Alpine breakfast and picnic on the mountain around Innsbruck

Everything tastes better on a mountain. Whether it's because of the previous hike, the fresh air or the view: No breakfast tastes better than one eaten on the mountain! Of course, you can put together your own breakfast pack, pack a thermos flask and set off. Those who prefer to be pampered can simply stop off at one of the numerous mountain huts and lodges offering breakfast around Innsbruck. Here and there you can also pre-order a full picnic basket and enjoy it in a beautiful spot. More on this below.

For this article, I went on an early morning culinary foray. The list does not claim to be exhaustive!

Note: Please note the current Corona regulations for gastronomy! Prices as of summer 2021.

The culinary hike begins in the south of Innsbruck on the local mountain Patscherkofel. It is easily accessible from the city by bus and cable car and offers a variety of places to stop for refreshments. Here you are spoiled for choice:

1. The Patscherkofel Schutzhaus offers breakfast specialties daily until 11:00. It serves a traditional breakfast with sausage, cheese, farmhouse bread and egg dishes.
2. In the mountain station itself, you can enjoy a delicious breakfast in the glazed restaurant The Kofel (table reservation recommended: Tel. +43 5702 10 501, e-mail) from 9:00 to 10:30 a.m. to sample a normal breakfast menu (e.g. savory breakfast €12.90). In addition, there is a brilliant gourmet breakfast which includes everything from hot drinks, pastries, sausage, cheese, smoked salmon, spreads, fruit salad, yoghurt, muesli, egg dishes of your choice to orange juice and a glass of Prosecco. It is only available to pre-order and costs €26.40 for adults and €13.20 for children (6-12 years). Combined tickets with the train cost €37.50/€19.90.
3. Between Wednesday and Sunday there is also the option of a Gourmet gondola breakfast to book! I wrote about this in detail here on the blog last year.

If you want to start your breakfast on the Patscherkofel by hiking, you can book it at Boscheben. "What could be nicer on a summer's morning than stretching your nose out into the sun after a short hike, letting your gaze wander over the surrounding peaks and filling your stomach with a delicious breakfast... The perfect start to the day!" says Clara, the landlady of the hut. Breakfast (from 9:00) with Bircher muesli, various cheeses, sausage, eggs, fresh fruit, homemade spreads, juices, coffee, tea etc. is available for €15 per person.

• Pre-order: yes under +43 660 2345396 or by e-mail
• Walking time to breakfast: around 45 minutes from the Patscherkofel mountain station without many meters of altitude difference
• Breakfast altitude: 2,030m

On the Aldranser Alm there is a daily alpine breakfast between 09:00 and 11:00, for which no reservation is necessary. A classic "Haferlkaffee" prepares you for the fresh air in the mountains and homemade fruit jam, fresh, home-baked bread and eggs from happy hens will, in the words of the Alm, delight the soul. There are also picnic baskets to go at the Aldranser Alm, see below in the article!

• Advance booking: not necessary, breakfast from 9:00-11:00
• Walking time to breakfast: 2.5 hours | 600 m ascent
• Breakfast altitude: 1,511m

Hearty and tasty breakfast for early risers is available at the Sistranser Alm for € 14.20. The breakfast includes friedbacon with eggs, tomato and onion, ham, cheese, alpine butter, jam, a fresh bread basket, yoghurt and a hot drink to choose from as well as a soft drink.

• Pre-order: yes under+43 699 100 18 948
• Walking time for breakfast: 1.5-2 hours | 700 m ascent
• Breakfast altitude: 1,608m

Continue with the recommendations further west..

The Birgitzer Alm is certainly known to many in winter from ski touring or tobogganing. In summer, the Alm offers a breakfast with salmon, Prosecco, drink, sausage, cheese, fruit, tomatoes and yoghurt for € 12.90 per person. The breakfast without salmon and Prosecco - i.e. drink, sausage, cheese, fruit, tomatoes, yoghurt - costs € 10.90 per person. My source says: "This breakfast is amazing and highly recommended!"

• Pre-order: yes, under +43 5234 20 702 or +43 650 28 08 990
• Walking time to breakfast: 1-1.5 hours | 500m from the Gasthof Adelshof hairpin bend
• Breakfast altitude: 1,778m

From Monday to Friday there is a breakfast brunch at the beautifully situated Adolf Pichler Hütte for €14 per person, including two hot drinks. Breakfast from the buffet is even available from 6:30 a.m. if required - together with the overnight guests. Otherwise, you can enjoy a leisurely brunch until 12:00, when it is prepared on request. There is sausage, cheese, bacon, Bircher muesli, cornflakes, chocolate muesli, juice, yogurt, jam, honey plus drinks. Karin and Andrea, the two innkeepers, are also happy to prepare purely vegetarian buffets, with vegetable sticks and dips - completely individual.

• Pre-order: yes under +43 720 702 724
• Walking time to breakfast: from the Kemater Alm parking lot approx. 1 hour.
• Breakfast altitude: 1,977m

A great mountain breakfast is available on advance booking at the Rosskogelhütte on Rangger Köpfl for €18.

• Advance booking: yes under +43 5232 81419
• Walking time to breakfast: from the Stiglreith parking lot 1.5 hours | 400m
• Breakfast altitude: 1,778m

The Mieminger Plateau is around 40 minutes from Innsbruck. The alpine breakfast at the Stöttl Almwhich belongs to the 5* Hotel Schwarz. Breakfast is served daily from 9:30 am to 12:00 pm, the hut brunch even lasts until 2:00 pm.

• The Breakfast includes: Jams, honey, farmer's butter, yogurt, fruit salad, muesli, cheese, sausage, scrambled eggs, a bread basket and orange juice, as well as a hot drink of your choice for 18€.
• The hut brunch for €35 per person adds Nutella pancakes, scrambled eggs with fried bacon, veal sausage with sweet mustard and Prosecco to the offer.

The hike is more of a walk and takes about 20-30 minutes from the parking lot. My tip: Be sure to pay a visit to the Steirerhof farm store on this occasion. There are many delicacies here for breakfast at home..

• Pre-order: yes under +43 699 15 212 200
• Walking time to breakfast: 20-30 minutes
• Breakfast altitude: 980m

Last but not least: At the Seegrube there is a special Seegrube breakfast offer for €46 incl. train ticket, without train ticket for €23. The breakfast includes: Smoked salmon, sausage, cheese, jam, pastries, OJ, 1 glass of Prosecco, your choice of tea, coffee or cocoa, egg cooked to your liking. Reservation required!

Breakfast is also available at the huts and mountain pastures between the Seegrube and the town, e.g. at the Umbrüggler Alm, which attracts visitors with its great architecture and top cuisine, no matter what time of day. The walk from the Hungerburg takes just 30-40 minutes.

• At the New Magdeburg Hut you can have breakfast for €11.50 if you order in advance.
• In the Dorfstadl in Kühtai (without hike) you can have breakfast for 20€ per person.
• At the Rinner Alm is also a good place to order breakfast in advance.
• The New Alplhütte in Mieming also offers breakfast. The cake here is also highly recommended!
• At the Götzner Alm offers breakfast a la carte!

What would summer be without a picnic? You can get picnic baskets with delicacies at various places around Innsbruck. For example at these four mountain huts and restaurants:

Blankets, baskets and packed lunches are available to order in advance at the weekend at the Aldranser Alm. There are two baskets to choose from: Brunch basket 1 includes: Bacon, ham (Demlhof), cheese, 2x snack eggs, butter, jam, homemade bread, 2x bread rolls, fresh fruit, 2x coffee of your choice, 0.5l freshly squeezed juice for €30. Brunch basket 2: ham (Demlhof), cheese, egg in a jar, butter, jam, homemade bread, 2x rolls, goat's caprese, melon & bacon, yoghurt from Taxerhof with fresh fruit, 2x coffee of your choice, 0.5l freshly squeezed juice, Prosecco Piccolo for 45€. Pick up between 9:30-11, pre-order until Friday 17:30 under+43 699 13311212.

If you're not an early riser, you'll get your money's worth with a picnic basket, e.g. for brunch. The Picnic basket on the Nordkette includes Tyrolean bacon, Kaminwurzen sausage, mountain cheese, pickled vegetables, fresh horseradish, mustard, butter, apple and cookies. The picnic for €16 must be pre-ordered the day before by 5.00 pm by telephone on +43 664 88 44 78 16 or by e-mail at seegrube@don.at. If you don't have a rucksack with you, you can borrow one for a deposit.

The restaurant at the new campsite on the Mieminger Plateau also offers breakfast and picnics. The picnic includes: Pancetta, dried sausages, mountain cheese, smoked spread, herb curd, snack eggs, horseradish, house mustard, vegetables, fruit, farmhouse bread, apple strudel, 1 thermos flask of coffee or tea, 2 soft drinks, 1 bottle of water for €21 per person. For two euros more, there is also a Mediterranean picnic as an alternative. The picnic basket is available for 2 or more people if ordered in advance.

You can also pick up a picnic basket in Innsbruck for a lovely time for two with a mountain view. The Klein & Fein has various themed baskets on offer.

I hope this ramble has inspired you for your next breakfast out and wish you a great start to the day with a mountain view!

If you're looking for a nice place to sit and enjoy a meal in the city, you can find inspiration from my fellow blogger Chris.