Summit views and Kaspressknödel

Sometimes reaching the summit is beside the point, and the stop at the mountain hut turns out to be the real highlight. These Pitztal hikes show where a trail ends best: with Kaspressknödel dumplings and mountain views.

Step by step, the trail winds up the mountainside in gentle switchbacks. The sun warms your back, and fine beads of sweat gather on your forehead. Then, around the next bend, you finally see it: a rustic Alpine hut, nestled in green pastureland and framed by a magnificent mountain backdrop. From the kitchen, the scents of Tiroler Gröstl (a hearty potato, onion, and bacon fry-up), steaming Kaspressknödel (Tyrolean cheese dumplings), and tangy Pitztal Alpine cheese drift out to meet you. Sometimes the loveliest destination on a hike isn’t the summit at all, but a seat on the terrace of a cosy mountain hut.

The hike to the Mauchele Alm offers just such a delicious reward. From the starting point in Rehwald, the easy 5.4-kilometre trail climbs through wooded mountain scenery. When you reach the top, at 1,840 metres above sea level, you’ll find a rustic wooden hut full of Alpine charm serving regional specialities – the perfect spot for a well-earned break.

A slightly longer hike leads to the Söllbergalm. From the car park in Wiese, the roughly 13-kilometre route climbs around 800 vertical metres through picture-book mountain scenery. Once you arrive, the cosy sun terrace and hearty Tyrolean dishes make it easy to sit back, savour the moment, and stay a while.

At the Braunschweiger mountain hut, located at 2,755 metres above sea level, the thin mountain air mingles with the scent of freshly prepared food. The route takes around five hours from the Mittelberg Wendestelle bus stop, following the access road past the Gletscherstube before climbing the mountain path. The reward: sweeping views of the surrounding peaks and hearty classics such as crispy Wiener schnitzel and Tyrolean Kaspressknödel.

Yet the true peak of indulgence awaits on your return to the Alpine Resort Sportalm. Here, regional and seasonal ingredients meet creative flair in dishes that combine traditional Tyrolean cuisine with international influences – the perfect finale to an Alpine hike with a hut stop.