine.

• 1932

  Construction of a new hut begins; it is later extended several times.

• 1931

  The original hut burns down in December.

• 1911

  The Saarbrücker Hütte is built by the Saarbrücken section of the German and Austrian Alpine Club.

A historic, family-friendly Category I mountain hut and listed building, serving as a high-alpine base for mountaineers, hikers and ski tourers in the Silvretta.

• Mountain hut accommodation

  88 sleeping places, staffed over Easter and from late June to late September.

• Winter room

  Always open when the hut is closed; equipped with a liquid gas cooker but no stove.

• Food and beverage service

  Provided during staffed periods.

1. 1Saarbrücker Hütte official websitesaarbrueckerhuette.at
2. 2Saarbrücker Hütte on Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Saarbrücker Hütte on German Wikipediade.wikipedia.org