What is Schiefe Alm?

Have you ever dreamed of staying in a mountain chalet? Imagine landscape covered with snow, cozy wooden house surrounded by majestic mountains and you with a glass of wine warming up in the front of a fireplace. Can mountain life get any better than this? I wished for years to stay in this kind of wooden hut and finally found the most perfect one I could ever dream of. Do you remember the vibes from Wham “Last Christmas” song? Well, Schiefe Alm has it all and much more.

This unique mountain chalet is a perfect addition to the beautiful local landscape. I was really impressed finding out that it was first documented in 1421! It’s a truly rare gem and probably the oldest existing mountain chalet in the whole Europe. Situated at an elevated position of the Stubnerkogel, at 1.266 m above sea level, offers you a magnificent view of Bad Gastein town. I discovered this idyllic chalet a year ago while skiing in Bad Gastein and until now, it has been already my third visit here. So welcome to the real winter wonderland – Schiefe Alm mountain chalet.

How to get there?

Bad Gastein, Austrian spa and skiing town, is located in the High Tauern mountains, in the south of Salzburg. Getting there is easier than you may think as the closest airport in Salzburg is just one hour drive away. If you do not want to rent a car you can easily get from Salzburg to Bad Gastein by a frequently scheduled train. Another option is a flight to Vienna, what means 4 hours drive to Bad Gastein or Munich – 3 hours drive. Both these cities offer also good and frequent train connections.

Once you arrive to Bad Gastein you need to get to your chalet and it’s good to know that this place is not accessible by car. It’s located right on the slopes what gives you a unique and fun way of transportation – by a private chair lift. Believe me, it’s such a fun to travel this way and your luggage will get the transportation too! Free parking is available right at the chair lift starting station.

To go down you can use the same private chair lift or… try a sleigh track. This fun knows no age. It’s almost 2,5 km long truck that starts at the Schiefe Alm and ends at the parking spot. The run is kept in an excellent condition so you go down the well-maintained sleigh and back again to Schiefen Alm with chair lift.

What you can book?

Schiefe Alm chalet offers a combination of traditional Austrian hill farm and exclusive hotel comfort. You have few apartments to choose from. Starting from the compact one for 2 people and ending with a two- level suite called Erzherzog-Johann that can accommodate up to 8 people. This is exactly the one we booked and that you can see on pictures below.

We came in a group of 5 adults and two kids and our specious suite was nothing but perfect. It has two separate bedrooms, one double bed on the mezzanine and a private terrace. Also, if you need to accommodate more people, like us, you have additional spare beds available and pulled-out sofa. The apartment has also two separate bathrooms, fully equipped kitchen, two dining areas and a fire place. Oh, and did I mention there is a sauna available just downstairs in the same building?

If that wouldn’t be enough to make the best of your stay, there is one more  thing that makes this suite special. You will find there conservatory-style balcony that is dated few centuries back. A true and rare piece of local art that became a part of this beautiful  interior.

How much does it cost?

Let’s go the the basics. How much does it really cost and is it affordable? There are few apartments available in the chalet and the price of your stay is always calculated per person. Also, each of the apartments has a minimum occupancy you will be charged for. We booked the biggest apartment in the chalet and for us the minimum number to pay for was 4. When renting smaller apartments the minimum is 2.

The cost per person may vary from 57 euro up to 99 euro per person according to the season and number of people staying in the apartment. That price include private chair lift transfer to the hotel, the use of sleigh track and delicious breakfast in the next door mountain restaurant. Below you can find the price list for current season.

Source: www.schiefe-alm.at

About the food

The price of your stay includes buffet style breakfast in Bellevue Alm restaurant located just next door. I can tell you only one thing about that – it is heavenly delicious! You can choose between a selection of fresh fruits, cereals, cheese, nuts, fresh honey, yoghurts, eggs and many more. Even the bread was warm and the butter was homemade what got my heart straight away. In the morning the restaurant in open only to chalet’s visitors, but starting from the lunch it operates as a regular restaurant where yo can have a full Austrian meal a la carte.

In the evening the restaurant may get really full so if having a table booked for dinner is recommended. Also, if you are not a chalet’s guest you can still come for a lunch, dinner or drink as the restaurant is located right on the blue skiing slope.  There is also an apre ski bar available and life music played on some evenings.

Skiing and other activities in Bad Gastein

Bad Gastein town has been recognized for its thermal baths already since the 13th century and since 1958 gained more worldwide fame after skiing world championships took place there. The Gastein skiing area lies at altitudes of up 2.700 m above sea level what makes it a fantastic skiing destination. What I love the most is that this place is not overpacked with tourists and not focused on luxury skiing lifestyle, what happens to many famous skiing destinations. Bad Gastein has it’s own laid back atmosphere and it’s nothing like a posh and overpriced skiing resort. You can feel this cool hip vibes here and relax in the mountains away from the beaten skiing tracks in Europe.

The town borders with other skiing villages of Bad Hofgastein, Dorf Gastein and the Sport Gastein area. All together they are forming a skiing valley of 48 lifts and 201 kilometers of slopes. Isn’t that impressive? The varying difficulty levels of the slopes show that there are slopes which suit all abilities: 60 km easier slopes, 117 km moderately difficult and 24 km tough slopes. Also, the Bad Gastein town with its thermal baths, famous Gasteiner Waterfall, Gothic St. Nicholas Church and art deco villas, is a great attraction itself to spend few days away from your daily life.

You can also read the full Bad Gastein guide with more hotels’ and restaurants’ recommendations here.

With love,

Betty