Berghut Halverwege
+31 (0)6 1990 8819
Mountain hut halfway up the Vaalserberg
Welcome to Berghut Halverwege! During the Dutch Mountain Film Festival (5 to 10 November), this mountain hut, which is also home to the Institute of Cartopology, will be open every day from 10 am to 5 pm.
Berghut Halverwege will be screening a number of films from the DMFF archives, the perfect way to round off an expedition, along with a cup of coffee or hot chocolate and other mountain fare. The mountain hut also has a special display of maps of locations that can be seen in DMFF’s films. What’s more, fashion designer Hsiang-Lin Kuo, who takes her inspiration from mountaineering equipment, will be in residence at the hut.
Thursday 24 October at 8 pm
- Architects Marlies Vermeulen & Remy Kroese will be telling us about their experiences building Berghut Halverwege.
- Recordings of a Weather Camera
- Modern Alpine architecture in Austria.
Tuesday 5 November at 7 pm
- Architects Marlies Vermeulen & Remy Kroese will be telling us about their experiences building Berghut Halverwege.
- Bergwiesen, vom Schwenden und Heuen
Saturday 9 November
- 12.30 pm Start of the Ascent of the Vaalserberg
- 1 pm Artist talk by fashion designer Hsiang-Lin Kuo and screening of In Between and Ashmina.
Sunday 10 November
- 10 to 11 am Stamping station for the Summit 2 Summit ride
- 1 pm Start of the Berghut to Basecamp trail run
Mini-exhibition: DMFF ’24 ON THE MAP
The locations for films screened at the Dutch Mountain Film Festival are, of course, spread far and wide across the globe. A number of maps will be on display at Berghut Halverwege showing just some of the places where these films have been made. The maps will enable you to daydream about some of these locations, or perhaps make your own plans to visit some of these exciting and exotic destinations.
Artist talk: Hsiang-Lin Kuo
(Un)romanticising mountains through unfashionable mountain tools
During this year’s DMFF, Hsiang-Lin Kuo will take up residency at Berghut Halverwege. As an artist and fashion designer, she examines the role of fashion in outdoor wear, often seen as being purely functional. During her talk (in English) on Saturday 9 November at 1 pm she will be explaining her own insights into outdoor equipment based on hiking culture in Taiwan. By unravelling some of the myths around (un)fashionable mountain wear, she will be exploring colonial influences and offering alternative insights into the relationship between humans and mountains, looking beyond the Western context alone. Welcome!
Halverwege: a place to visit, a place for science
The Institute of Cartopology is not only a meeting point, but a centre of learning for maps. It might seem a strange combination, but that’s not the case at all. Take Capanna Margherita, a mountain hut high up in the Italian Alps at 4,554 metres. This mountain hut offers shelter for climbers, but it also functions as a site where scientific research is carried out, particularly into altitude sickness. The mountain hut halfway to the top of the Vaalserberg is also a place where mapmakers, researchers, mountaineers and tourists can meet. Artistic and educational research are also carried out here and it serves as a meeting point and visitor centre for the most upland region in the Netherlands.
DMFF sponsors weather station and webcam
In July 2024 a weather station and a webcam were installed at the Institute of Cartopology, thanks to the Dutch Mountain Film Festival. From now on, it’s possible to check out the weather conditions on the Netherland’s highest peak at any time of the day remotely.
Maps and mountains
At altitude – that means halfway to the top of the Vaalserberg too – everything is more extreme: the weather, the views, the friendships and the risks. An indispensable tool in the mountains is a good map. And the more challenging the terrein, the more maps you might need: a topographic map, a weather chart, a town plan for somewhere along the way, a geological map and maybe a tourist map too. Every mountain deserves to be studied from as many angles as possible, the Vaalserberg too.
Amazing views
Once you’re on the trail, above the treeline, the mountains provide a shifting array of vistas, an ever-changing palette of colours, and alternating patterns of rock formations or vegetation. We at the Institute of Cartopology are always amazed by the changing landscape around us. Doesn’t every mountain, regardless of elevation, deserve to be viewed with such focus, fascination and curiosity? Why not take a look at your own surroundings and imagine there’s a mountain? You’ll discover a lot more than meets the eye!
Come and see for yourself
Why not come and take a look for yourself at Berghut Halverwege Vaalserberg? The Institute of Cartopology offers shelter and simple fare for those in search of more inspiration. Workshops and expeditions regularly take place here. Stop awhile for coffee and plan your route. Share your maps and your vision of the surroundings with us.
Like many mountain huts, opening times can vary. But if we’re not out exploring ourselves, our doors are always open. Give us a call or check out our social media to make sure we’re open, for a well-deserved break or burst of inspiration.
It may not always be bleak, cold or snow-covered at 246 metres, but whatever your goal or destination, the Institute of Cartopology offers a warm welcome and a refreshing view of the surroundings at all times. A place of refuge in every sense of the word!