An overview of tastes to savour in Salzburgerland, Austria.
Enjoy fine food and drink when you travel? Following the Via Culinaria in Austria’s Salzburgerland may well be your idea of having a good time.
Disclosure: A member of the MannedUp editorial team travelled to Austria as a guest of Salzburgerland Tourismus GmbH, which did not review or approve this article.
The Via Culinaria features nine themed routes, designed so foodies enjoy the region’s characteristic flavours and landscapes. They include the a Culinary Pathway for Beer and Schnapps Aficionados and a Culinary Pathway for Meat Eaters. They point gastronomy-loving travellers towards bars, restaurants and food producers that have stories to tell and tastes to savour.
Salzburg is one of the nine states that form Austria. Confused because you thought Salzburg was the city where classical composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born as well as the setting for the film The Sound of Music? It’s that as well. The state is commonly referred to as Salzburgerland to differentiate it from the city.
If you enjoy music and theatre, think about arranging a visit to the city during the Salzburg Festival. The long-established festival is held over six weeks, in July and August.
A Mozart Dinner Concert in Salzburg
If you’re foody with a sense of history, you may enjoy making a table reservation at the St Peter Stiftskulinarium Restaurant. Founded in 803AD, the institution lays claims to being the oldest restaurant in the world. The restaurant is distinguished with a toque (a chef’s hat symbol) in the Gault Millau rating system’s guide to restaurants.
Booking a reservation for a Mozart Dinner Concert in the restaurant’s baroque-style banqueting hall means an opportunity to combine a three-course dinner with a recital of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s music. The renowned composer was born in Salzburg on 27 January 1757 at Getreidegasse 9, now the location of Mozart’s Birthplace museum.
A drop of something delicious
Viennese coffee houses were once regarded the height of elegance. For a modern twist on Austrian coffee, sample a cup of coffee hand roasted by Werner Brunner in the Tennengau region of Salzburgerland. His Herr Werner Rösterei utilises certified organic beans of Fairtrade provenance. The result is a beautifully crafted cup of coffee.
Of course, it’s always five o’clock somewhere according those who prefer to imbibe something stronger.
If you like craft gins, look out for Wawi Gin, which is distilled with Alpine botanicals. One place you can find it served is in the Gipfel Restaurant, at an altitude of 3,029 metres above sea-level, on the Kitzsteinhorn mountain — the highest restaurant in Salzburgerland.
Relaxing in the Austrian countryside
Like the idea of waking up in a traditional Alpine chalet on an organic farm with views onto the Alps? The Bijo Farm at Fusch is named after its proprietors, Birgit and Josef Schattbacher – see what they’ve done there?
Their renovation of the property at the heart of the farm took three years, three months, three weeks and three days. That effort is now reaping rewards. It now houses a luxurious suite with a massage room.
As well as booking to stay in the suite you could visit to treat someone special to a romantic breakfast. To do so, reserve a table at the farm’s Rosen Café (tel: +43 (0)664 160 7784). Rose breakfasts are served from Wednesday to Saturday between April and October. They feature seasonal, organic ingredients and petals from wild roses.
Fine dining in Salzburgerland
Like to treat yourself to memorable meals while underway?
Consider reserving a table at Vitus Cooking to sample one of the surprise tasting menus prepared by chef Vitus Winkler and his team. Typically ranging from between four- (€95) to seven-courses (€175) the tasting menus include herbs foraged from nearby streams, woodland and forests. The dishes served provide insights into the land and its culinary heritage.
Sitting at the chef’s table is also an option. The restaurant is in the Verwohnhotel at St Veit in Pongau and is distinguished with four Gault Millau toques — the maximum possible.
Andreas Döllerer is another highly regarded Salzburgerland chef sharing that accolade. The wine cellar at Döllerer’s Genusswelt in Dolling is stocked with approximately 2,500 different bottles. Regional produce including venison, dove and char features on the a la carte menu in the fine-dining restaurant. Pork truffle and zander roasted in brown butter count among dishes served at Döllerer’s Wirtshaus.
This part of Austria is ideal for slow travel and savouring regional delicacies.
Enjoy sampling local flavours when you travel? Take a look at this article listing 10 delicious reasons to join a Malton Food Tour in North Yorkshire.
Photos illustrating this article are by Why Eye Photography.
If you’ve travelled in Salzburgerland and enjoyed outstanding food and drink while underway by all means leave a comment below with your recommendations and suggestions for other MannedUp readers.
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