Salzburger Almenweg - Stage 12: Tappenkarseehütte - Loosbühelalm

The Grossarltal is also called the "Valley of the Alpine Pastures": From the Tappenkarseehütte, today's trail leads through extensive alpine pastures to the Loosbühelalm, a certified alpine summer hut. Anyone who thinks "When I know one alpine pasture, I know them all”, will be taught otherwise. Each hut is shaped by the families who have managed them for generations. An alpine farm with its hundreds of daily actions and painstaking work is an idyll that requires a lot of love and dedication. To the great delight of hikers, local alpine people cherish the heritage of their elders and keep these huts open. A stop off is always and everywhere worthwhile. Traditional alpine dishes are served, above all the famous Großarler cheese specialities, but also heavenly pastries. Usually the butter is still stirred by hand here and pressed in old moulds. At the end of the day, you will spend the night at the Loosbühelalm, 1,769 meters above sea level, from where you can enjoy – together with cows and goats – a magnificent sunset.

 

Along the trail

At all huts along the Salzburger Almenweg in Hüttschlag and Großarl, hikers can discover the "Grossarl Valley alpine pasture secrets". These are recipes of the hut's own alpine delicacies such as Muas, Kasnockn with kneaded cheese, farmer's patties with potatoes, farmer's doughnuts, blackberry nocks and liqueur. The recipe cards can be collected in a handy wooden case, which is available in the Grossarl Valley Tourism Board for a small fee.

 

Alpine Trail History

From the Filzmoossattel, the Salzburger Almenweg leads over wide alpine meadows interspersed with pine trees down to the Filzmoosalm. The Swiss stone pines, which often grow here on barren rock soil, are several hundred years old and defy wind and weather, snow and cold. The "Queen of the Alps", as this tree is also called, is perfectly adapted to the hard life in the high mountains. Its essential oils have a positive effect on the human organism, slow down the heartbeat and thus promise intensive recovery. If you only sleep one night in a stone pine bed, you save your body one hour’s worth of heartbeats. The smell of Swiss stone pine also drives away moths and is one reason why wardrobes were often made of Swiss stone pine in the past.

 

Alpine Trail Refreshment

For lovers of goat's milk and goat's cheese, the Loosbühelalm ("Klausalm") is a special insider’s tip. Here, at the alpine summer hut, which was newly built in 2010, there are hot dishes in addition to a conventional snack with homemade goat’s and cow's milk delicacies. Around 70 cattle and 20 goats spend their summer on the alpine pasture.