Tölzer Hütte

The Tölzer Hütte is an alpine refuge (Schutzhütte) of Category I owned and operated by the Sektion Tölz of the Deutscher Alpenverein (DAV). It sits at 1,835 m above sea level on the saddle between the Schafreuter and the Delpsjoch, on Tyrolean territory in the Vorkarwendel, the northeastern part of the Karwendel range. Built in 1922 by the Tölz section, the hut has served for a century as a base for hikers, climbers and ski tourers, and is a key waypoint for numerous walks and traverses in the region. The hut is open continuously from mid-May to mid-October, depending on snow conditions. It offers overnight accommodation and food, and since May 2023 it has been run by the hosts Andrea and Benno. The Tölzer Hütte is a participating hut in the DAV campaigns "Mit Kindern auf Hütten" (With children in huts) and "So schmecken die Berge" (This is how the mountains taste), an initiative supporting the regional economy. In 2016 the hut was awarded the DAV's Umweltgütesiegel (Environmental Quality Seal) for alpine club huts, recognizing sustainability projects carried out over the preceding 20 years. These include the 1995/96 conversion of the power supply to a photovoltaic system and a wind turbine with inverter and battery; the 2001 switch of hot water to solar thermal; the use of rainwater for toilet flushing since 2004; a new biological sewage treatment plant and expansion of the photovoltaic system in 2014; and replacement of the diesel generator with a plant-oil-powered combined heat and power unit. In 2019 and 2020 the hut was fully renovated, including a new kitchen and service area. The Tölzer Hütte is reached by several marked trails, most commonly from the Rißtal near Hinterriß via the Leckbachweg (2–3 hours), and it serves as a base for summiting the Schafreuter (2,102 m), the Schönalmjoch, the Stierjoch and the Delpsjoch. It also connects via high routes to the Plumsjochhütte, Falkenhütte and Karwendelhaus. The hut remains an active, association-owned mountain hospitality business rather than a commercial corporation.

The Tölzer Hütte was built in 1922 by the Sektion Tölz of the Deutscher Alpenverein (DAV) on the saddle between the Schafreuter and the Delpsjoch, on Tyrolean soil in the Vorkarwendel. For over a century it has served as a mountain refuge for hikers, climbers and ski tourers, and as a base for numerous walks and traverses in the northeastern Karwendel. In the 1990s the hut began a long-term shift toward sustainable operations. In 1995/96 the power supply was converted to a photovoltaic system and a wind turbine with inverter and battery; only during prolonged bad weather were large consumers such as the washing machine initially fed by a diesel generator. In 2001 the hot water supply was switched to a solar thermal system. Since 2004 rainwater has been used for toilet flushing. In 2014 a new biological sewage treatment plant was built and the photovoltaic system was expanded; the diesel generator was replaced by a combined heat and power unit running on plant oil. In 2016 the Tölzer Hütte was awarded the Umweltgütesiegel für Alpenvereinshütten (Environmental Quality Seal for Alpine Club Huts) of the DAV, recognizing the sustainability projects of the previous 20 years. The hut also participates in the DAV campaigns "Mit Kindern auf Hütten" and "So schmecken die Berge", the latter an initiative to support the regional economy. In 2019 and 2020 the hut was fully renovated (generalsaniert), including a new kitchen and service area. Since May 2023 the hut has been run by the hosts Andrea and Benno. It remains open continuously from mid-May to mid-October, depending on snow conditions, and continues to be owned and operated by the DAV Sektion Tölz.

• 2023

  Andrea and Benno become hosts of the Tölzer Hütte in May.

• 2019

  General renovation begins (completed 2020), including new kitchen and service area.

• 2016

  Awarded the DAV Umweltgütesiegel for alpine club huts.

• 2014

  New biological sewage treatment plant built; photovoltaic system expanded; diesel generator replaced by plant-oil CHP unit.

• 2004

  Rainwater began to be used for toilet flushing.

• 2001

  Hot water supply switched to solar thermal system.

• 1995

  Power supply converted to photovoltaic system and wind turbine with inverter and battery.

• 1922

  Tölzer Hütte built by the Sektion Tölz of the DAV.

A traditional, association-owned alpine refuge focused on sustainable operations, family-friendly hiking and regional food, rather than a commercial hotel.

• Overnight accommodation

  Category I alpine refuge with dormitory-style beds, open mid-May to mid-October.

• Mountain meals and drinks

  Food and beverages served in the hut, including regional specialties under the "So schmecken die Berge" initiative.

• Route information and guiding

  Information on access routes, summit climbs and hut-to-hut traverses.

1. 1Tölzer Hütte am Schafreuter – official websitetoelzer-huette.at
2. 2Tölzer Hütte – Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org
3. 3Tölzer Hütte – Wikidatawikidata.org