We have made a culinary winter hike in Austria, more specifically in Bregenzerwald in Vorarlberg. This was a full day with a fantastically beautiful hike in the Alps and good Austrian food.
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Culinary winter walk in Austria - discover Bregenzerwald in Vorarlberg
An enjoyable experience they offer in the Bregenzerwald region, in the Austrian federal state of Vorarlberg, is 'culinary winter hiking'. There are a bunch of different hiking trails to choose from, and along the route you can enjoy breakfast, lunch and afternoon coffee. The trail we followed is in Damüls, which you can see on the map below.
Culinary winter walk in Austria
We did the hike called "Culinary Winter Hike - Damüls", in co-operation with Visit Vorarlberg, and got vouchers for the three restaurants along the way. We also got a small brochure with a map, describing the hiking trail and the different stops.
Time for a culinary winter walk in Austria
We started from Hotel Rössle in the village of Au, where we chose to skip breakfast this morning. Instead, we went straight to the local bus, which took us to Damüls.
With hindsight, we know that there are several bus stops in Damüls, and it would have been smart to ask the bus driver for advice to get off at exactly the right place. Our little mistake was easily corrected, however, by hopping on the next bus and travelling two more stations to get to the breakfast restaurant and the start of the hike.
Breakfast at Hotel Alpenstern
The first restaurant on the culinary winter walk was the Hotel Alpenstern, where breakfast was served. This hotel feels wonderfully fresh and luxurious and has an incredible view of the surrounding mountains (see top photo in the article).
The breakfast was also very good. We picked from the buffet and enjoyed, among other things, unusually good scrambled eggs, cold smoked salmon, good cheeses and yoghurt with crispy granola. If we had wanted to, we could also have ordered, for example, an omelette or French toast from the menu.
Walking from breakfast to lunch
After breakfast we were ready to start our winter hike, which would slowly take us towards lunch. We went out at the back of Hotel Alpenstern and ended up directly on the hiking trail "Winterwanderweg". This is a ploughed hiking trail up in the Alps, which allows you to walk with normal winter shoes, without sinking through the snow.
The landscape is incredibly beautiful. All around you are surrounded by white snow and high pointed alpine peaks.
Occasionally you will pass a ski lift or a downhill ski slope.
After a short hike, we arrived at a beautiful spot that seemed like a natural place to take a break. There's a small chapel and cross, a swing, a seating area in the shape of a section of a ski lift and, above all, an absolutely stunning view. We sat down for a break and ended up next to a Swedish man. It was both a nice conversation and a really enjoyable moment in the sun.
We then continued the walk in the direction of the lunch restaurant, and the landscape continued to offer fantastic views.
Lunch at Alpgasthof Jägerstüble
We had lunch at a restaurant called "Alpgasthof Jägerstüble". This place also offered beautiful views, and the atmosphere inside was great. It was a bit difficult to find a free seat, but a German family crowded together so that we could fit in. Then we had a nice chat with them during lunch!
With our vouchers we could choose between wienerschnitzel and käsknöpfle (spätzle with cheese). We ordered each dish and shared. It was both good and hearty, we can promise!
Walking from lunch to coffee
After lunch you turn around and walk back towards Damüls, but you now take a different route, a little further down the mountain. It was still white and beautiful, and we passed high mountains, small huts with cute shutters and skiers cheering happily.
We felt that a walk after lunch was a good idea, and hoped that we would have enough time to shake down the schnitzel and knöpflen before it was time for fika ...
Coffee at Damülser Hof
The last stop on this culinary winter walk in Austria is a coffee at the Damülser Hof in Damüls. Here you could choose between apfelstrudel and topfenstrudel, and we chose one of each so we could share and try both. In retrospect, we thought the apfelstrudel was perhaps the better choice, but the topfenstrudel, which is filled with cream cheese, was also very good.
A delightful culinary winter walk in Austria
All in all, we can say that this culinary winter hike in Austria was a really wonderful experience. According to the brochure, we walked 10.6 kilometres, but even though some sections were slightly uphill, it felt shorter. Maybe because it was so incredibly beautiful and because there was plenty of time for rest - both outdoors in the sun and indoors at a restaurant. At the end of the day, however, we were both very tired, in a good way!
Where can you live?
We started from Hotel Rössle in the village of Au, and we can highly recommend this hotel. This is a very cosy and homely hotel, with great staff and very good food.
More to see and do in the neighbourhood
Once you have completed a culinary winter hike in Austria, or more specifically in the Bregenzerwald in Vorarlberg, there are of course many other things to see and do nearby. Here you can engage in various winter sports such as downhill skiing, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing or perhaps tobogganing (sledging).
The Bregenzerwald also offers interesting architecture and in the Bregenz - which is the capital of Vorarlberg - you can visit Lake Constance. Read all our tips on Vorarlberg here. Below you will find all our tips for Austria.
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Have you done a culinary winter walk?
Have you tried a similar concept, like this culinary winter walk in Austria? Tell us about it!
Facts about culinary winter walking in Austria - Bregenzerwald in Vorarlberg
- Location: Bregenzerwald in Vorarlberg
- Country: Austria
- Timing: Available several days a week during the winter season (approximately mid-December to mid-April). Booking in advance is necessary.
- Various hikes: There are currently four winter hikes in the Bregenzerwald: Damüls, Mellau - Bezau-Bizau, Sibgratsfäll - Schönenbach and Sulzberg (2023).
- Price: 47 - 69 euros/person depending on the hiking route. (2023)
- Service included: Description of route including map, vouchers for 3 dishes and, if necessary, tickets for local bus.
- Booking: Online (see website below) or at the local tourist office.
- Read more: You can find more information about the walks at the region's website.
Culinary Winter Hike - Damüls
- Start time: At 9:00 a.m.
- Migration time: Approximately 3.5 hours
- Total time including breaks: Approximately 6.5 hours
- Starting point: Bus stop/car park Oberdamüls
- Termination point: Bus stop/car park Oberdamüls
- Increase: 328 metres of altitude
- Hiking route: 10.6 kilometres
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Ann-Louise says:
Oh, that apple strudel looks absolutely delicious!
25 January 2023 - 8:41
Helena says:
Soooo good! 🙂
25 January 2023 - 19:34
Lena+i+Wales+och+Spanien says:
Oh, how lovely it looks! Makes me long for Austria.
The apple strudel looked delicious.
Enjoy!
25 January 2023 - 9:27
Helena says:
Austria is lovely! And never wrong with apfelstrudel! 🙂
25 January 2023 - 19:35
JoY says:
No you can't show such wonderful pictures, wonderfully lovely. Gosh, I long for sun, snow and the mountains. Smart with a winter hike a good option considering that not everyone skis and you still get up on the mountain sides.
Nice to see Peter's new hairstyle. How does the scalp feel, is it tender?
Keep enjoying
25 January 2023 - 11:07
Helena says:
Isn't it fantastic in the Alps when there is snow and sun!!!? Thanks for asking! Peter feels nothing on his scalp. The hairdresser uses no chemicals at all, so the process is completely natural.
25 January 2023 - 19:36
Frida says:
God how lovely it looks! I have not yet visited Austria.
I'll check out your tips on Krakow too as I'm going there tomorrow 😉.
25 January 2023 - 12:58
Helena says:
But so wonderful that you go to Krakow, a fantastic city! Wishing you a nice trip!
25 January 2023 - 19:37
bmlarsreseblogg says:
What a wonderful idea to organise walks with good food! It's also good that they have provided a good surface to walk on. I can imagine the wonderful feeling when you have been out walking in the cold and at the same time enjoying the food and coffee tables. Understand that you slept well at night ...
25 January 2023 - 15:10
Helena says:
Isn't that a great idea? Really like this concept! 🙂
25 January 2023 - 19:37
BP says:
Lovely pictures in the fine weather. I have never done a culinary hike à la Vorarlberg. But I have skied in the area, but that was before culinary hikes were invented. A very good idea, I think. That strudel with cheese was something completely new to me. Lunch was "foolproof", at least the Schnitzel.
25 January 2023 - 17:10
Ditte says:
So cool! Fantastic experience! But I would have liked to do a similar hike but with skis on. Feels more natural when there is so much snow.
Never done a similar hike but fun to try and preferably with skis on.
Keep up the good work
25 January 2023 - 18:25
Helena says:
It would be nice to do a tour like this with cross-country skis too! Great idea! 🙂
25 January 2023 - 19:38
Lena - gott för själen says:
It really looks absolutely fantastic! So beautiful!
Hug Lena
26 January 2023 - 21:03