For years I’ve always skied past the Burgstallhütte on the valley descent towards Flachauwinkl. Until someone recommended I stop there for refreshment. And as it happens this ski hut – a 400 year old miners‘ refuge – is a real find. From many points of view. It has a long and varied history: the oldest room – today’s “Stüberl” – was even documented 380 years ago as servants’ quarters. High up on the mountain iron ore was mined – the hut was used as a refuge at an altitude of 1,400 m by the miners from the 17^th century. After the mining of iron ore ended, the solid wood hut was used as an alpine farm hut until it was opened in the winter season 1987/88 by a then eighteen-year old girl.

The hut owner Regina Seiwald has remained true to her philosophy over the past 30 years: good home cooking, local ingredients, high quality and genuine hospitality. “People find us a sort of home from home“, according to Regina Seiwald, who because of her passion for collecting hearts – is also known as the “Queen of Hearts”. “After a good meal our guests feel better than before.“ And indeed this resolution rings true – thus for example the “O-Power” soup pot”, created by the star chefs Rudi and Karl Obauer, warms the stomach and nurtures the soul at the same time. Hut owner Franz Seiwald ensures laughter between courses with his charm and jokes. It soon becomes clear – those arriving at the hut as strangers, leave as friends. For the hut owners are certain – “this hut has a good soul“. And no-one was surprised when a few years ago a shaman ascertained, that an unusual number of love and harmony points meet up in the hut.

Tip! The Burgstallhütte is open every year from the beginning of December until Easter: every Monday, Wednesday and Friday spare ribs are on the menu at lunchtime! Plus the menu is supplemented with a variety of specialities on a daily basis. Especially those with a sweet tooth will be in seventh heaven – in addition to Kaiserschmarrn (chopped pancake dish), yeast dumplings, ice cream pancakes, poppy-seed cake, coconut-vanilla-semonlina blancmange with berry purée or a warm chocolate-nut heart with nougat-banana cream are served. The Burgstallhütte is a Via Culinaria address and one of 20 ski huts on the “Pleasure Trail for (Ski) hut Sitters“.

The text comes from the book “Best Views in SalzburgerLand – 66 favourite places and 11 alpine huts“ by Franziska Lipp (Gmeiner Publishers, 2014).

By kind permission from the author.

Photo credits: Jakob Lipp