Kleinwalsertal. They once called it, the “most beautiful dead-end street in the world“. And indeed, it offers something of the “most beautiful end of the world”, this mountain valley at the very north-western edge of Austria that may only be reached from Germany, politically belongs to Austria and has been settled by the Swiss.
Say that again?!
“Whether it is local foodie tips, hiking experiences or cosy mountain chalets: Here in Kleinwalsertal, you will always find what you are looking for”, Elmar & Caro, our wonderful hosts tell us.
“Oh my God! What have you been thinking?!”, I gasp in amazement, shooting Susi a happy look. Susi looks at me, visibly pleased. Because right here, at the start of our journey through Kleinwalsertal, we find ourselves …
… in one of the largest and most beautiful holiday apartments I have ever seen. 260 square metres. Brand new & furnished with a lot of attention to detail. With incredible views of the surrounding mountains. A home base of a kind, like in a fairy tale …!
Welcome to Kleinwalsertal! The holiday home “Berghaus Anna Lisa” is our first choice …
… when deciding where to stay: 4 bedrooms, each with an individual bathroom, a large and cosy common area with a huge sun deck: What else could you possibly want?!
“Walser Chääs-Chnöpfle” perhaps, unpronounceably good cheese spaetzle from Kleinwalsertal!
We really love our new home! Check out all further information about booking and availability here.
Right after arriving, I recommend you to go out and meet some of the so-called “Genusswirte” (top chefs), whose philosophy is to cook exclusively with local and seasonal ingredients from Kleinwalsertal. The name “Genussregion Kleinwalsertaler Wild & Rind” (game & beef) refers to local produce from the surrounding mountain farmers, thereby sustaining local agriculture and mountain farming through tourism and gastronomy. And it’s tasty, too – no matter if you head to Genusswirt Jürgen Denk (Top Genusswirt of the year 2015!) at the Wirtshaus Hoheneck or to Peter & Sandra of the Gasthaus Waldstube in Riezlern. Check this out.
Arriving at the Wirtshaus Hoheneck run by the Denk family, having recently been awarded “Top Chef” of the year 2015 …
… we find a large selection of real local foodie delights.
I love the details those cute little chalet-type restaurants are decorated with …
… serving you wonderful meals: This pumpkin soup, including pumpkin seed oil as garnish, has been truly delicious!
More about the people behind the food is the story of another article here on my travel blog: Check out “Real life. Real characters. People from Kleinwalsertal“!
Kleinwalsertal really is full of special meetings and experiences. Take a local “barefoot hiking tour” with Florian Geis for instance, teaching you all about nature awareness and actual mindfulness.
“Florian is a wonderful host”, Elmar tells us in front of the Walserhaus, the destination’s local visitor information office. His “barefoot hiking tours” are really popular with our guests.”
I smile, really eager to join his tour. After all, I am a true country kid. Having grown up surrounded by gardens and fields, I remember enjoying nothing more than running around barefoot. My eyes lit up when it’s time to “take off your shoes!”, extending summertime once more even here in the high mountains. What I did not think about, though, was the “assault” of the 10°C mountain stream upon my feet that Florian encourages us to try. Beautiful as it is, but after a few seconds …
… I have to say that the water is COLD over beautiful! Good morning from Kleinwalsertal …
… now, at the very latest, at least my feet are fully awake!
And soon enough, pictures like these (shoes & backpack by the wayside) seem to be entirely normal …
… as we try for feeling the land in every direction …
… during our mindful hike …
… across the land in Kleinwalsertal!
Such an interesting way, to start “seeing with you feet”! I really recommend you to try …
… and relax, here in the beautiful alpine scenery of Kleinwalsertal valley!
Thank you so much, dear Florian, for “waking us up” to the beauty beneath our feet!
Combining a hike with an actual food tasting is nothing short of tasty surprises: Local guide Herbert is there to tell you everything you need to know – and more …
… “a weng’l a Spass muss sei, oder?” he laughs, talking to us in his charming Kleinwalsertal dialect. Always up for a joke, his dog Lorca as well as our hiking group take it easy and smile. By chance, we discover that Herbert is a true fan of my home town, the famous wine region in Lower Austria: Cheers to a newfound friendship with his typical mountain mustard as well as the spicy little sausages garnished with mountain herbs. Yum! During the foodie break on our hike, Herbert fills us in on the bigger picture linking agriculture, gastronomy & tourism in Kleinwalsertal, the latter having only recently arrived here: “If you look back on the settlement history of Kleinwalsertal valley, we find that people have always worked hard in order to live off the land. Through this process, they have created unique cultural landscapes and farming districts, the result of many centuries of tradition. Today, our challenge is to manage the transition into the 21st century, encouraging young people to stay and continue doing what we know best: To produce top local, tasty food based on the nature that surrounds us.”
What a beautiful, sunny greeting as we set out on our hike with Herbert …
… meeting all locals of Kleinwalsertal …
… and always on the lookout for cute little details …
… or a tasty foodlover’s stop, featuring local mountain produce such as cheese, ham, chutneys and bread …
… as well as the possibility for “hands-on experiences”: Herbert is always happy to help!
And I must say, I have some experience to show for myself after trying scything last year at the First Austrian Scything School in the mountain district of Lower Austria …
… thank you, Herbert, for a truly tasty hike through Kleinwalsertal together!
Last but not least, go out and meet Lydia. She is one of a kind – a true (herbal) force of nature! Nothing about herbs that she doesn’t know about …
… today still, I just want to call Lydia and squeeze her through the telephone. Tell her THANK YOU, straight from the heart. Thank you for all the wonderful herb experiences, looking for alpine herbs at an altitude of 1.400 metres above sea-level where all plants have to fight storms, cold and all kinds of natural disasters. “And still, you will be stunned at the variety of plants and herbs that grow here”, Lydia tells us, visibly proud. Together with her, we have set out for a walk collecting herbs for our herbal scrub, making an ointment for the skin and distilling some herbal wine.
And did you know that a fresh nettle smoothie actually tastes really, really well?!
The world of herbs: Exploring Kleinwalsertal from Lydia Fritz’ point of view …
… teaching us a lot about the plants that grow beneath our feet, such as this lady’s mantle right here …
… or the nettle leaves, full of vitamin C and minerals good for the heart as well as the body!
Love our “herbal afternoon” where we learn lots about the healing powers of herbs …
… distilling our own herbal wine, carefully checking for the temperature gauge …
… and learning how to pick the right herbs for each little something that we make, such as herbal body scrub!
Creative travel of a kind, making our own herbal souvenirs from Kleinwalsertal …
… THANK YOU, dear Lydia & friends, for this wonderful herbal time together !!
Check out even more pictures & travel stories about our hiking trip to Kleinwalsertal here as well as on the travel blogs of my friends & colleagues from Austria & Germany:
- FeeIstMeinName.de: “KleinFeeKleinwalsertal: Das Video zur Reise“
- TravelWorldOnline.de/Traveller: “Reiseblogger-WG im Berghaus Anna Lisa im Kleinwalsertal” & “Gut essen im Kleinwalsertal: Zwei Wirtshäuser“
- CitySeaCountry.com: “Unterwegs im Kleinwalsertal: Von grünen Daumen und (buchstäblich) grünen Füßen” & “Kleinwalsertal: Unusual hiking ideas“
Last but not least, let my share my insights through this little travel video, evoking the sights & sounds of Kleinwalsertal for you ..!
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Disclaimer: We have been invited by Kleinwalsertal Tourism Board to travel to Kleinwalsertal mountain food district. All opinions are my own.