Six Must-Visit Swiss Mountain Huts
Every time I visit the Alps I am blown away by their hut systems. I (half) joke that in North America you are lucky if you have four walls, a door AND a roof in our mountain structures. In Europe, however, the hut (or hütte, or Refugio depending on where you are) system is a robust network of thousands of alpine structures ranging from small bivouacs and winter rooms to full scale luxury hotels located in the mountains (typically accessed by hikes, mountaineering, climbing, gondolas, funiculars, chairlifts… or some combination of the aforementioned). Somewhere in the middle is where most reside, akin to hostels with full restaurants - either shared or private rooms and bathrooms. Places to rest between adventures, swap stories and refuel.
My Top Six Swiss Alpine Hüttes
Over the past few years I have had the opportunity to visit several dozen of these structures and, not only does it make alpine starts a little more comfortable by already being most the way up the mountain but it allows you to travel much faster and lighter without the need for camping gear. The cost of staying (including half board) ranged from 50-150CHF per person per night. And can (should) be booked in advance either by phone or online reservation system. Some huts are privately owned but many are part of the Swiss Alpine Club (SAC) network.
six.
La Cabane des Dix, Hérémence, Valais
Mike and I visited this half way through our trip along the Haute Route in 2020. Unfortunately the hut its self was under construction - but aside from it being generally one of the most picturesque huts I have stayed in it is also completely surrounded by glaciers.
La Cabane des Dix was also the only hut to offer an aperitif upon arrival and I found the people who stayed here to be some of, if not the, friendliest of all of our trip along the route. There is a large outdoor patio filled with picnic tables and a full service bar (and also an espresso machine! the only one we saw on the entirety of the haute route) perfect for getting recent beta on nearby objectives and swapping stories over cold beer in the afternoon sun.
The rooms are hostel style but as we were there during COVID times we shared a room intended for twenty or so with only one other pair of people. As with a lot of alpine huts most people will be awake and out the door long before sunrise - breakfast is served very early. They also had two hut puppies which, of course, may have influenced my decision of including them on this list.
Note: there is no potable water here and bottled water was rather expensive. I would recommend bringing a steri-pen or just being prepared to pay for water. As well, this hut does require you to bring a “meat sac” or sleeping bag liner with you.
five.
Sidelenhütte, Realp, Uri
The second on my list is in the Uri region, near Andermatt and the famous Furkapass. It is a relatively short walk from the parking area to the hut (60-90 minutes depending on your pace and how many stops for snacks and photos you take) and in the summer is surrounded by glacial tarns. When we went in early June the tarns were still frozen but look incredible from the images I have seen.
I went with three friends, Joni Hedinger, Frauke Hameister and Hannes Becker and were able to have a private room. This hut does require you to bring a “meat sac” or sleeping bag liner with you. This is one of the smaller huts that I have been to and as such it was very intimate. The dinners were cozy and afterward it was really lovely to chat with the fellow hut-dwellers about their objectives for the coming day. There are a lot of really beautiful technical climbing objectives that start at the Sidlenhütte - so bring your gear with you if you plan on visiting!
four.
Gletscherstube Märjelen, Aletsch, Valais
Another of the smaller more intimate huts that I have been to(maybe I have a type). The Gletscherstube Märjelen is the perfect basecamp for visiting the Aletsch Glacier. This hut has three larger dorm style rooms but as we were at the very end of the season my mom and I were able to have a room all to ourselves which was really lovely. This hut did take a little bit longer to get to and will require a series of gondolas to arrive. We stayed the previous night in Bettmeralp and took the gondola up to Bettmergrat and spent the day walking along the glacier to arrive at the hut. The following morning we hiked up to the Eggishorn for sunrise, raced back down to the hut to catch the end of breakfast and then hiked through Fiescheralp, Bettmeralp and Riederalp to get to our next accommodation.
The food was absolutely delicious and they were super accommodating (with a little notice) to adjusting meal times for us which allowed my mom and I to watch both sunset and sunrise over the glacier. This hut, also, requires a meat sac.
three.
Fluhalp, Zermatt, Valais
Arguably the most beautiful view on the list, watching the sun set over the Matterhorn is, as the kids these days say, a core memory formed. I wold tell you that the food was delicious, they have a full scale bar and the patio is absolute filled with hikers during the day but the restaurant, once the sun sets, is so intimate and the food is absolutely delicious. And while those things are all perfectly true… they come secondary to the feeling of falling asleep to a sky filled with stars and the outline of arguably one of the most famous mountains in the world out the window. I will be back here again. I promise you that!
This hut is accessed via a (very) long hike up from the valley in Zermatt or an hour hike from the top of the Blauherd top gondola station (by way of the Sunnegga funicular). My first time here the hut was booked up and I took the Sunnegga funicular up, watched sunset an then ran down to the valley below, it was a long, steep hike down with a lot of elevation gain. But I had one of the most incredible sunsets of my life from Stellisee Lake. If ou stay at this hut I would highly recommend the five lakes trail.
*note that this hut is only open to sleep in for the summer season but is open as a ski in restaurant in the winter. If you are going in the winter though… get the fondue, raclette or a rosti for lunch and enjoy on the patio with one of the most beautiful views of the Matterhorn. Also they have a great espresso.
two.
Refuge Diavolezza, Engadin, Graübunden
I almost feel like this one is cheating because of where is it located - at the top of a very large gondola requiring absolutely no hiking to reach it. It sits atop one of the most beautiful glaciers in Switzerland - and they even offer a private hot tub experience (for a fee) where you can take in the views of the glacier while sipping espresso (or champagne - you choose). In the summer you will also be able to watch the Swiss National Alpine Ski Team training on the glacier here which, if you have never seen ski racing (or people skiing in the middle of the summer) it is a pretty fun experience.
This is used primarily in the winter for skiing and as such has a wide variety of room options from comfortable double rooms with en-suite shower and toilet, to the authentic mountain hut experience in a group dorm. We ended up staying in a basic private room and the cost was 300CHF for one night, two people including breakfast and dinner which did leave this as the most expensive accommodation option on the list. If you are looking for something a little but more affordable - shared dorm style rooms (including breakfast and dinner) begin at 87CHF/person/night.
This is another hut that I would like to return to under different circumstances - this time… climbing those peaks behind me!
one.
La Cabane de Moiry, Grimentz, Valais
Saving the most photogenic for last… of course. La Cabane de Moiry was the only hut along the Haute Route that Mike and I decided to stay at for two nights (forcing us to have a very long next day) it is runner up for the most expensive hut on the list at 99CHF per person per night. We were booked into a room for four (two sets of bunk beds) and it was the only hut I have ever stayed in that rooms were completely filled - this was mid pandemic, I assume that typically the huts are filled and this is common.
There are two distinct sections of La Cabane de Moiry - the first being the older, original, hut that still has rooms used for overflow guests and winter lodging a then the beautiful new portion. These windows were what had Mike and I not only spending an extra night here but also making the detour to come. This cabin is absolotuely worth the detour. With such close proximity to glaciers (an if you are not on the Haute Route it is a very short walk from the parking lot up). The patio, during the day, is completely fulled with day hikers and mountaineers alike. It is truly a special place.
What to Pack
My full Switzerland hiking and hut packing guide can be found here (or via the link below). But after a few dozen nights spent in huts here are a handful of items I am very happy to have packed with me.
Hut Etiquette 101
Always book ahead of time - typically by phone or email (sometimes web reservation forms). I have seen people turned away.
Save the hut’s phone number, in case you will be late or need to cancel a reservation. If you fail to show up to a reservation they will notify emergency services.
Do not wear your shoes in the hut – typically crocs are provided. There will be a boot room to swap shoes upon entry.
Listen to the hut keepers instructions and wait for them to give you a tour.
Try to keep your gear tidy. When thigns get busy they get messy fast. Each person is given one hook.
Do not take any climbing or ski gear to your room. There are spaces for this near the entrance (its safe, don’t worry)
Bring ear plugs - someone will inevitably snore.
If you have dietary restrictions let them know when you make your reservation and remind them upon check in.
Book the half board - it’s worth it. And also, some huts dont allow you to bring your own food.
Bring hand sanitizer (even in non pandemic times) there is not always running water.
Some huts are cash only - so make certain you carry cash with you at all times.
Consider carrying an external battery to charge your devices. Often there are 2 plugs for 50 people in the hut.
Most huts have their own website, or for a complete list of alpine club huts, visit the Swiss Alpine Club site.
*Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links, and I may earn a small commission on any purchase made - at no additional cost to you. As always, all ideas and opinions expressed in this post are entirely my own. Thank you for your support!
