Amazing! But for all that, above the town of Götzis, at just under 980 m, there is an idyllic mountain hut that still has no electricity today. “Of course, this requires a bit more work and there are only snacks to eat, but it is just so quaint,” explains Karl-Heinz Höfel. He and his wife Brigitte have now been running the alpine business for eight years and it is now in its third generation. The approximately 100 year old building with its outdoor restaurant area is located one kilometre from the bus stop and car park in the heart of the nature reserve. An organic farm with sheep, a donkey and hens is attached to it.

The Hohe Kugel mountain on one side and the Hoher Kasten on the other – and Lake Constance lies between them. Your efforts to reach the Alpe Gsohl will be more than rewarded by the panoramic views. Families with buggies can even tackle the well-developed hiking trail and it is also easy for mountain bikers to do a quick tour here after they finish work – especially if they are attracted by Brigitte’s legendary “Lumpasalot” (sausage and cheese salad) and not just by the views already mentioned. It is even so popular with the residents of Hohenems (“Emsers” as they are lovingly called) that it was voted the best “Lumpensalat” (sausage and cheese salad) at last year’s “Mundartfestival Z’Ems,” an annual festival presenting the diversity of the dialect culture.