Watzmannhaus

The Watzmannhaus at 1,930 m is one of the best-known mountain huts in the Bavarian Alps and the central base for climbs of the Watzmann. Run by the German Alpine Club (DAV), it offers food and overnight stays in dormitories and rooms.

Ascent

The normal route leads from the Wimbachbrücke via the Stubenalm and Mitterkaseralm to the hut, around 1,200 metres of ascent, in about 3 to 4 hours. A rewarding mountain hike that is a great destination even without summit ambitions.

Overnight stay & reservation

• Booking via the DAV reservation system is strongly recommended, especially on summer weekends.
• Staying here lets you start the summit tour to the Hocheck early in the morning, ahead of the weather.
• A hut sleeping bag, headlamp and enough cash belong in your pack, the packing list for it is in our tour preparations.

Background & History

High above the Berchtesgadener Land, on the Falzköpfl at around 1,930 metres, stands the Watzmannhaus, the central base for climbing the Watzmann. The hut was built towards the end of the 19th century by the German Alpine Club, in the era when the systematic opening-up of the Eastern Alps spread a dense network of such refuges across the high mountains. From here mountaineers set off on the famous traverse that leads over the Hocheck and Mittelspitze along the airy ridge.

Mountain huts like the Watzmannhaus are far more than mere accommodation, they embody the alpine culture of the Alpine Club, which since the 19th century has marked trails, run huts and made mountaineering accessible to many. Set in the middle of the Berchtesgaden National Park, the house offers a wide view over the Watzmann massif and the surrounding limestone peaks. Over the decades the house grew from a simple shelter into a comfortable base, without losing its character as a down-to-earth mountain inn. Those who spend the night up here experience the mountain in its quietest hours: the glow of the faces in the evening light, the clear night over the summits and the first light that calls the mountaineers to set off.