Mountain huts in Grossarltal
Mountain hut hikes, opening times and accessibility in the Valley of Mountain Huts
Grossarltal is known far beyond the borders of the Salzburg region as the Valley of Mountain Huts. Around 40 serviced mountain huts invite visitors to hike, stop for refreshments and enjoy the surroundings. Whether you are planning a short mountain hut hike, a longer tour, a family outing or an ascent by mountain bike, this page provides an initial overview and takes you directly to suitable hikes and detailed mountain hut pages.
At the mountain huts, you can look forward to magnificent views of the Hohe Tauern mountain range and a traditional mountain hut snack platter with homemade products such as bread, butter, cheese and bacon. Before setting off, please also check which mountain huts are currently open.
Valley of Mountain Huts
Grossarltal in Salzburg’s Pongau region is known as the Valley of Mountain Huts for good reason. Around 40 serviced mountain huts are spread across the mountain landscape surrounding Grossarl and Hüttschlag. They are popular destinations for leisurely mountain hut hikes, longer mountain tours, family outings and mountain bike tours.
After the ascent, the mountain huts invite visitors to enjoy a well-earned break. At many huts, bread, butter, cheese, bacon and other components of the traditional mountain hut snack platter are homemade or sourced from the associated farm in the valley. This combines outdoor activity, traditional mountain farming and regional cuisine to create an authentic mountain hut experience in Grossarltal.
Mountain hut hiking in Grossarltal
Walking times to the mountain huts vary considerably depending on the starting point and elevation. Some mountain huts can be reached in around half an hour, while hikes to higher-altitude huts usually take between one and a half and two hours.
Many mountain huts can be reached either via natural hiking trails through forests and mountain meadows or along gravel forest roads and access tracks. The route intended for each hut is described in the relevant tour information.
Not every mountain hut can be reached via a continuous forest road. For example, there is no forest road leading all the way up to the Draugsteinalmen, Hühnerkaralm or Modereggalm. At huts like these, material cableways play an important role in transporting food, tools and other necessary supplies.
You can find the mountain huts that are currently open in the regularly updated mountain hut list.
Some mountain huts can be reached by car, hiking taxi or cable car. Others are accessible via easy hikes, for example Mooslehenalm, Niggeltalalm, Viehhausalm, Hubalm or Heugathalm. Check in advance which option and walking time best suit your needs.
Mountain huts reached via varied hiking trails and huts with playgrounds are particularly suitable for families. As walking times and routes vary, it is advisable to choose the right mountain hut in advance.
Suitable mountain huts with playgrounds include:
- Niggeltalalm
- Mooslehenalm
- Viehhausalm
- Aualm
- WOLKE 7
- Gipflstadl
- Schialm Kreuzkogel
- Laireiteralm
- Harbachhütte
- Gehwolfalm
- Aigenalm-Paulhütte
- Aigenalm-Mandlhütte
- Reitalm
- Hubalm
- Hirschgrubenalm
- Kreealm-Kreehütte
- Kreealm-Bichlhütte
- Bichlalm
- Filzmoosalm
- Berggasthof Loosbühelalm
- Ellmaualm
- Gerstreitalm
- Heugathalm
- Breitenebenalm
- Karseggalm
- Unterwandalm
- Maurachalm
Traditional mountain huts mainly serve homemade products. Typical dishes include snack platters, cheese platters and bread with bacon, as well as soup, Kaiserschmarrn, Muas or cake, depending on the hut. The food is usually simple and regional.
These mountain huts include:
- Niggeltalalm
- Mooslehenalm
- Viehhausalm
- Aualm
- Aigenalm-Paulhütte
- Aigenalm-Mandlhütte
- Bachalm
- Harbachalm
- Reitalm
- Vorderkaseralm
- Hubalm
- Hühnerkaralm
- Hirschgrubenalm
- Modereggalm
- Kreealm-Kreehütte
- Kreealm-Bichlhütte
- Glettenalm
- Draugsteinalm-Steinmannhütte
- Draugsteinalm-Schrambachhütte
- Bichlalm
- Filzmoosalm
- Weißalm
- Ellmaualm
- Saukaralm
- Gerstreitalm
- Heugathalm
- Großwildalm
- Karseggalm
- Unterwandalm
- Maurachalm
The mountain inns Loosbühelalm and Breitenebenalm also offer a wider selection of hot dishes.
The ski huts WOLKE 7, Gipflstadl, Schialm Kreuzkogel, Laireiteralm, Harbachhütte, Gehwolfalm and Alpentaverne, which are also open in summer, serve homemade products as well as a broader range of hot meals.
Mountain huts that can be reached by mountain bike include Mooslehenalm, Viehhausalm, Niggeltalalm, Aualm, Bachalm and Maurachalm.
More information and all mountain huts accessible by mountain bike and e-bike
How to reach the mountain huts in Grossarltal
The serviced mountain huts can be reached not only on foot or by mountain bike. Depending on the hut, part of the journey can also be made by car, hiking taxi or cable car.
Reaching mountain huts by car
In summer, the following three mountain huts can be reached by private car:
The access roads are gravel forest roads and are mostly single-track. Please adjust your speed accordingly and be prepared for oncoming traffic or grazing animals crossing the road at any time. The car parks are located just a few metres from the mountain huts.
Please note: A small fee must be paid at the barrier for access to Aualm and Loosbühelalm. Check the currently stated amount before driving up.
Taking the hiking taxi to a mountain hut
The hiking taxi takes hikers to numerous starting points and to many mountain huts in Grossarltal. The journey should be booked in advance directly with one of the taxi providers.
In addition to individually arranged journeys, scheduled taxi trips to mountain huts are also available. The current dates can be found in the events calendar.
Taking the cable car up the mountain
The cable cars allow you to cover a considerable amount of elevation in a short time. Various hiking trails lead from the top stations to serviced mountain huts and other excursion destinations.
Laireiteralm is located directly next to the top station of the Panoramabahn. From there, short hikes lead to Gehwolfalm and Harbachhütte. Other signposted destinations include Schialm Kreuzkogel, Aualm, WOLKE 7 and Gipflstadl.
Taking a pushchair to a mountain hut
Several mountain huts can be reached with a pushchair via a forest road. Use an all-terrain pushchair with sufficiently large wheels. Please also bear in mind that pushing a pushchair uphill requires a good level of fitness, even on a technically easy forest road.
In addition to the cycle path through the Valley of Mountain Huts, numerous signposted mountain bike routes lead along forest roads to serviced mountain huts. Depending on the destination, different distances and elevation gains need to be covered by mountain bike or e-bike.
After the ascent, you can stop for refreshments at the mountain hut before returning to the valley. Some tours can also be combined with a hike to a summit or mountain lake after the bike ascent. Learn more about the Bike & Hike offers in Grossarltal.
Perhaps you've noticed the symbol for the Salzburger Almenweg whilst hiking through the Valley of Mountain Huts? The image of the gentian flower accompanies you along the entire route. You'll find it on benches, trail signs, and at the mountain huts, which are an important element of the Salzburger Almenweg.
The Salzburger Almenweg is a long-distance hiking trail that stretches some 350 km across the entire Salzburger Pongau region. The trail is divided into 25 stages, with four of these passing through Grossarltal itself.
Hikers are warmly welcomed at the mountain huts in Grossarltal, where the hill farmers treat them to their homemade specialties. Since the legs of the Salzburg Almenweg are mostly day-long stages, hikers often require overnight accommodations. Many mountain huts in Grossarltal offer this, providing a great opportunity to immerse yourself in the authentic Alpine lifestyle of Austria.
Staying overnight at a mountain hut in Grossarltal
At many mountain huts and lodges in Grossarltal, you can stay overnight in rooms or dormitories. This gives you the opportunity to experience daily life at the mountain hut up close and continue your hike directly in the mountains the following morning.
Facilities vary from one mountain hut to another and are often deliberately kept simple. Running water, showers, toilets, Wi-Fi or mobile phone reception are not available everywhere. It is therefore advisable to check in advance what facilities are provided at the respective mountain hut and which equipment you need to bring yourself.
As only a limited number of beds are available, you should book your stay at the mountain hut well in advance by phone or email.
Mountain farming and tradition in Grossarltal
Visitors who come to the Valley of Mountain Huts highly value the warm hospitality and friendly services offered at the huts. But hill farming isn't just about catering to hikers and bikers; it involves a lot more, much of which takes place early in the morning.
These tasks are part of daily life at a mountain hut:
- milking cows
- feeding animals
- make various products out of milk
- clean everything
- prepare for the hikers
- and much more
For many hikers and bikers, enjoying a traditional mountain snack is a “must” when stopping at a hut in Grossarltal. These hearty snacks, known as a “Brettljause”, mainly consist of homemade products. Many of those products are actually made right there on the mountain, while the remaining delicacies come directly from a farm in the valley.
In addition to the hill farmers themselves, many animals also enjoy their summer on the mountain pastures. Cows, sheep, horses, goats, chickens, pigs, rabbits, and cats all look forward to Alpine Summer. The nutrient-rich herbs in the alpine regions make the various animal products—such as butter, cheese, and milk—something truly special.
But these animals serve an important purpose beyond just providing us with delicious products. They also help maintain the diverse cultural landscape of the mountains and contribute to land conservation. By grazing the grassy areas, the animals keep the pastures here healthy and resilient.
The two most crucial factors in landscape management are mowing and grazing the alpine meadows. Grazing is important not just for the animals but also for the landscape, since otherwise, the land would quickly become overgrown. Without proper land management, not only would the alpine region become wild and untamed, but the risk of avalanches in winter would also increase. If the alpine meadows are not mowed and grazed, monotonous grasslands soon take over, leading to a decline in the variety of animal and plant species.
In Grossarltal, the Almabtrieb from the mountain huts is also known as “Hoamfoan”. If the animals and farmers have made it safely through the summer season, the cows are decorated with flowers and bells for their journey back to the valley.
As the mountain huts close at different times, there is no single large Almabtrieb for the whole of Grossarltal. The individual Almabtrieb are organised by the respective mountain farmers, which means that the exact dates are often only confirmed at short notice.
You can find the latest dates in the events calendar.
