We built something useful for hikers

The vision behind hutfinder.app is simple: make hut hiking in Europe more accessible.

If you have joined our events in the last few years, chances are you have already met me, Andrei.

Andrei in his typical habitat

You have probably seen me organizing overnight trips but what many members might not know is that these hikes eventually led me to start building a digital project for hikers.

This is the story of how I created hutfinder.app.

A Tool for Searching Mountain Huts

The vision behind hutfinder.app is simple: make hut hiking in Europe more accessible.

For the internationals, it might be near impossible as I could rarely see internationals at alpine huts in my experience. The major reason I believe is the language barrier. Only a few hut websites are translated in any language besides German, and other hut searching websites like alpenvereinaktiv.com/de/huetten/ are poorly translated.

My platform aims to help hikers including English-speaking hikers too. They can find available huts for their trips since all huts are bookable online, so no calling or mailing required. Hut Finder currently features huts in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and Italy.

For those who enjoy hut trips, planning new adventures, or simply browsing for inspiration, the website can already be explored here:

👉 https://hutfinder.app/

The website

At the same time, I hope the project will grow through community feedback. For example, user suggestions such as adding altitude profiles for hut-to-hut routes are already in development.

High Hiking Culture but Low Digitalization

I grew up in Russia, where digital apps for everyday life are widely used. Public transportation, delivery, banking; many things are designed to be simple and efficient.

When I moved to Germany in 2022, I discovered something different that quickly became important to me: hiking culture and… lack of digitization.

I learned to read trail markers, engage with alpine clubs, and how mountain huts create a unique experience for hikers.

Over time, hiking became more than just a weekend activity. I started guiding small hikes and realized how much I enjoyed bringing people together outdoors. But we just had one problem…

One of the nights with BMC in Saxony

The Problem That Sparked an Idea

While planning hut hiking trips, people repeatedly faced the same frustration.

Information about huts is spread across many different websites. Opening dates, routes, transport options and weather forecasts often have to be researched separately. HIkers quickly find themselves with a million tabs open, hours wasted, and zero huts secured.

One challenge stood out in particular: finding huts that are actually available on specific dates.

For group hikes, the date often matters more than the exact hut or region. Many huts offer the same feeling of nature and community. But existing websites rarely allow you to search in a simple, flexible way.

Best view from a hut Andrei yet experienced (Wolfratshauser Hütte)

Another issue was accessibility. Many hikers rely on public transport and prefer destinations that can be reached within a few hours by train, something that is still surprisingly difficult to plan.

To cope with these problems, I began creating small personal tools and side projects. Eventually, I decided to build something bigger.

From Side Project to Full Commitment

In the summer of 2025, I made a bold decision: left my job to commit fulltime to developing this idea. In December 2025, work on hutfinder.app officially started.

Since then, I have been working on the website every day, taking on roles from software development and content creation to marketing and user research.

The technical part was very doable! The real challenge is reaching the first users.

Our motto!

Still, the motivation remains clear. The tool already helps him plan his own multi-day hikes more efficiently, and early feedback from friends and fellow hikers suggests it could help many others as well.

Rooted in Bayreuth

Although the idea has grand ambitions, its origins are very local.

While Moscow had much to offer, it lacked any sort of hiking culture. My first introduction to Bayreuth Mountain Club was at an orienteering event, led by the club’s founder, Teejo.

Through BMC, I discovered my love for hiking. But what I found was so much more: friendships, experiences, and even a relationship.

Hut Finder is my way of giving back to the hiking community that has become more like a family. It is my way of helping new and experienced hikers alike create everlasting memories.