Am Hof
Feeding and mucking out twice a day, servicing machines, winter felling. For you: sledding, snowshoeing, ski touring – and long evenings by the stove.
Farming & sustainability
The farm year: when which time is worthwhile
The mountain in May is a different one than in October – and not just in the weather. What is currently blooming, what happens at the farm and when it is actually quiet up top, month by month.
01 · January to March
Winter: barn, snow and a great deal of quiet
Am Hof
Processing and splitting firewood – by the end of February so it dries over summer. For you: the most stable snow conditions, longer days, carnival in the valley.
Am Hof
Mending fences and paths as soon as the snow retreats. For you: firn snow up top, first crocuses below, hardly anyone about.
Please keep in mind: Wild animals live at their limit in winter. For a chamois, energy demand rises three- to fourfold between calm walking and flight; grouse flee up to 400 metres – three or four flights a day can be life-threatening. Respect wildlife rest zones, stay on the trails in the forest, don't go cross-country at dusk.
02 · April to June
Spring: the landscape opens up
April is the month of transitions – green below, still snow above, many trails not yet clear. At the farm, fence building, meadow care and preparations for the drive up are underway. For you it is cheap and empty, but you need a plan B for the weather.
May is the month when things get going. The drive up to the alpine pastures begins, staggered by altitude, traditionally oriented on St Urban's day, 25 May. In the Ausseerland the daffodils bloom at the end of May. At lower altitudes the first Schwendtage (clearing days) start. And in the valleys the first cut is made.
June is for many the loveliest month up top: the alpine roses bloom, peaking in June, between roughly 1,500 and 2,800 metres. Gentian stands on pastures and mountain meadows from June into October. The alpine pastures are stocked, the dairying gets going, and the big school holidays haven't started yet.
03 · July to September
Summer: the Alm is at work
Am Hof
Hay harvest in the valley, dairying on the Alm, mountain hay meadows are mowed. Schwenden (clearing) – the traditional date is St James's day, 27 July. For you: all trails open, working alpine pastures, high summer.
Am Hof
Second cut, mountain hay meadows, from mid-August the first quiet drives down from high pastures. After-grazing on mountain hay meadows from 16 August. For you: the fullest month of the year – and the best for escaping the heat in the valley.
Am Hof
The big Almabtriebe (cattle drives), often on the Saturdays around the 12th, 19th and 26th. Last cut, laying in stores. For you: the best hiking time of the year – stable weather, clear air, warm days, cool nights.
If you stay on a working farm in July or August, you see the most – and are most likely to disturb. The two go together. The question “is it OK if we watch?” is welcome; spontaneously walking into the barn is not.
04 · October to December
Autumn and Advent: golden, then still
October is the underrated month. The last cattle drives are underway, and from about 1,700 metres the larches turn golden within roughly two weeks – triggered by the decreasing sunlight, not the temperature, which is why it arrives on time even in mild autumns. The best hiking altitude for it is between 1,500 and 2,000 metres.
November is the quietest month in the entire Austrian tourism year – by far. At the farm, things are winterised, planned, serviced. Up top it is foggy, wet, often grey, and precisely for that reason you have whole valleys to yourself. If you seek quiet and don't depend on postcard weather, no other month offers more of it.
December picks up again. Advent in the valley, the first reliable snow up top, the barns are full, winter felling begins. Between the holidays it is busy again – the weeks before are the insider tip.
05 · The numbers behind it
When it is really busy – and when not
This can be proven, no guessing needed. The Austrian overnight-stay statistics are clear.
The fullest month
Around 21 million overnight stays – traditionally the strongest month of the year, followed by July with around 18.6 million.
The emptiest month
Around 5.5 to 5.7 million overnight stays – about a quarter of the August figure.
Shoulder season
That much of all overnight stays now falls on April, May and September to November – and rising.
To be honest: There are no official price statistics for huts. That November and April are cheaper follows from demand, not from a documented figure. What is certain: in November you have the trails to yourself, and in September you get the best hiking weather of the year with far less traffic than in August.
And one more thing that isn't in the statistics: many secluded huts are not reachable at all in winter, or only with a sledge and backpack. With us, each accommodation states what works in which season – and what doesn't.
Once more, briefly
Frequently asked questions about travel times
When is the best time for a hut holiday?
For hiking, September – stable weather, clear air, far less traffic than in August. For blossom and the drive up to the pastures, June. For real quiet, November. For snow, February. There is no best time, there is one that suits what you're looking for.
When are the alpine pastures worked?
Roughly from late May to mid-September, depending on altitude. Lower pastures are stocked longer; high pastures above 2,000 metres often less than 75 days. If it matters to you that someone is up there and you can get cheese: July and August are safe, June and September a risk.
Is November worthwhile at all?
If you seek quiet: yes, like no other month. With around 5.5 million overnight stays it is the weakest month of the Austrian tourism year. You get availability, space and stillness. What you don't get is reliable weather.
When do the alpine roses bloom?
From about May to July, peaking in June, at altitudes between roughly 1,500 and 2,800 metres. The higher, the later – if you're too late at 1,500 metres in June, two hundred metres higher up everything is often still in bloom.
Read on
The annual cycle of a mountain farm
Four very different years in one – depending on when you come.
Why the Almabtrieb is a celebration
The adornment is not decoration, but a message you can read.
Seasonal calendar for your hut adventure
When what blooms and which animals are about.
You know when things happen at your place?
Then tell us. We add it to your accommodation listing – cattle drive date, dairying season, farm shop opening. It is one of the strongest booking reasons there is.