Originality. Connectedness. Hospitality. And joie de vivre. This is how the National Park community of Hüttschlag at the idyllic end of the Grossarl Valley can be described. Hüttschlag is a former mining community and lies at 1,020 m, about 8 km from Großarl. Today Hüttschlag is one of the selected “mountaineering villages of Austria”. Mountaineering villages are original places in the Alps that have been selected according to strict criteria. They are characterised by exemplary development in sustainable alpinism, as well as excellent quality in terms of landscape and environment. Since 2008, Hüttschlag has been one of the selected “mountaineering villages” and is thus one of the first places to be chosen in this project of the Austrian Alpine Association within the framework of the implementation of the International Alpine Convention.
© TVB Großarltal Hirschgrubenalm
Summer in the valley of the alpine pastures
The rucksack is packed, the hiking boots are laced up. Those who set out in the “Valley of Alpine Pastures” are spoilt for choice: 40 managed huts invite you to enjoy authentic alpine pastures with an impressive panorama – one peak higher than the other. With warm hospitality, as is the custom up there. With stories from the hut host and home-produced delicacies: Home-made cheese from fresh alpine milk, delicious farmhouse bread from the wood-fired oven behind the hut, accompanied by a glass of buttermilk. Everyday life stays at home, up here locals and visitors recharge their batteries. Mountain bikers can expect a network of routes totalling 160 km and 14,000 metres in altitude in the Grossarl Valley. Particularly clever bikers ride “with a tailwind” – they rent an e-mountain bike of the latest generation from the bike professionals in the Grossarl Valley.
Mountain Healthy „Berg Gesund”
Summer and winter alike, you can also take part in guided tours led by state-certified mountain guides in the Grossarl Valley. With over 140 activities – from guided high mountain tours to alpine flower walks, paragliding taster sessions to yoga on the mountain pasture – there really is something for everyone. Highlights in the mountain climbing village of Hüttschlag are the weekly hikes with the national park ranger.
(c) TVB Großarltal – Frauen- and Gamskarkogel
Excursion Tip:
The valley museum in Hüttschlag is particularly popular. This rustic open-air museum at the head of the valley shows historical farms and takes its visitors back to rural life in past centuries. The bread baking house, the schnapps distillers’ hut, the mountain smithy and the Hubertus chapel have been built true to the original. In the main house, the Gensbichlhaus, is the interactive exhibition “On the Alm – Between Heaven and Earth”, which focuses on life on the alp. The Talwirt serves regional specialities such as Speckjause and Kaiserschmarrn. Read more about it.
Winter in Hüttschlag
As soon as Mother Nature has shaken out her feather beds over the Grossarl Valley, there is almost limitless winter fun to be experienced. Skiers and snowboarders get their money’s worth here in Ski amadé. While the experts tackle challenging freeride pistes, families enjoy the inviting, wide pistes of the Großarltal-Dorfgastein ski circuit. Kids also feel at home in the cool fun park. The slopes around Hüttschlag are known as a ski touring paradise.
You can also recharge your batteries off-piste in impressive nature, here at the entrance to the Hohe Tauern National Park, while walking, cross-country skiing, tobogganing, touring and snowshoe hiking. There is also an extensive activity programme with up to nine guided ski tours, snowshoe hikes and ice climbing tours every week. All dates at: www.berg-gesund.at. Participation is free of charge for guests of BERG-GESUND partner businesses.
The pre-Christmas season is idyllic, quiet and cosy – that’s when Salzburg’s Mountain Advent opens its huts and makes the anticipation of Christmas rise higher with an atmospheric programme.
