Pleasure Hiking in Austria
To Alpine pastures, lakes and wine

The culinary delight is the goal: A glass of wine in your hand, a snack and cheese spaetzle on the table. Our tips for culinary hikes.

How about starting the day with an alpine breakfast at 2,000 metres? Savouring a freshwater fish on a lakeside terrace at sunset? Or indulging in a traditional ‘Heurigen’ snack at a rustic wine tavern? Austria’s varied landscapes offer an incredible diversity of flavours. And there’s always a stunning view along the way – of alpine pastures, towering peaks, glistening lakes, or rolling vineyards, depending on the region you choose to explore.

Enjoyable hikes to Alpine pastures

If you love tucking into local specialities surrounded by mountain charm, Austria’s alpine pastures won’t disappoint. From hearty classics like Tiroler Gröstl to rustic dishes with a gourmet twist, there’s something for every foodie.

Bregenzerwald

Breakfast, lunch, and dessert – all on one hike! Stroll across alpine meadows, reach the highest peak, and enjoy delicious bites along the way.

Hiking from course to course

Brandnertal

The selected tours link together the region’s finest culinary stops.

Pleasure stops

Tirolean Alps

Tirol’s alpine pastures are a paradise for gourmets. Highlights include homemade alpine butter, cheese from the local dairy, and mouth-watering cured ham.

Tips for Alpine hikes

Lake Achensee

Savour hearty and sweet alpine treats like the classic Brettljause or fluffy Kaiserschmarrn – a dream for any food lover.

Hike to the Mauritzalm

Via Culinaria

The Via Culinaria is a foodie’s treasure map, featuring 350 extraordinary gourmet hotspots. Ten themed routes offer delicious adventures for every taste.

Gourmet trails at a glance

Grossarl Valley

A feast with a view! With 40 serviced alpine pastures and mountain huts, Großarltal is a top destination for culinary hikers.

The valley of Alpine pastures

Schladming Dachstein

Every season, star chef Richard Rauch teams up with local hut hosts to create new Alpine dishes for hungry hikers.

Culinary Styria

Sölktäler Nature Park

After a day of hiking, recharge with traditional Ennstaler Steirerkäse and creamy alpine butter – the perfect reward for your efforts.

Alpine pastures and huts

Carinthian mountain huts

High above a forest-fringed lake lies a true hiking paradise. The culinary highlight? The cosy Genuss-Hütten serving local delights.

Huts and mountain pastures

Lesach Valley

Where happiness and flavour meet: Follow the Brot- und Morendenweg trail, where Nikolaus showcases the delicious tastes of Lesachtal across five culinary stops.

The Bread and Morenden Trail

3 questions about life on the mountain pasture

Cows play a vital role in preserving the rich cultural landscape of the mountains. By grazing, they prevent forests from encroaching on alpine meadows, creating habitats for a variety of mountain plants, butterflies, and bees. The Alpine pastures offer cows tasty herbs, fresh air, and the company of other herd animals. Acting as both natural landscapers and quality food providers, they supply alpine dairymen and women with top-quality milk twice a day, used to make butter and cheese. After a summer in the mountains, their beef is also of the highest quality.

Dairymen and women ("Senner" and "Sennerinnen") are herders who care for livestock during the summer on Alpine pastures, often on behalf of local farmers or cooperatives. They also turn the cows’ milk into cheese and, in many cases, butter. The name comes from Senne, another word for Alpine pasture.

The Brettljause has its roots in the simple meals of farming families and is traditionally served on a wooden board. It features hearty, often homemade delicacies such as bacon, ham, sausages, cheese, spreads, butter, and bread, all topped off with pickles, tomatoes, and mild peppers. Every alpine hut adds its own twist, making each Brettljause unique.

Pleasure hiking by the lakes

Stroll along the lakeshore or around the entire lake, over gentle hills and through shady forests, stopping at culinary hotspots along the way – then hop on the last boat to cross the lake and head back. It’s the perfect blend of nature and local cuisine.

Lakeside inns serve regional specialities, from freshly caught fish to homemade pastries. Hidden coves invite you to take a dip, while wooden benches offer a peaceful spot to relax and soak in the sounds of the Alpine lake.

Culinary hikes by lakes
Pleasure hiking through the vineyards

Wine and hiking – a match made in heaven. In Austria, scenic trails wind through gentle and steep vineyard slopes, charming cellar lanes, and along the Danube.

Buschenschänken and Heurige (traditional wine taverns) offer the perfect rest stops, serving regional delicacies and fine wines. Whether in the Wachau, Weinviertel, Burgenland, Vienna, or Styria – stunning views surrounded by vines await at every turn.

Culinary wine hikes

Austria’s hiking trails are as varied as the experiences they provide.

Hiking

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