Featured Hut

by Leanne Mills

Lizumerhütte, Tuxer Alps 2019m

This hut, fairly close to Innsbruck, features quite often in our snow sport reports but also offers a great base for summer hiking.

Address Lizum 105, A-6113 Wattenberg, Tirol, Austria,
Telephone +43 5224 52111 (when open), +43 5223 56209 (valley, when closed)
Email info@lizumerhuette.at
Website www.lizumerhuette.at

Owner Alpenverein Hall in Tirol.
Guardians Lukas Aichhorn and Tobias Spechter
Location Wattentaler Lizum, around 20km S of Wattens in the Inn valley
Open Jun–Sep and Dec–Apr [The hut is located in a restricted military area and there may be temporary closures.]
Facilities Category 1 hut. Beds 40, Matratzenlager 45 (no winter room). Showers (€3 token). Drying room. Seminar room for groups. Climbing walls. Wi-Fib free with good mobile reception.
Valley and Hut Connections Train or bus to Wattens im Inntal then taxi to public car park at Lager Walchen. Then on foot via military road or Zirbenweg c.2hrs. Glungezerhütte via Navisjoch and Rosenjoch (7-9hrs). Weidener Hütte c.5hrs.

Hut review

The Lizumerhütte is considered to be one of the best-managed huts close to Innsbruck and the location offers a plethora of options for summer hiking. The fairly gentle terrain to modest cols east and west of the hut provides accessible skiing in the winter and makes the Lizumerhütte very popular with ski touring groups. Another attraction of this very comfortable hut is the food: Lukas and team produce high quality seasonal dishes with ingredients mainly sourced from local producers.

The team are rigorously conscious of food allergies and intolerances. They clarify diners’ needs to ensure there are no dietary mishaps for guests, and they encourage pre-selection of a vegetarian- or non-veg option for your evening meal, which allows the kitchen to deliver the 3-course dinner service promptly from 18.15 each night.

The accommodation is comfortable and spotless, offered as two- or four-bunk rooms and dormitory spaces. Both the male and female showers have a lockable door, useful shelves, and ample hooks for personal items; a €3 token delivers three minutes of piping hot water. It feels longer than it sounds!

Three friendly cats snuggle themselves next to the warmest places around the hut and don’t mind a scratch behind the ears as you pass by. They also greet guests at breakfast with their energetic early morning antics. If you’re allergic to cats it should still be possible to refrain from any contact and remain unhindered. But forewarned is forearmed.

The Kachelofen in the Stube is lit on cold mornings in time for breakfast at 07.00 and provides for a cosy atmosphere. It’s the usual self-service affair, and the half-pension price includes lunch so guests can make their sandwiches for lunch according to their needs. Sandwich bags and March-tea are provided, and it’s possible to buy chocolate bars.

The ski and boot rooms located on the lower ground level are spacious but – like many popular huts – the boot heater still gets crowded/full by 16.00. Later in the evening, Tobi is happy to help remove stress by switching dry boots for those still sweaty/damp/ wet to allow for overnight drying. As this is often a frustration of overnighting in a hut, it’s nice to know that everyone can benefit from dry boots in the morning!

Note: This hut sits on government land and shares the plateau with an army barracks. Helicopters can buzz around during the day and, frequently, military exercises can close off areas and routes to peaks. Tobi, the front-of-house Hüttenwirt can provide advanced notice of the latter, even calling the Weidenerhütte with information useful to anyone approaching from there.
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