Staying in a holiday home next to a mountain farm is your chance to take part in farming activities, peek over the farmers’ shoulders and pitch right in. There’s always some work to do. And there’s always an exciting activity to engage in. Enjoy an authentic travel experience and a delightful holiday.
Mountain Restaurants - Our Top Picks for Your Holiday in the Mountains in Austria
Our Cooks Boil, Fry and Bake High above the Valley Floor
Countless staffed mountain cabins are scattered all across the extensive alpine pastures in Austria. Don’t miss out on culinary delights and book your accommodation in one of the rustic mountain restaurants well in advance. Nothing compares to the pleasure of waking up at the break of dawn high above the valley floor, grabbing the backpack and setting out on a hike to the surrounding mountain peaks.
The crisp air in the mountains makes you hungry, that’s also an undisputed fact. Luckily, the warm-hearted hosts in the mountain restaurants are more than happy to solve this problem. No matter where you go, every single one of them serves extraordinary culinary delights. Simply take a seat and indulge in a delicious menu. There’s no place where this could be easier. A delicious smell wafts towards you as you step inside the house. Your taste buds start tingling. Are you also wondering where it comes from? Open the gnarly wooden door to the kitchen and take a peek inside. Irresistible culinary secrets are hidden here.
Baking bread, making fruity jam or refreshing lemonade - there’s always something exciting going on in the kitchen, at any time of the year. The food is fresh, seasonal and locally grown. That’s one of the top priorities for the cooks and it’s also their great pride. Would you like some home-made fruit spirit after your meal? It’s interesting to get familiar with the way of life in the traditional mountain cabins high above the valley floor. They are definitely worth more than one visit.
Nature is always in for a surprise, whether it’s in spring, summer or autumn. Working in the natural surroundings is diverse and exciting. You are welcome to pitch right in! But you can also relax and unwind. The choice is yours. Think back to your childhood when you ran across the alpine pastures shortly after the grass had been cut.
Cheese at Its Best
Join the experienced dairywoman and learn how to produce cheese and churn butter. Get familiar with the characteristics of food production here, high above the valley floor. Your hosts are more than happy to show you how it works. In the mountain restaurants in Vorarlberg, you can sample “Bergkäse” and “Alpkäse”, aged cheeses produced exclusively in the Alpine regions in Austria’s westernmost province. “Sura Kees” is a mild or strong sour milk cheese typically produced in the Montafon valley. Every cook has his or her own secret recipe for “Kaspressknödel” (fried cheese dumplings), a Tyrolean delicacy.
Some add a number of different cheeses whereas others use fragrant spices. What do they all have in common? This dish is an all-time favourite in the mountain restaurants in Tyrol and it’s unbelievably tasty! The cheeses produced in the mountains in Salzburger Land, for example “Pinzgauer Kas”, are popular because of their low fat content and the savoury flavour. A slice of freshly baked bread with butter and cheese topped with vegetables and herbs is not only good for satisfying your appetite. It’s also an absolute delight!
The Gailtal valley in Carinthia also has a long history of cheesemaking. The fresh milk from the cows needed to be processed directly in the mountain cabins. By making cheese in the small dairies, it could be preserved and stored over summer. “Gailtaler Almkäse”, cheese from the alpine pastures in the Gailtal valley, is protected within the framework of the European designation of origin (PDO). Dairymen and dairywoman in 13 mountain cabins continue producing it, thus preserving the valley’s cultural heritage.
Family Holidays amidst Alpine Pastures
It’s more than the extraordinary culinary delights that makes a holiday in one of the mountain restaurants in Austria unforgettable. There’s no better place to ground yourself in the present moment. Stunning country walks, wildlife watching in the habitat of majestic chamois and Alpine ibex, fierce summer storms that you can observe from the cosy living room - all these experiences will live on in your memory.
The interiors vary from one mountain cabin to the next. You might sleep in a room made of Austrian stone pine, relax in the private sauna or sit together in the country-style living room where the dairywoman used to spend the summer. Far from the valley floor, children can enjoy the freedom that they deserve. On the playground provided by Mother Earth, kids can be creative and let their imagination run wild.
Tree houses, tents in the forest, archery courses or treasure hunts - the smartphones and tablets can stay in the valley. Here, the sensors receive natural signals only. Explore the mountains on foot, go mountain biking or even paragliding. Immerse yourself in nature with all your senses. The adventures are boundless.
All of our hosts in the mountain restaurants will be happy to help out in any way they can. They know insider tips for every age and level of ability.
Great Fun in Every Season
A number of mountain restaurants is open in winter. When a white blanket of snow is covering the lands, light-hearted fun awaits you in Austria’s ski resorts. Do you prefer enjoying the peaceful silence in winter time? Ski touring or snowshoeing trails will take you to romantic side valleys where the cattle grazes in summer.
Explore the region from a different perspective on a romantic ride in a horse-drawn carriage. Magical moments are guaranteed no matter at which time of the year you’re visiting the mountain cabins and alpine pastures in Austria. A holiday here is a treasure chest. Including eternal moments. Including authentic travel experiences and the pure joy of living.
If you'd like to order a Schnitzel with French fries and ketchup, you're in the wrong place. But that's not why our guests come here anyway.
Marianne Gruber, Host in the mountain restaurant "Ritzingerhütte"
Quality
We are Austria’s largest platform for farm holidays. Our offer comprises more than 500 certified mountain cabins & chalets of different categories. Most of them are located in the mountainous heart of Austria, in the federal provinces of Carinthia, Styria, Salzburg, Tyrol and Vorarlberg. A few properties can also be found in Lower Austria and Upper Austria.
500 mountain cabins and chalets - carefully selected and regularly controlled
Book your holiday 100% flexible and risk-free
Plenty of space around your cabin and a stunning panoramic mountain view
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