Jagdhaus Alpine Pastures

To an outsider, Arven Valley of East Tirol does not seem a hospitable place. Glaciers dot the peaks, and snow can fall even in August. But in the thin air above 2,009 meters (7,000 feet), lies Jagdhaus Alpine Pastures, the oldest mountain settlement in Austria. Embedded in the awesome natural beauty of Hohe Tauern National Park, entire families lived at the 13th century high-altitude resort throughout the year. The remote high-mountain settlement consists of 15 stone houses and a chapel and today is under the protection of Hohe Tauern National Park. From the 15th century onwards, settlers used Jagdhaus Alpine Pastures as their summer retreat and took advantage of the grazing opportunities for their cattle. Today, a few of the current owners of Taufers and resorts of Pustertal Valley in Italy’s South Tirol continue to make the same annual trek to these majestic mountains to escape the heat and experience the authenticity of Arven Valley’s Jagdhaus Alpine Pastures. Wrapped along the glorious mountain scenery slightly above the Alpine settlement, you will find a marvellous hidden lake named “Pfauenauge” (“Peacock Butterfly”) with a perfectly circular basin surrounded by highland reed.