Refuge · 4554 m
Rifugio Capanna Regina Margherita
Alpine refuge at 4554 m in Lys Valley, Aosta Valley. Beds: 80. Data from OpenStreetMap; verify opening before setting out.
Sleeping here means spending the night at the highest inhabited point in Europe: the hut sits on the very summit of Punta Gnifetti and hosts, besides climbers bound for the Monte Rosa four-thousanders, scientific laboratories studying high-altitude medicine, climate and physiology. Access is for experienced glacier mountaineers only, roped up from the Gnifetti hut.
Altitude
4554 m
Valley
Lys Valley
Beds
80
History
Inaugurated on 18 August 1893 by the Italian Alpine Club on the summit of Punta Gnifetti (4,554 m), it was named in honour of Queen Margherita of Savoy, who personally climbed to the hut days after its opening and spent the night — an episode that became famous in mountaineering history. From the start it was also conceived as a high-altitude scientific observatory. The present building, completely rebuilt and inaugurated in 1980, is run by the CAI of Varallo and continues this twin alpine and scientific vocation.
Contact & booking
Official manager details — always check opening dates and rates on the website before you go.
Where it is
45.9271, 7.8770 · 4554 m
What to bring
A sleeping-bag liner (required in many huts), cash (cards are often not accepted at altitude), a change of clothes and warm layers for the evening, a headlamp, a water bottle. Always book your bed and meals in advance, and let the hut know if you cancel.
What to do there
Enjoy dinner in good company and the sunset from the terrace. Many use the hut as a base for a dawn departure: ask the keeper about trail and weather conditions before setting out, and start light while the snow is still firm. The climbing routes are on the trail pages above.
Nearby peaks
Community gallery
Photos are published immediately. JPG/PNG/WebP, max 6 MB.
Source: OpenStreetMap contributors
Rifugio Capanna Regina Margherita