Blaueishütte

Blaueishütte is a staffed German Alpine Club mountain hut at 1,680 m in the Blaueiskar, beneath the Hochkalter massif. People come for a high mountain meal, an overnight stay, or as a base for hikes and climbs in the area. The terrace looks down toward Hintersee. Keep it for a proper alpine outing: this is a steep walk from the valley, not a quick roadside stop.

The usual approach starts at Seeklause by Hintersee and follows marked path 482 through forest and past Schärtenalm. Above the alm, the way gets steeper and rockier beneath the Blaueiskar cliffs. A route estimate puts the return walk at about 10.2 km, with 856 m of climbing, roughly three hours up and two back down. Treat those as planning figures and leave time to stop at the hut. Any route beyond it is a separate mountain objective.

There are 80 overnight places: 44 in multi-bed rooms and 36 in mattress dormitories, including 16 in a rustic adjoining hut. Book ahead if you want to stay. The kitchen serves hearty regional food, including schnitzel, stews, Kaiserschmarrn, cake and coffee, with vegetarian and some vegan choices. Washrooms have cold running water; hot showers and Wi-Fi cost extra. The hut generally operates from May through October, but exact season dates vary, so check the booking calendar before planning a visit.

The terrace looks toward the Hochkalter massif and down to Hintersee. Take a moment to look both ways: the rock walls make the hut feel high in the basin, while the lake gives you a sense of how far you have climbed. For a photo, keep the hut in front of the limestone wall so the picture shows the building in its setting, not just its roof.

The first Blaueishütte opened in 1922 about 100 m above the present building. An avalanche damaged it in 1923, and a dust avalanche destroyed it on December 29, 1955. An emergency hut followed in 1956; the present hut opened in 1962. The present hut stands about 100 m below the site of that first shelter.