Living, feeling, breathing Kleinwalsertal: Home is where the hiking adventures are.

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 …!

Willkommen im Kleinwalsertal! Das Berghaus Anna Lisa ist unsere erste Wahl ...

Welcome to Kleinwalsertal! The holiday home “Berghaus Anna Lisa” is our first choice …

 

... bei der Entscheidung, eine Unterkunft mit richtig viel Klasse zu wählen. 4 Schlafzimmer, 4 Bäder, ein großer, offener Wohnbereich mitsamt Terrasse & Garten: Herz, was willst Du mehr?!

… 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?!

 

Hier kann man übrigens köstliche Walser "Chääs-Chnöpfle" kochen! Mahlzeit mit all den guten "Walser Originalen"!

“Walser Chääs-Chnöpfle” perhaps, unpronounceably good cheese spaetzle from Kleinwalsertal!

 

Wir lieben sie, unsere kuschelig-neue Ferienwohnung! Mehr Infos rund um Ausstattung & Buchungsmöglichkeiten findet Ihr hier.

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.

Ankunft im Wirtshaus Hoheneck der Familie Denk, jüngst zum "Genusswirt des Jahres" geadelt ...

Arriving at the Wirtshaus Hoheneck run by the Denk family, having recently been awarded “Top Chef” of the year 2015 …

 

... finden wir hier geschmacklich all das vor, was das Feinschmecker-Herz begehrt.

… we find a large selection of real local foodie delights.

 

Auch der Besuch im Waldhaus bietet Liebe zum Detail ...

I love the details those cute little chalet-type restaurants are decorated with …

 

... und regionale Köstlichkeiten vom Feinsten: Die Kürbissuppe samt Kürbiskernöl ist hier besonders fein & gut gelungen!

… serving you wonderful meals: This pumpkin soup, including pumpkin seed oil as garnish, has been truly delicious!

 

Zur selben Zeit bieten die genussvoll-kulinarischen Eroberungen auch die Möglichkeit, "Walser Originale" - Gastgeber mit Herz & Hirn! - kennen zu lernen. Über sie berichte ich Euch in einem eigenen Artikel.

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 …

... dass selbiger auch eiskalt sein kann! Guten Morgen vom Gebirgsbach im Kleinwalsertal ...

… I have to say that the water is COLD over beautiful! Good morning from Kleinwalsertal …

 

... spätestens jetzt sind meine Füße jedenfalls richtig munter!

… now, at the very latest, at least my feet are fully awake!

 

Und bald schon sind Bilder wie diese (abgestellter Rucksack samt achtlos am Wegrand erscheinenden Bergschuhen ...)

And soon enough, pictures like these (shoes & backpack by the wayside) seem to be entirely normal …

 

... und beleben mich & meine Freunde ...

… as we try for feeling the land in every direction …

 

... in weiterer Folge die Wanderung ...

… during our mindful hike …

 

... über Stock & Stein zu versuchen!

… across the land in Kleinwalsertal!

 

Wirklich spannend, das Kleinwalsertal auf diese Art und Weise zu erfühlen! Ich empfehle jedem, sich auf dieses Erlebnis einzulassen ...

Such an interesting way, to start “seeing with you feet”! I really recommend you to try …

 

... und auch bei der Erkundung der ringsum liegenden Bergwelt, einfach mal im wahrsten Sinne des Wortes Füße & Seele baumeln lassen!

… and relax, here in the beautiful alpine scenery of Kleinwalsertal valley!

 

Auch hierzu in meinem nächsten Artikel mehr: Florian der Barfusswanderer macht uns einmal mehr bewusst, wie schön sich Gras, Wasser, Holz & Steine anfühlen können.

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 agriculturegastronomy & 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.”

Was für ein Morgengruß zum Start unserer Wanderung "Streifzug durch die Genussregion" ...

What a beautiful, sunny greeting as we set out on our hike with Herbert …

 

... die den Fokus "Kleinwalsertaler Wild & Rind" trägt und Begegnungen mit sämtlichen Bewohnern der Region möglich macht.

… meeting all locals of Kleinwalsertal …

 

Reiseblogger auf den Spuren vieler Details ...

… and always on the lookout for cute little details …

 

... dem genussvollen Innehalten beim Wanderpicknick ...

… or a tasty foodlover’s stop, featuring local mountain produce such as cheese, ham, chutneys and bread …

 

... sowie der Möglichkeit, "selbst Hand anzulegen": Beim Sensenmähkurs hilft Herbert schon mal gerne aus!

… as well as the possibility for “hands-on experiences”: Herbert is always happy to help!

 

Nach meinen Erlebnissen in Österreichs 1. Sensenmähschule im Vorjahr stelle ich mich gar nicht mal so ungeschickt an ... Oder was meint Ihr?

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 …

 

... nur um ganz zuletzt alle Frauenherzen zu erobern: Vielen Dank für den amüsanten und wirklich schmackhaften "Streifzug durch die Genussregion" hier im Kleinwalsertal, lieber Herbert!

… 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?!

Die Welt der Kräuter: Unterwegs mit Lydia Fritz, der "Kräuterfrau" aus dem Kleinwalsertal ...

The world of herbs: Exploring Kleinwalsertal from Lydia Fritz’ point of view …

 

... lernen wir vieles über Heilkraft und Vorkommen der hiesigen Wald- & Wiesenkräuter, wie beispielsweise den Frauenmantel ...

… teaching us a lot about the plants that grow beneath our feet, such as this lady’s mantle right here …

 

... oder die Brennessel mit ihrem vielen Vitamin C und Mineralstoffen, die uns gemixt mit Buttermilch als Smoothie mundet!

… or the nettle leaves, full of vitamin C and minerals good for the heart as well as the body!

 

So ein Kräuterhexen-Nachmittag hat einfach was: Vom gemeinschaftlichen Erleben bis hin zu individuellen Aha-Erlebnissen ...

Love our “herbal afternoon” where we learn lots about the healing powers of herbs …

 

... reicht die Palette an Gefühlsregungen: Hier passen wir auf, dass die Temperatur für unseren Kräuterwein 60°C nicht übersteigt ...

… distilling our own herbal wine, carefully checking for the temperature gauge …

 

... und auch der richtige Griff zu jedem Kräutlein will gelernt sein: Meisterwurz für mein Kräutersalz-Peeling!

… and learning how to pick the right herbs for each little something that we make, such as herbal body scrub!

 

So macht Tüfteln Spaß: Kreativ-Reisen mit echt wunderbaren Kräuter-Souvenirs aus dem Kleinwalsertal ...

Creative travel of a kind, making our own herbal souvenirs from Kleinwalsertal …

 

... DANKE Dir, liebe Lydia, für diesen zauberhaften Kräuternachmittag gemeinsam !!

… 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:

 

Last but not least, let my share my insights through this little travel video, evoking the sights & sounds of Kleinwalsertal for you ..!

 

Disclaimer: We have been invited by Kleinwalsertal Tourism Board to travel to Kleinwalsertal mountain food district. All opinions are my own.

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