In addition to daily symphonies when buzzing honeybees along with the cow bells and bleating sheep entertain with their own alpine concert, SalzburgerLand offers a variety of cultural and musical highlights in the mountains. It’s not always a staged production that moves you in high altitudes: a cosy "Hoagascht", a traditional get-together of musicians and singers, with hunters, foresters and dairymen, offers a delightful insight into mountain culture.
The mountain huts are in themselves an integral part of Salzburg folk culture with the various traditions and rural customs. Passing visitors soon recognised the charm of the mountains and the beauty of the landscape where mountain farms have been maintained for centuries. Growing tourism also made the mountain pastures in SalzburgerLand a popular destination for summer and winter guests. Back in the days, herdsmen and mountain farmers spent the summer alone with their cattle, and winter brought silence. Now, it’s a place of merry celebrations, where music is enjoyed together and life on the mountain pasture is appreciated.
Culture on the pasture
The rustic hut high on the mountain is an unforgettable setting when musicians wearing typical local costume unpack their instruments with the backdrop of the amazing SalzburgerLand panorama and the sound reverberates from the surrounding ridges. During the performances of plays, the alpine landscape is the stage for spectacular scenery and wind, weather and sunsets add to dramatic performances. At summer solstice, the mountains in SalzburgerLand light up with countless bonfires to mark the celebrations with music and dance. Numerous creative workshops – from seminars about Alpine herbs and yodelling courses to mountain yoga – provide added value with knowledge, fun and long-lasting holiday memories.
The mountain hut – a meeting place
The mountain hut is also a meeting place for locals, hunters and herdsmen. Exciting stories can be heard about the country and the people, and you get an insight into the long tradition of hunting or mountain farming and learn about the origin of many mystical tales. Granted, a “Hoagascht” – a social gathering – might require you to pick up a dictionary or need a special translator by your side as the dialects in SalzburgerLand can vary from mountain to mountain, even from pasture to pasture! The mountain hut keepers are warm and welcoming and spoil visitors with their hospitality.
