8 September 2022

Austrian nature touring association 'Naturfreunde' presents a new vegan and plant-based kitchen at the Hofgasteinerhaus at 2,000 meters in Bad Hofgastein

The association 'Naturfreunde' (Nature Friends) was founded 127 years ago in 1895 by a group consisting of a teacher, a metal worker and two students - among them Karl Renner who became as politician from the Social Democratic Workers' Party one of the most important heads for building Austria's Second Republic and was Austria's first President of the Second Republic after World War II - with the goal to make nature and the experience of the country's landscape accessible for all parts of society (history). Today, the nature touring association Naturfreunde lists around 135 huts at naturfreunde-huetten.at/huetten for the online search after federal state and/or criteria like 'adventure hut', 'e-bike charging station' or 'barrier-free'. One of the huts in the federal state Salzburg is the Hofgasteinerhaus located at 1,950 meters in Bad Hofgastein.

The Hofgasteinerhaus was reopened at the end of 2021 in a new architecture with space for guest and seminar rooms - used as one of the training centers of the association which runs an own academy - and gastronomy specialized in new interpretations of Austrian cuisine with focus on vegan and plant-based ingredients delivered mainly by producers from the region. For next Saturday the 10th of September, the Hofgasteinerhaus has organized a programme with culinary and music. It's announced that the popular Austrian folk music band Edlseer will perform live and that among traditional regional dishes products by the new partner 'The Green Mountain' like meat-free burgers will be served.

At hofgasteinerhaus.naturfreunde.at, the tours to the Hofgasteinerhaus are described with details such as the walking time or altitude difference. The fastest route is the 30-minute walk from the cable car mountain station downhill.

Images, from left: View at the Hofgasteinerhaus in Bad Hofgastein, Salzburg. Photo: © Naturfreunde Österreich. Right: Meat-free burger by The Green Mountain. Photo: © The Green Mountain.