SKI AMADÉ ENJOYMENT SKI ROUTE - Hearty CULINARY delights in the mountain village of Filzmoos

From the farm to the fork in Filzmoos

"What was winter like last year, Sabrina?", many guests in the office, and also my friends ask me. "What did you do during lockdown?" Well, we’re really lucky to live in such a beautiful place as Filzmoos and to be able to enjoy nature. Even a few ski lifts were open for us locals last year. However, I can honestly admit, it was a very strange winter. Of course, we were happy to be able to go skiing, but let's be honest - skiing without a stop for a bite to eat, without Kaiserschmarren and Lumbumba is only half as much fun ;). For me, a stop at the ski hut is simply part of a perfect day's skiing. And yes, I really missed that last year.

After what feels like an eternity, I finally invite friends to our beautiful mountain village again this weekend. "The way you always rave about YOUR beautiful MOUNTAIN VILLAGE of FILZMOOS, we can't wait to finally experience it in winter!" says my friend Anja on the phone full of anticipation. It's been a while since her last visit: in the summer of 2020, we went on a wonderful hike - the "Queen’s Trail" to be precise. I look at my mobile phone, pick out the beautiful pictures from this hike and let the images wash over me - oh, it was beautiful. A colourful landscape with an abundance of flowers and orchids at the foot of the Bischofsmütze mountain.During this year's visit, however, they will all be amazed at how beautiful Filzmoos covered in a blanket of white. We’ve had a good winter so far and the mountain landscape with its meadows and forests has been transformed into a winter wonderland covered in deep snow.

SPLENDID BACKDROPS, BRIGHT BLUE SKIES and GLEAMING SUNSHINE!

On Saturday, the time has finally come: six of my friends from the city of Salzburg and Upper Austria are finally coming to visit me in Filzmoos in winter. "What a WINTER WONDERLAND! Back home everything is already green and the first flowers are already blooming!", the girls are amazed! :) "Well, it's going to take a bit longer here!", I reply with a big grin on my face!A few centimetres of snow fell during the night. Early in the morning, the sun is already shining for us and the last clouds are dissipating. It's going to be a beautiful day.

FILZMOOS is more than just beautiful!

As already mentioned, I often rave about my home country to friends. A winter idyll covered in deep snow with a breathtaking mountain panorama, perfectly groomed slopes and a high degree of snow reliability. A small but true winter wonderland in the middle of SalzburgerLand - at the foot of the Dachstein and the Gosaukamm with the impressive Bischofsmütze. I appreciate it very much to be able to live here and am all the more pleased today to introduce my "city girls" to this true jewel in winter.Helmets on, skis on and sunglasses packed for later on the sun terrace are also included - so we can get started. "Up the mountain we gp", Anja calls and can hardly wait.We start our tour, of course, at the sixpack Mooslehen - the new centrepiece of the Filzmoos/Neuberg ski area. After only 6 months of construction, the new 6-seater chairlift was opened on time in mid-December and is very popular with guests and locals alike.NEW this year is also the ENJOYMENT SKI ROUTE in Filzmoos - from farm to fork is the motto at the 4 ski huts: Holzwurm, Schwaigalm, Kleinbergalm and Geierbergalm. The SKI AMADÉ TASTE offer combines two of the most beautiful things in winter: Skiing & Eating ;).

PLEASURE SKIING & DINING – is the motto for today.

In addition to the beautiful landscape and perfect pistes, I would like to introduce my friends to the magic of sFilzmoos ski huts and fine cuisine.After a few runs on the freshly prepared and perfect piste, we start with a stop at our first gourmet ski hut, the Holzwurmhütte. Elfriede and Josef Bittersam offer typical Filzmoos hospitality. With its beautiful location directly at the valley station of the new cable car, the Holzwurmhütte is easy to reach. Whether you're out skiing, doing a lap on the cross-country ski trail opposite or on foot, it's definitely worth stopping in for a bite to eat. Meat and dairy products are sourced here from the farm's own farm, the Mooslehenhof. Special mention should be made of the specialities from the alpine ox, which are on the menu here. My tip: Try the delicious Pongau meat fritters! :) Of course, there are also traditional pastries on the menu of the rustic ski hut.
Another delightful address for dining is the Kleinbergalm at the mountain station of the Großbergbahn. So, after a few turns, we set off for lunch. "All lamb" is the motto of the Vierthaler family at the Kleinbergalm. Specialities from their own Kleinberghof farm promise hearty summit delights, such as the Gourmmeeh burger with pulled lamb meat. At the recommendation of our waiter, we order the burger as well as other delicacies such as lamb stew and lamb sausage. From the sun terrace, you get an unspoilt view of the Rossbrand. The mighty Bischofsmütze towers in the background and my local mountain, the Rettenstein, can be admired to the side. "Did I promise you too much?" I ask the group as I look into the beaming faces of my friends. "You really do live in a little paradise," I get in reply. :) To digest, we treat ourselves to a glass of "magic water", as the hut owner would say. Because homemade liqueurs and schnapps are also offered at the log cabin hut.
My friend Anja and the rest of the party are beaming with the sun and skiing on the sunny side is really fun. The wide slopes give us plenty of freedom of movement and therefore enough space for cool turns. Our small skiing area was even awarded "TOP skiing area up to 20 kilometres of slopes". A little exhausted, but still overjoyed, we head home or back to our accommodation at the end of the day. But we’re up early the next day to. Because we still have two of our enjoyment ski huts ahead of us.
So, the next day another culinary highlight is already waiting for us: we enjoy it at Rosi and Ernst Hölzl's Schwaigalm. Beef specialities from the Schwaiggut and home cooking are served here. The meat for the soup stew, the goulash soup or the bolognese sauce comes from their own farm. The delicious roast beef is also highly recommended. Right next to the sixpack Mooslehen mountain station is the cosy hut with a sun terrace and a great view. We skipped breakfast today and made the most of the morning for turns on the 20 kilometres of pistes with a good mix of blue, red and black runs. A typical Austrian classic has to be part of our stop at the hut, so we opt for Rosi's homemade apple strudel with vanilla sauce - according to grandma's recipe. Anyone who has ever tried this dessert at Rosi's can confirm that this is where cosiness meets pleasure.
Well refreshed, we make a few more tracks in the snow in the afternoon. However, one last stop for today is still missing from our list of delights - namely the Geierbergalm. The Geierbergalm is located on the sunny slope of the Geierberg. On the sun terrace you can enjoy magnificent views of the Hochkönig and the Tennengebirge. Erich and his wife Silvia run the family business and, as the 4th member of the Ski Amadé enjoyment ski route "From farm to fork in Filzmoos", the Geierbergalm offers numerous culinary delights with home-made products from the region.
"GAME FOR GAME" is the theme at the Geierbergalm: from homemade venison stew, venison goulash and homemade goulash soup to the popular venison soup and homemade venison cheese krainer. But not only game lovers are in good hands at the Geierbergalm. Delicious vegetarian and vegan dishes are also conjured up by the Eichholzer family - almost everything is homemade and, above all, freshly made every day. There is a different dish of the day every day too. I can also warmly recommend the many sweet dishes - especially waffles with vanilla ice cream. We've already had enough to eat for the last two days, but we simply can't miss out on these delicacies and so we also have a bite to eat the Eichholzer family’s hut. We enjoy the last warming rays of the spring sun - what a crowning conclusion to our ski weekend.

More info about the enjoyment ski route in Filzmoos:

https://www.filzmoos.at/de/ski-amade-genuss-ski-route.html
photo credit: Sabrina Reisenberger_Filzmoos Tourismus / Holzwurm_Filzmoos Tourismus