As wonderful as it is to conquer the perfect pistes and fresh powder slopes in Zauchensee - sooner or later your stomach will start to rumble. Because skiing and the fresh mountain air make you hungry. Before you get tired, it is advisable to take a break and replenish your energy stores. And to be honest, a day of skiing without a refreshment stop would only be half as good, wouldn't it?
The ski huts and mountain inns in Zauchensee and Flachauwinkl score points not only with their variety, cosy flair and large sun terraces. What characterises our restaurants: They cook and bake fresh every day, mainly using products and specialities from local farms. Our chefs source eggs, meat, cheese, bread, pastries and vegetables from farms in the region.
Another speciality is the varied range of traditional hut classics such as the fluffy Kaiserschmarrn or the genuine Pongau Kasnocken (cheese gnocchi) and current gourmet trends such as pulled pork burgers or vegan Buddha bowls.
To give you an overview of the ski huts in Zauchensee, I'll take you on a short culinary ‘hut tour’ and reveal a few of the places to savour in the ski paradise.
The Gamskogelhütte is the ideal place for your whole family to enjoy, warm up and sunbathe. The menu offers everything your heart desires: warming soups with savoury toppings, a hearty Salzburger Gröstl with leaf salad or the pulled pork burger for those with a big appetite and freshly baked apple strudel with whipped cream or homemade Buchteln (sweet yeast dumplings) with apricot jam on vanilla sauce for those with a sweet tooth.
Tip: Every Sunday this ski winter, you can enjoy skiing and culinary delights in a whole new way at the “Winter Edition Mountain Breakfast”! From 8 am you'll be one of the first to make your turns on the freshly groomed pistes in Zauchensee and Flachauwinkl. From 9 am your exclusive mountain breakfast awaits you at the Gamskogelhütte - with everything breakfast fans love and a wonderful panoramic view of the snow-covered peaks around Zauchensee. Sounds good? Then reserve your place at the mountain breakfast at the Gamskogelhütte!
The ArenaAlm is a cosy restaurant with service in the World Cup Arena Zauchensee. The menu ranges from a quick breakfast from 8 am to freshly cooked home-style cooking and international lunch dishes to home-baked pastries and small snacks for in-between meals. During the day, the large terrace invites you to soak up the sun, while in the afternoon the Leuchtturm Bar is your hotspot for après ski!
The Bodenalm with its large sun terrace and wonderful mountain panorama is located at the mountain station of the Highliner I. The food here is regional and served with love. However, Erwin's strudels are legendary: whether apple strudel or curd cheese strudel - tender, skilfully stretched dough, a juicy filling and the perfect sweetness make Erwin's classic strudel a worthwhile treat.
Make sure you take time for a stop at the Bodenalm and enjoy the pastry specialities with a coffee or hot chocolate!
You will find the Highport restaurant and Seilbar directly at the Highport valley station in Flachauwinkl. As of this year, the new head chef Andreas Lettner has been working his magic here, adding variety to the menu with homemade pasta, crispy pizza, homemade beef goulash soup and many other dishes and delicacies. If you want to round off your day of skiing in style, you can enjoy cool drinks in the umbrella bar on the upper deck or in the cosy Seilbar.
Tip: There is a new Instagram page where you can find all the highlights, news and daily specials from Restaurant Highport & Seilbar, Bodenalm, ArenaAlm and Gamskogelalm. If you like, follow @zauchensee.bergkulinarik for culinary news from Zauchensee and Flachauwinkl.
A certified Via Culinaria gourmet restaurant, the Burgstallhütte, awaits you on the valley descent to Flachauwinkl. Extraordinary dishes are cooked at the rustic hut using the best regional ingredients. The hosts Regina and Franz pay attention to a skilful mix of hearty delicacies such as spare ribs (available every Monday, Wednesday and Friday), meat-free dishes such as the Buddha Bowl and light treats for the rest of the day's skiing.
Tip: The O-Power soup pot, created by four-toque chef Rudi Obauer, is a warming beef soup with local beef, fresh root vegetables, noodles and lentils that will give you strength for the next downhill run without being heavy on the stomach.
Bright sunshine, chill-out lounges, laid-back music and freshly cooked delicacies: at the Rosskopfhütte on the blue descent below the mountain station of the Rosskopfbahn cable car, hut hosts Lilli and Georg take care of your physical well-being. Fresh ingredients from the region are used daily in the kitchen: Beef from the local farmer, game from their own hunting reserve, milk from the province of Salzburg or potatoes from the Waldviertel region.
Do you love good wine? Perfect! Because Lilli and Georg have a wide variety of top Austrian wines in their wine cellar and choose a special grape juice as wine of the week every week.
In addition to the ski huts and mountain restaurants mentioned here, the Zauchensee ski paradise offers many other inns and gourmet addresses - each establishment has its own specialities. The best thing to do is simply savour them for yourself!
Info
In addition to the ski huts and mountain restaurants mentioned here, the Zauchensee ski paradise offers many other inns and gourmet addresses - each establishment has its own specialities. The best thing to do is simply savour them for yourself!
photo credits: Bergbahnen Zauchensee