Things to do at the Weissensee: mountain walk to the Alm hinterm Brunn hut

Skating is a popular thing to do on the Weissensee, but there is another one people love just as much. This appealing lake in Carinthia is ringed by mountains, so a fine mountain walk beckons.

A mountain walk during your skating holiday

Most Dutch people travel every year to the nature park Weissensee for the Alternative Dutch 11-City Tour. Anyone fit enough can join the tour version, an experience not to be missed.

And then there is that mountain walk. Well, there are so many of them…

Let us start with the mountain walk to the alpine hut Alm hinterm Brunn!

Safely up high along a panoramic path

If this is your first time here, this is an absolute ‘to do’. You get to know the mountains around the Weissensee without immediately setting foot on the most dangerous paths.

Quite the opposite. The path is easy to walk: wide and almost always swept clear. It still has some bite to it, though, as you climb from 930 metres to 1279 metres.

On that climb you keep coming across lovely glimpses through the trees. The real reward comes afterwards. The last stretch leads to the alpine meadow, a panoramic path full of sweeping views.

Stand still, breathe in the clean air and take your time looking around. On one side the Weissensee, on the other a valley. This is nature's playground. And in that winter wonderland stands an alpine hut.

Alm hinterm Brunn, flavourful peace and quiet

Give your moment of rest a flavourful sequel, because the Alm hinterm Brunn serves tempting home-made dishes. Good food and drink for a while. The produce comes from local farmers.

The sun-drenched terrace has comfortable benches with blankets. You can sit inside too. Thanks to the authentic building style and the special setting, the place radiates nothing but peace.

Where the walk starts, and how to get there

Coming from Techendorf, turn left onto the path just before the welcome sign for Neusach. From this starting point at the bottom it takes about an hour to reach the top. The destination is signposted.

Thanks to the easy descent the way back goes faster; you can easily ‘gain’ a quarter of an hour.

• In surroundings as rustic as these it is of course lovely to be able to forget the time.
• That is why we usually go around midday, with an excellent lunch in prospect.
• You can climb or descend at your own pace and stop to take photos along the way.

Opening hours of the Alm hinterm Brunn

• In winter the hut is open from 26 December (Boxing Day) until the beginning of March.
• In mid-May the hut opens again, until mid-October.
• Worth knowing: Tuesday is sometimes a rest day at this spot.

Note from 2021: because of corona (COVID-19) the Dutch government is urging people not to book any trips before 31 March. Put this one on your list for next winter or visit the hut this coming summer.