Refuge · 2584 m
Vittorio Sella Refuge
Historic Gran Paradiso hut with views of the park’s summits. Crossroads of AV2 and Gran Paradiso tours.
Its position at the centre of the Lauson pasture amphitheatre makes it the Park’s best wildlife observatory: ibex and chamois graze every evening a few metres from the windows, and the trails to the Col Lauson, the Lauson lakes and the Herbetet start at the door. It is a stage on the Gran Paradiso loop and a classic day trip from Valnontey via the royal mule track.
Altitude
2584 m
Valley
Valsavarenche
Beds
48
Opening
Mid-June – mid-September
Managed by
CAI Biella
History
The buildings began as a lodge and stables for the royal hunts of Vittorio Emanuele II, built in the mid-1800s along the king’s network of mule tracks. Passed to the Italian Alpine Club after the Park’s creation (1922), they were converted into a refuge by the Biella section and named after Vittorio Sella (1859–1943), the Biellese whose mountain photographs — from the Caucasus to K2 — brought the Alps and the high world into everyone’s homes.
What to eat
Home-style cooking; famous fontina fondue.
Indicative rates
Half-board roughly €50–65.
Contact & booking
Official manager details — always check opening dates and rates on the website before you go.
Where it is
45.5802, 7.3033 · 2584 m
How to get there
- High Route 2 — Stage 8: Eaux-Rousses → Rifugio Vittorio Sella16.0 km · +1644 mEE
- High Route 2 — Stage 9: Rifugio Vittorio Sella → Cogne8.0 km · +0 mE
- Lake Djouan from Valnontey11.0 km · +850 mE
- Gran Paradiso Tour — Stage 2: Valnontey → Rifugio Vittorio Sella5.7 km · +922 mE
- Gran Paradiso Tour — Stage 3: Rifugio Vittorio Sella → Eaux Rousses16.7 km · +827 mEE
- Gran Paradiso Tour — Stage 8: Eaux Rousses → Rifugio Vittorio Sella16.7 km · +1755 mEE
- Gran Paradiso Tour — Stage 9: Rifugio Vittorio Sella → Cogne8.7 km · +9 mE
- TAPPA 08: Eaux Rousses - Rifugio Sella17.2 km · +1676 mEE
Recommended season
Mid-June – mid-September
Effort to reach it
Difficulty of the access trails: E–EE, +9–1755 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: rifugiovittoriosella.it · lovevda.it
Vittorio Sella Refuge