Key facts at a glance
Serviced alpine huts are usually open in summer from late June to mid or late September, and in winter along the ski runs from December into spring. The classics of Pinzgau cooking are Kaspressknoedel, Kasnocken, Brettljause and Kaiserschmarrn. Expect many huts to take cash only, hot food to stop at around 4 pm, and the hut to close once the last guest is on the way down.
Part of our complete guide: Restaurants in Zell am See
For many visitors, stopping at an alpine hut is the real reason to go hiking in Zell am See-Kaprun. The combination of a two-hour climb, the view and a plate of Kaspressknoedel has worked for generations. If you are coming for the first time, a few things about hut culture are worth knowing, so the day does not end at a locked door or for want of cash.
What lands on the table
Pinzgau hut cooking is hearty, regional and not much given to experiment. These are the classics you will find on almost every serviced alm:
- Kaspressknoedel: flat-pressed cheese dumplings, either in beef broth or pan-fried with cabbage salad. The national dish of the hut menu.
- Kasnocken: small dumplings with tangy mountain cheese and roasted onions. Rich and filling.
- Brettljause: a cold board with Speck, farmhouse sausage, cheese, horseradish and rye bread. Ideal for sharing.
- Kaiserschmarrn: the classic sweet dish, usually with plum compote or apple sauce. On many huts portioned as a main course.
- Germknoedel: a fixture on the ski huts, above all in winter.
- Almmilch, buttermilk and elderflower spritzer as the non-alcoholic classics.
Many alms work with their own produce, above all milk, cheese and butter. Where that is the case the menu says so clearly, and it is usually worth the surcharge.
The season: when huts are open
Serviced alms follow the alpine summer. The cattle come up to the alm in early summer and go back down to the valley in late summer, and the catering follows that rhythm. In practice that means:
- Late June to mid-September: high season, almost every hut open. Details for July and August.
- September: the best time, because the huts are still open and it is noticeably quieter, see September. The cattle drive ends the season in September or early October, depending on the alm.
- Winter: the huts along the ski runs operate from December into spring, see the ski guide.
- April, May, November: the between-seasons, when almost everything is closed, see November.
Practical rules
Bring cash. This is the most important point. Many alpine huts have no card payment, because power and network coverage at altitude cannot be taken for granted. Climb up without cash and, in the worst case, you stand hungry in front of the menu.
Stop early enough. On many huts the hot kitchen closes far earlier than in the valley, often as early as 4 pm. Huts close once the last guests are on the way down, not in the evening.
Mind the closing days. Alpine huts have rest days too. On a longer tour with a stop firmly built into the plan, a call ahead pays off.
Respect grazing cattle. On the way to the alm you cross pastures. Keep your distance from mother cows with calves, dogs belong on a short leash, and pasture gates are always closed behind you. In detail on this: safe alps and grazing cattle.
How to reach the hut
Almost all alms can be reached on foot, many also with the help of a mountain lift, which shortens the climb considerably. You will find suitable routes in the hiking guide, easy variants under easy hikes, and for families the pushchair-friendly paths. If you would rather get to know the region with a guide, you will find the options under guided hikes.
Huts with address and location
The alpine huts and mountain restaurants below are the best-known stops in the region, sorted by mountain. Altitude and approach help with planning the tour, phone number and address help with calling ahead. Opening hours and rest days change from season to season, and a short call the day before saves you the detour.
Schmittenhöhe, Zell am See
- Berghotel Schmittenhöhe, 1,965 m, right on the summit. Address: Berghotel Schmittenhöhe, 5700 Zell am See. Phone +43 664 1326600. Reached by the Schmittenhöhebahn cable car, not by car.
- Pinzgauer Hütte, 1,704 m, on the western side of the Schmitten. Phone +43 664 4624480, info@pinzgauer-huette.at. About 45 minutes on foot from the top station of the Schmittenhöhebahn, or roughly 2.5 hours up from Piesendorf.
- Schmiedhof Alm, around 1,720 m, in the Sonnalm area. Address: Schmitten 117, 5700 Zell am See. Phone +43 664 1826290.
- Glockneralm, high on the Schmitten next to the Drachenpark, with a view of the Großglockner. Address: Schmitten 34, 5700 Zell am See. Phone +43 664 2083890. In summer roughly from mid-June to the end of September.
- Blaickner’s Sonnalm, around 1,400 m, directly at the top station of the Sonnalmbahn. Phone +43 6542 73262.
- Berghotel Jaga-Alm, around 1,200 m, below the Sonnalm. Address: Sonnalmweg 57, 5700 Zell am See. Phone +43 6542 72969. One of the few huts you can also reach by car.
- Breiteckalm, Schmittenhöhe, 5700 Zell am See. Phone +43 6542 73419. Open in winter only, no stop here in summer.
Kitzsteinhorn and Maiskogel, Kaprun
- Krefelder Hütte, around 2,300 m, at the foot of the Kitzsteinhorn. Address: Langwiedweg 30, 5710 Kaprun. Phone +43 664 5444726, info@krefelderhuette.at. Approach with the glacier lift to Langwied or the Alpincenter. The highest hut on this list, and one of the few with beds.
- Salzburger Hütte, 1,879 m, on the Kitzsteinhorn above Kaprun. Phone +43 6549 7349. Serviced in summer from mid-June, closed on Tuesdays.
- Maiskogel Alm, near the top station of the Maiskogelbahn, 5710 Kaprun. Phone +43 676 5275740. Reached with the MK Maiskogelbahn straight from the village centre, which makes it the easiest alm stop for families.
- Alpenhaus Kesselfall, at the head of the Kaprun valley. Address: Kesselfallstraße 98, 5710 Kaprun. Phone +43 664 9252828. Starting point for the high mountain reservoirs, reachable by car as far as the Kesselfall car park.
All details without guarantee: prices, rest days and season dates are set anew each year by the people running the huts. If you use several mountain lifts for the approach, the Sommerkarte is usually the cheaper way up.
Putting it in context
Alpine huts are not a substitute for a restaurant, they are a format of their own: simpler, more regional, more dependent on the weather. That is exactly what defines them. If you are looking for classic restaurant cooking down in the valley, you will find that placed in context under the best food in Zell am See. After a day on the skis the evening runs to a different register again, closer to the valley bars than to the alm.
Frequently Asked Questions
When are the alpine huts open?
In summer the serviced alms usually run from late June to mid or late September, depending on snow and on the cattle drive back to the valley. In winter the huts along the ski runs are open. In the between-seasons in spring and late autumn almost everything is closed.
Can you pay by card on an alm?
Not everywhere. Many serviced alpine huts take cash only, because connectivity and power at altitude cannot be taken for granted. Always bring cash for a hike with a stop planned in.
What does a meal on a hut cost?
Alpine huts sit at roughly the same level as a good inn down in the valley, sometimes a little above it, because everything has to be carried up. A main course with a drink stays within the usual range for Austrian restaurants.
Do you need to book a table on an alm?
For small groups, normally not. From about six people, on public holidays and in fine weather in high summer, a call ahead makes sense. Some huts take no reservations at all.
