Sounds like some cool places to stop by and see on your European Study Abroad trip~**DB
Mountain huts and lodges in Europe: readers’ travel tips
via “The Guardian”
Winning tip: ‘Volcano huts’, Iceland
The 15-mile Fimmvörðuháls trail takes you from the coastal greenfields of Skógar, past waterfalls, mountain goats and the famous the Eyjafjallajökull volcano, which erupted in 2010. It can be a tough slog in a day, especially in the snow, which can stick around until late June despite warm weather. A great place to break your journey to Thórsmörk is the Baldursskali volcano hut. It’s in an isolated spot, so most days you’ll only see couple of wardens, their dog an half a dozen walkers. If tackling nearby Laugavegurinn trail, book overnight huts through the Icelandic Touring Association.
Dorm from £34, advance booking advised, volcanohuts.com
Brightey
L’Alivi, Corsica
The gite d-etape “L’Alivi” is in the tiny village of Serriera on the fantastic six-dayMare e Monti (Nord) trail in Corsica. You’ll find a good bed in a rustic stone building that was once the village’s olive press and mill, and the food here was some of the best we had in Corsica. We ate herb tart, wild-boar lasagne and a local cheese, served with homemade fig preserve. Breakfasts are no less generous and there are packed lunches (€7), too.
Dorm from €18, doubles/private dorm also available, alivi.fr
bryfox
Astrakas refuge, Greece
“We prefer the traditional ways”, said the refuge manager. “Anyway, it’s cheaper. We can’t afford helicopter supplies!” We were staying in the Astrakas refuge, nearly 2,000 metres high (and powered by solar panels), in the mountains of northern Greece. It is open from May to October, serves food and has simple dorms and cold showers. Enjoy the peaks and tarns of Mount Gamila and take the well-marked paths to the Dragon Lake, or to the Vikos gorge and cobbled tracks of the Zagoria. Bed from €13, astrakarefuge.com
JaneSLaurie
Polish mountain shelter
In between crystal-clear lakes and encircled by the jagged peaks of the Tatra mountains is the Polish Tourist Society mountain shelter. This is the only lodge inthe national park that can’t be reached by car and makes the perfect spot to break your trek. Refuel with a bowl of zurek, a hearty soup of sausage, onion and potatoes, before taking an evening stroll to see the wildflowers or the Siklawa waterfall.
Dorm from £7 a night, piecstawow.pl
Rachel Thorley . . . .
Student Ramblings 