Paznaun: Regional Delight in the Alpine Mountains

Last updated on 26.05.2021

In summer 2021, Paznaun guests can hike the 13th Culinary Way of St. James on six gourmet trails, and try six traditional alpine inn dishes made with local ingredients by six top chefs from Paznaun. The event will start on the 10th July.

Six routes, six alpine inns, six chefs and six very special dishes: From the 10th July 2021, the Culinary Way of St. James will bring top chefs high into the mountains for the 13th time and promises relaxed hiking and delightful dining across six gourmet routes at over 2,000 metres above sea level. This summer, six top chefs from Paznaun will adopt one mountain lodge each and will each create a refined dish that is native to the region made from local ingredients. Hikers can find these creations all summer long on the respective alpine inn menus. New 2021: On six Saturdays, you can go on a guided hike to one of the participating inns with its respective chef. These days of hiking will be accompanied by culinary summer evenings in the corresponding hotels and restaurants of the chefs. All Information: www.culinary-st-jacobs-way.paznaun-ischgl.com.

A Special Treat in the Paznaun Highlands
During Summer 2021 in Paznaun, the Jamtalhütte, the Faulbrunnalm, the Friedrichshafener Hütte, the Heidelberger Hütte, the Almstüberl and the Ascherhütte will become the sought-after summer destinations for gourmet hikers. During the 13th Culinary Way of St. James, the top Paznaun chefs, Benjamin Parth, Martin Sieberer, Andreas Spitzer, Patrick Raaß, Hermann Huber and the #YoungChefsPaznaun are taking over one alpine inn each and will be putting a specially-created dish on the menu for guests. Requirement: it must be a creative interpretation of a regional dish made using local ingredients. From the 10th July, Paznaun guests can then follow the gourmet routes, either individually, or on six specific dates accompanied by the chefs themselves, and sample the new creations. For those who prefer “indulgent cycling”. All alpine inns along the Culinary Way of St. James can be comfortably reached by E-Bike or Mountain Bike. The bikes can be rented in Galtür, Ischgl, Kappl or See.

Holiday Package “Culinary Way of St. James”
Those who want to hike the gourmet routes of the culinary Way of St. James individually, can also book their holiday as a package during the Paznaun Alpine Summer: Five night-stay in Paznaun in a category of your choice, as well as all services of the Silvretta Card Basis, from 175 euros per person incl. breakfast. Online Booking: www.paznaun-ischgl.com.

Alpine Lodges and Chefs of the 13th Culinary Way of St. James
Friedrichshafener Hütte: Benjamin Parth (Stüva, Hotel Yscla)
Benjamin Parth’s philosophy is “improve every day”. The head chef of the Hotel YSCLA, with its in-house gourmet restaurant Stüva in Ischgl, is the current most decorated chef in Paznaun: Four toques (18.5 points) in Gault&Millau 2021, five stars (97 points) in Guide A la Carte 2020 and four forks (97 points) in the Falstaff restaurant guide 2020 speak for themselves. In addition to this, his new Bar-Lounge-Club SPACE 73 was awarded with two toques (13 points) on its first attempt in the Gault&Millau 2021. Highlights of his career until now: In 2009, Parth – at only 19 years of age – was first listed with one toque (14 points) in the Austrian edition of the Gault&Millau. The ‘Gault&Millau Cook of the Year 20219” award and inclusion into the exclusive “Les Grandes Tables du Monde” restaurant association later followed. Most recently, Parth won the “Young Chef Award 2020” by the renowned French restaurant guide “La Liste”.

Almstüberl: Martin Sieberer (Paznaunerstube/Sieberer`s Heimatbühne, Trofana Royal)
For Martin Sieberer cooking is a vocation. His culinary career has led him to the best kitchens in Austria, Germany and Switzerland. With the reopening of the Hotel Trofana Royal in November 1996, Sieberer found his challenge. The Paznaunerstube gourmet restaurant has been a checkpoint for countless gastronomes and foodies. As early as 1997, he was awarded as Newcomer of the Year and the gourmet restaurant Paznaunerstube was the first to be awarded with 2 toques by Gault&Millau in Paznaun. In 1998, the third toque followed. The award of “Gault&Millau Cook of the Year 2000”, as well as the awards in various gourmet guides were also added to the list. Now, the Paznaunerstube is among the leading restaurants in Austria with an international reputation and Sieberer’s home venue has also won several awards. Since 2019, Martin Sieberer has achieved seven Gault&Millau toques in his two restaurants.

Ascherhütte: Andreas Spitzer (Fliana Gourmet, Hotel Fliana)
International kitchen with traction. After an apprenticeship as a chef in the Maria Alm and instructive placements in Ischgl, Andreas Spitzer took the chance to get started as a chef in the ****S-Hotel Fliana, at the age of 24. Today, he gets the best food from all over the world and tries to combine it with local products and treasures from Paznaun. He plays with textures, colour combinations and tastes. Spitzer’s cooking is cosmopolitan and at the same time rooted and connected with the Paznaun agriculture. The passion that the award-winning chef brings to the plate, was rewarded with the three toques by Gault&Millau. Spitzer finds the inspiration for his culinary creations in the Paznaun mountains.

Heidelberger Hütte: Patrick Raaß (Schlossherrenstube, Schlosshotel Ischgl)
For the new executive chef de cuisine at the Schlosshotel Ischgl, cooking means a vocation, passion and love for the products. The Wörgl native got his career off to a flying a start. His several year-long placements are an extraordinary and rare statement – always with the best. Heinz Winkler – Residenz Winkler, Johann Lafer – Stromberg, Hans Haas – Tantris, Alfons Schubeck – Südtiroler Stuben. The motivation of head chef Patrick Raaß: to meet the highest standards of the guests in fine dining and to fascinate them with new interpretations. With his dishes, he pays particular attention to the use of the best and freshest products from the region, but his creativity goes far beyond the its borders.

Faulbrunnalm: Hermann Huber (Hotel Almhof Galtür)
Hermann Huber – for almost 40 years as a chef at the Huber-Hotel Almhof**** in Galtür – has achieved a lot. With his multiple award-winning cheese, he has already made a name for himself on the national and also international level. The hotelier, master chef and passionate dairy farmer does not want to rest on his laurels. Even today, he is inspired by both international, national, and of course most importantly regional products and dishes. Whether in the alpine dairy or a kitchen, he is always on the search for something new in order to stand out from the crowd.

Jamtalhütte: #YoungChefsPaznaun (Trofana Alm)
With enthusiasm and a lot of commitment, the #YoungChefsPaznaun bring regionality back to life. Sustainability is implemented in the highest quality every day. The Paznaun Cooks Club has existed since 1997. With the #YoungChefsPaznaun, young inquisitive successors have now also joined forces, and are making cooking an experience and the Paznaun Cooks Club has been given a new vitality. Young ideas from other kitchens and countries find their execution with local products and the symbiosis from distant lands with herbs, fish, game, cheese and fruits from the region results in exciting and often extraordinary flavour components on the plate.

Dates for cooking hikes and culinary summer evenings:
10th July (Almstüberl with Martin Sieberer), 23rd July (Hotel Yscla/Stüva with Benjamin Parth), 24th July (Friedrichshafener Hütte with Benjamin Parth), 30th July (Schlossherrenstube with Patrick Raaß), 31st July (Heidelberger Hütte with Patrick Raaß), 20th August (Hotel Fliana with Andreas Spitzer), 21st August (Ascherhütte with Andreas Spitzer), 3rd September (Trofana Alm with Raaß), 4th September (Jamtalhütte with #YoungChefsPaznaun), 17th September (Hotel Rössle with Hermann Huber), 18th September (Faulbrunnalm with Hermann Huber).

All information about the cooks and tours can be found at www.kulinarischerjakobsweg.paznaun-ischgl.com or www.paznaun-ischgl.com.