Tuxerjochhaus

The Tuxerjochhaus (also styled Tuxer-Joch-Haus) is a catered mountain refuge (Schutzhütte) of the Österreichischer Touristenklub (ÖTK) located at roughly 2,313–2,315 metres above sea level on the Tuxer Joch in the Tux Alps of Tyrol, Austria. It sits just northeast of the Tuxer Joch saddle, within the Hintertux Glacier ski area, near the boundary with the Zillertal Alps. The hut is not operated year-round; it opens seasonally for hikers, mountaineers, mountain bikers and ski-tourers. The house was built in 1910–1911 by Franz Hotter, a master carpenter and innkeeper in Hochsteg, who had previously built the Spannaglhaus for the ÖTK and chose the Tuxer Joch site for a refuge of his own. After the First World War he sold the hut to the ÖTK but negotiated a lease for himself and his descendants, beginning a family custodianship that has continued for generations — from his son Johann Hotter, to Franz Hotter sen., and since 2012 to Franz Hotter jun. in the fourth generation. The ÖTK website states the Hotter family has hosted guests at the refuge for more than 106 years. A major renovation and expansion took place in 1987, when sanitary facilities and flush toilets were installed and the hut was connected to the public sewer network; with a shower, the Tuxerjochhaus was then among the most modern huts in Austria. Today the refuge offers a covered 180° panorama conservatory with sliding roof and sliding doors, a spacious sanitary area with running water, paid showers, and overnight accommodation in multi-bed rooms or a mattress dormitory (Matratzenlager). Its traditional kitchen and panoramic setting attract day visitors as well as long-distance travellers on routes such as the Munich–Venice Dream Path, the Peter-Habeler-Runde and Transalp mountain-bike stages. Access is on foot: about one hour from the Sommerbergalm cable-car station, roughly 2.5 hours from Hintertux, and about two hours from Kasern at the end of the Schmirntal. The hut also serves as a base for summit excursions to the Pfannköpfl (Reisköpfl, 2,388 m, about 15 minutes), Frauenwand (2,541 m, about 30 minutes), Hornspitze (2,650 m, about one hour) and Lärmstange (2,686 m, about 1.25 hours), and as a waypoint on hut-to-hut routes to the Geraer Hütte (about 5 hours) and the Lizumer Hütte (about 6 hours).

The Tuxerjochhaus was built in 1910–1911 by Franz Hotter, a master carpenter and innkeeper in Hochsteg. Hotter had previously built the Spannaglhaus for the Österreichischer Touristenklub (ÖTK), and he chose the site at the Tuxer Joch to build a refuge for himself. After the First World War he sold the hut to the ÖTK, but he was able to negotiate a lease contract for himself and his descendants. In consequence his son Johann Hotter took over the hut, and later Johann's son Franz Hotter sen. The family custodianship has thus passed through generations, and the ÖTK website states that the Hotter family has catered at the ÖTK refuge for more than 106 years. In 1987 the hut underwent a renovation and expansion. Sanitary facilities and flush toilets were built and the hut was connected to the public sewer network. With a shower, the Tuxerjochhaus was at that time one of the most modern huts in Austria. In 2012 Franz Hotter jun. took over the hut in the fourth generation. The refuge is not operated year-round. It lies at about 2,313–2,315 metres above sea level northeast of the Tuxer Joch in the Tux Alps, in the Austrian federal state of Tyrol, within the ski area of the Hintertux Glacier, which already belongs to the Zillertal Alps. It can be reached from Hintertux or from Kasern at the end of the Schmirntal. Approach times are about one hour from the Sommerbergalm cable-car station, about 2.5 hours from Hintertux, and about two hours from Kasern. Transitions to other huts include the Geraer Hütte (about 5 hours) and the Lizumer Hütte (about 6 hours). Summit tours from the hut include the Pfannköpfl (Reisköpfl, 2,388 m, about 0.25 hour), the Frauenwand (2,541 m, about 0.5 hour), the Hornspitze (2,650 m, about 1 hour) and the Lärmstange (2,686 m, about 1.25 hours). Today the hut's amenities include a covered 180° panorama winter garden with sliding roof and sliding doors, a spacious sanitary area with running water, a shower (for a fee), and overnight accommodation in multi-bed rooms or a mattress dormitory. Its traditional kitchen and panorama draw mountain bikers on Transalp stages, long-distance walkers on the Munich–Venice Dream Path or the Peter-Habeler-Runde, and day tourists alike.

• 2012

  Franz Hotter jun. takes over the hut in the fourth generation.

• 1987

  Renovation and expansion: sanitary facilities and flush toilets installed; connection to the public sewer network.

• 1911

  The hut is completed (built 1910–1911).

• 1910

  Construction of the Tuxerjochhaus begins, built by Franz Hotter.

• After World War I, Franz Hotter sells the hut to the ÖTK but negotiates a lease for himself and his descendants.

A traditional, family-run ÖTK mountain refuge in the Tux Alps, combining historic character with modern sanitary facilities and panoramic views.

• Catered mountain refuge (Bewirtschaftete Hütte)

• Traditional Alpine cuisine

• Overnight accommodation: multi-bed rooms and mattress dormitory

• Covered 180° panorama winter garden with sliding roof and sliding doors

• Sanitary area with running water and paid shower

1. 1Tuxer-Joch-Haus • Bewirtschaftete Hütte » Schutzhütten und Aussichtswarten des ÖTKschutz.haus
2. 2Tuxerjochhaus – Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org
3. 3Tuxerjochhaus – Wikidatawikidata.org