Appetite comes with walking
9 alpine huts for lunch
AUTUMN 2023 - Eating in an alpine hut is an experience that includes a small ritual to start off with. First of all, you need your backpack and hiking boots. Then, you study the route and make your way along the path. Lunch is the destination. In a certain sense, you need to earn your lunch. And that’s exactly what’s good about it. You are immediately connected with the Trentino atmosphere and with the one you will find once you set foot in the alpine hut.
Alpine huts are the sentinels of our mountains, and many of them remain open even after the summer season to welcome hikers looking for rest. You will find passionate hosts who will welcome you with their candid and sincere manner that conveys their experience and care for the local territory. In their flavourful dishes, you will find the traditional Trentino cuisine.
We have prepared for you a selection of 8 alpine huts where you can have lunch after a nice hike. You can start by choosing one, but we recommend trying all of them.
Potzmauer
New hosts have recently reopened the hut without altering the flavour of traditional cuisine in line with the taste of hikers but also caring about sustainability and the origin of the ingredients. Here, you can also pair an artisanal beer with local meats and vegetables. Multiple routes lead to this hut. We recommend the longest, which is also the most pleasant. Starting from Lake Santo, you can venture through the woods brightened up by the colours of autumn and reach the Potzmauer meadow without having to face excessive climbs or descents.
Roda di Vael
This is the best season to embrace Catinaccio, maybe tackling the Ferrata della Roda, from where you can admire the rock patterns of the Dolomite peaks and enjoy the crisp autumnal air. On the way back, a stop at Roda di Vael is a must to enjoy various flavourful dishes prepared with care. Care because, although the hut can only be reached on foot (even for supplies), it still manages to guarantee a certified gluten-free menu.
Casinei
Casinei Alpine hut is located right at the gateway to the Brenta Dolomites and presents hikers who have started right below from Vallesinella with the first opportunity to take in clear views over Val Rendena. Before reaching the hut for a bite to eat, you can make a little detour to the Cascate Alte di Vallesinella. Whatever you choose from the menu, do not miss the chance to try their desserts, the real ambassadors of this simple yet flavourful mountain cuisine.
Altissimo Damiano Chiesa
Despite its name, the Altissimo (very high) Alpine hut can be reached with a hike of a little over an hour and not very steep. As you climb, just think that not only are you earning a delicious meal, but most of all that you will not forget the view so easily. Up there, the gaze opens up and runs along the profile of the mountains only to drop into the shiny blue waters of Lake Garda. To accompany this beauty, you can associate the exquisite aromatic polenta made with flour from Storo and enriched with melted cheese and walnut crumbles. Do not miss it!
Erterle
Erterle Alpine hut is located along the Logorain mountain chain, with rugged rocks and only little signs of life. They are maybe the wildest among the Trentino mountains. You can reach the alpine hut by climbing up from Roncegno, also by car, and it is an excellent starting point for many excursions, as well as being an excellent stop during hikes or bike rides. But, among all these variables, there is one constant — the dishes you will try will not disappoint! They are the fruit of genuine cuisine, well thought out yet not pretentious — in their aromas and flavours, you will find the confidence of homemade meals.
Malga Corno
Malga Corno, located in the middle of the Monte Corno Nature Park, can be reached with not too demanding hikes of variable length, depending on the starting point. We recommend starting from the town of Capriana, as the hut is a little under two hours away. Up there, the woods leave ample room for views, and your heart will fill up. And even your tummy! You only need to choose from among the many delicious options that, over here, take on the influence of Alto Adige.
Caltena Hut – Baita di Charme
In the eastern Dolomites, overlooking Vette Feltrine, in Primiero, you find a hut that is easily accessible even by children or by those who prefer low-altitude walks. Surrounded by meadows and woods and the starting point for simple but exciting excursions, here you have the opportunity to visit the stable, relax in the wellness centre, but, above all, taste the products of the Primiero tradition revisited and presented in a gourmet key, without sacrificing quantity... ! Try homemade fettuccine, cheeses and the very juicy sliced beef, and make sure you leave some room for a perfect seasonal dessert!
Malga Campo Hut
In Luserna, it is a completely different story. It is the story of the people of German origin, the Cimbri, who have managed to maintain their language and traditions, in spite of their challenging history. In the last century, in 1911, Luserna was razed to the ground by fire, and was forcibly evacuated during the First World War, when the remaining inhabitants were forced to emigrate to Bohemia. Those who are still there to this day have made the decision to remain in Italy. This is the story told by one of the three itineraries that take you to Malga Campo on foot. At the hut everything is prepared on site with zero environmental impact. You will be able to taste the raw ingredients from the Cimbrian plateau, most of which are grown on site. You can also book your BBQ area for an entire day: you will find a set table, meat and marinated vegetables. All you have to do is grill!
Malga Stabli
In Val di Sole, in Ortisé di Mezzana, every day until 30 September and for all the weekends in October, you can taste the dishes of the valley tradition, at an altitude of 1814 metres. Surrounded by greenery with a view of Presanella and the Brenta Dolomites, Tommaso and Valeria are waiting for you with their donkeys, ready to offer mouth-watering dishes, perhaps after a nice hike. Everything from starters to desserts is homemade. Start with a cheese and salami platter and potato tortel! Malga Stabli can also be reached by car, an excellent location for an evening, but our advice is to leave the car in Ortisé and enjoy the walk of about an hour.
