Stettiner Hütte

The Stettiner Hütte (also Stettinerhütte, Eisjöchlhütte, Italian: Rifugio Francesco Petrarca) is a mountain hut in the Ötztal Alps in South Tyrol, Italy. Situated at 2,875 metres above sea level within the Texelgruppe Nature Park, just below the Eisjöchl pass (2,895 m), it serves as a key stopover between the Pfelderer Tal and Pfossental valleys, linking the Ötztal main ridge with the Texelgruppe. The hut is owned by the Autonomous Province of Bozen – South Tyrol and is part of the "13 Schutzhütten" network, a marketing alliance of thirteen mountain huts in the Passeiertal region. It offers food, accommodation, and is a base for hiking and mountain biking tours, including the Meraner Höhenweg and the Tiroler Höhenweg. The original hut was built between 1895 and 1897 by the Stettin section of the German and Austrian Alpine Club (DuOeAV). After World War I, it was expropriated and transferred to the Italian Alpine Club (CAI). A 1931 avalanche partially destroyed it, and from 1965 to 1972 it was occupied by the Italian military. A new hut was built in 1992. In February 2014, a massive avalanche largely destroyed the hut again. A provisional snack station and tent camp operated until a new building, designed by architects Andrea Fregoni and Roberto Pauro, opened in 2022. The hut is a popular destination for hikers and cyclists, offering access to peaks such as the Hochwilde (3,480 m) and Hochweiße (3,278 m), and transitions to other huts like the Zwickauer Hütte and Lodnerhütte.

The Stettiner Hütte was originally built between 1895 and 1897 by the Stettin section of the Deutscher und Österreichischer Alpenverein (DuOeAV), along with trail construction to the Pfelderer Tal. It was expanded in 1900 and 1913. After World War I, in 1922, the Stettin section was expropriated and the hut was handed over to the Padua section of the Club Alpino Italiano (CAI). Later it was taken over by the Bozen section of the CAI. In 1931, an avalanche partially destroyed the hut. After reconstruction, it was managed by the Meran section of the CAI. Between 1965 and 1972, the hut was occupied by the Italian military, after which it was reopened for business. In 1992, a new hut was built. Together with 24 other expropriated mountain huts, the Stettiner Hütte became the property of the Autonomous Province of Bozen – South Tyrol in 1999; the CAI's concession to manage it expired at the end of 2010. In February 2014, the hut was largely destroyed by an avalanche after heavy snowfall. A large part of the hut was torn away, and the remains were only provisionally secured to operate a snack station until a new building could be realized. Overnight stays were again possible; from July 2017, a tent camp with six tents was set up, later replaced by six provisional wooden huts that were dismantled in 2025. The South Tyrolean provincial government decided in 2014 to initiate planning for a new building. The Europe-wide architectural competition was won by architects Andrea Fregoni and Roberto Pauro of Studio Area Architetti Associati. Construction began in 2020, and the new hut opened in 2022. A parity commission, including the public sector, the AVS (Alpenverein Südtirol), and the CAI, has since supported the province in managing the hut (leasing to tenants, monitoring operations, renovation measures).

• 2025

  Provisional wooden huts dismantled.

• 2022

  New hut opens.

• 2020

  Construction of the new hut begins.

• 2017

  Tent camp with six tents opens as provisional accommodation.

• 2014

  Avalanche largely destroys the hut; provincial government decides to plan a new building.

• 2010

  CAI concession to manage the hut expires.

• 1999

  Hut becomes property of the Autonomous Province of Bozen – South Tyrol.

• 1992

  New hut built.

• 1965

  Italian military occupies the hut until 1972.

• 1931

  Avalanche partially destroys the hut.

• 1922

  Stettin section expropriated; hut transferred to CAI Padua section.

• 1913

  Second expansion of the hut.

• 1900

  First expansion of the hut.

• 1897

  Original hut built by the Stettin section of the DuOeAV.

A historic high-alpine mountain hut offering refuge and hospitality in the Texelgruppe Nature Park, part of South Tyrol's public hut network.

• Overnight accommodation

• Jausenstation (snack station)

• Tent camp (2017–2025)

1. 1Stettiner Hütte – 13 Schutzhütten13h.de
2. 2Stettiner Hütte – Wikipediade.wikipedia.org
3. 3Stettiner Hütte – Wikidatawikidata.org