Refuge · 2735 m
Rifugio Vittorio Emanuele II Nuovo
Alpine refuge at 2735 m in Valsavarenche, Aosta Valley. Beds: 120. Data from OpenStreetMap; verify opening before setting out.
This is the historic base for the normal route up the Gran Paradiso, the only entirely Italian four-thousander: on summer nights the hut comes alive at three in the morning with departing rope parties. Its half-barrel metal silhouette, designed to shed avalanches, has become an icon of the Valsavarenche; the old stone hut survives alongside.
Altitude
2735 m
Valley
Valsavarenche
Beds
120
History
The first hut, promoted by the CAI of Turin and named after King Vittorio Emanuele II — who kept his hunting reserves in these valleys — was inaugurated in 1884 and is among Italy’s oldest refuges. The “new” building, the distinctive metal half-barrel, opened in 1961 to cope with the growth of mountaineering on the Gran Paradiso. It remains the property of CAI Turin.
Contact & booking
Official manager details — always check opening dates and rates on the website before you go.
Where it is
45.5127, 7.2296 · 2735 m
How to get there
Effort to reach it
Difficulty of the access trails: E, +447–775 m (CAI scale).
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 Vittorio Emanuele II Nuovo