10th anniversary of the Culinary St. Jacobs Way in Paznaun
Last updated on 02.07.2018
The Culinary St. Jacobs Way celebrates its 10th anniversary with five traditional Tyrolean dishes creatively interpreted by five award-winning chefs. From 8 July until the end of summer, visitors hiking along the Culinary St. Jacobs Way can explore five routes to delicious alpine cuisine made from locally sourced ingredients and prepared by five celebrity chefs: Harald Wohlfahrt, Heinz Winkler, Sven Wassmer, Michael Wignall and Arabelle Meirlaen.
Five award-winning chefs, five gourmet routes to five secluded mountain huts in the Paznaun valley and five traditional alpine dishes with a contemporary twist. In 2018, the Culinary St. Jacobs Way brings celebrity chefs to the Tyrolean Alps for the 10th season under the patronage of Gault&Millau Chef of the Century Eckart Witzigmann. Each chef will be responsible for the dining experience in one mountain hut, where they will create their own contemporary version of regional specialties. The culinary trail opens on 8 July until the end of summer. On 8 July 2018, the celebrity chefs will join hikers on their way to their respective mountain huts, where they will prepare their dishes with the mountain hut staff. For the 10th anniversary, the event has invited the chefs Harald Wohlfahrt, Heinz Winkler, Sven Wassmer, Michael Wignall and Arabelle Meirlaen. Culinary tip: At the Culinary St. Jacobs Way summer fête on 19 August, all five dishes can be tasted at the Ascherhütte mountain hut. For more information visit: https://www.ischgl.com/en/events/summer-highlights/culinary-st-jacobs-way.
Gourmet hiking with culinary chefs
For the 10th anniversary of the Culinary St. Jacobs Way, the mountain huts Friedrichshafener Hütte, Heidelberger Hütte, Ascherhütte, Jamtalhütte and Almstüberl have become the coveted summer destinations for gourmet hikers. The celebrity chefs Harald Wohlfahrt, Heinz Winkler, Sven Wassmer, Michael Wignall and Arabelle Meirlaen have each taken over the running of one of the huts for the entire summer and added their own contemporary touch to the traditional alpine cuisine. The criteria are the same for all the chefs: the dishes must have a Tyrolean accent and made from locally sourced ingredients. Creative interpretations are welcome. Insider tip: At the opening event on 8 July, the new creations will be prepared and presented in the five huts by the celebrity chefs. The culinary trail will then be open to visitors for the entire summer to explore the five gourmet routes and savour the delicious recipes. Culinary tip: At the Culinary St. Jacobs Way summer fête on 19 August, all five dishes can be tasted at the Ascherhütte mountain hut. The coordination of the celebrity chefs and their recipes will be overseen in 2018 by the multi-award-winning chef Martin Sieberer. With three Gault&Millau toques and 18 points, Sieberer, who runs the Paznaunerstube restaurant at Hotel Trofana Royal is Tyrol’s most decorated chef and one of the best in Austria. Tip for holiday cyclists: All participating mountain huts are easily accessible by e- and mountain bike. Bikes can be rented in Galtür, Ischgl, Kappl or See.
Friedrichshafener hut: Heinz Winkler
“Food should inspire and not burden” is the motto of 2-star chef Heinz Winkler. The “cuisine vitalite” signature of the most awarded chef in Germany is based on old recipes with many fresh herbs, and is known for combining contemporary sophistication with the traditional. Winkler has been the owner and chef of the *****Hotel Residenz Heinz Winkler in Aschau in Chiemgau since 1991. In 2001 he was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit for his services to the reputation of German gastronomy abroad.
Heidelberger hut: Harald Wohlfahrt
Harald Wohlfahrt is known for meeting the high expectations of gourmet guests from all over the world with his exquisite culinary interpretations. As head chef at the Schwarzwaldstube restaurant in Hotel Traube Tonbach in Baiersbronn-Tonbach, he was awarded three Michelin stars, which he maintained for 25 consecutive years from 1992 until his handover in 2017 – the only chef in Germany to achieve this. In 2004 he was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit. In 2005, he was honoured with the “l’Art de Vivre” honorary award for the promotion of gourmet culture in Germany and for his extraordinary lifetime achievement. The only other persons to have been recognised with this accolade are Eckart Witzigmann and Martin Öxle.
Jamtalhütte: Sven Wassmer
The secret to Sven Wassmer’s success is: “I cook what nature in Vals offers”. The young chef from the Frick valley has been influencing the new Swiss cuisine since 2015. Deeply rooted in the here and now, the alpine chef creates his seasonal cuisine with the utmost precision based on the rich nature of the region. For his dishes, Wassmer forages for wild fruits, herbs and mushrooms on the steep slopes of the Bündner mountains, catches char from the glacier waters in the nearby district of Cumbel and grows his potatoes in the Albula valley. He then designs his creations by combining the edible treasures from the region with the best ingredients from around the world.
Almstüberl: Michael Wignall
Michael Wignall surprises his discerning guests with a harmonious combination of new, unusual ingredients and flavours. For this, the Englishman delves into the culinary inspirations of his travels and fuses them with local British produce. With an eye for the smallest detail and penchant for absolute perfection, the extreme sports enthusiast always offers the finest in terms of the composition, design and taste of his ingredients. Since 1993, Wignall has been awarded Michelin stars in every kitchen he has headed under his unconventional approach to gourmet cuisine. His move from The Latymer to Gidleigh Park in Chagford was rewarded with two Michelin stars in 2016. In 2017 he was awarded – unparalleled in the 61-year history of the English AA-awards – five Rosettes midyear for his cooking skills.
Ascherhütte: Arabelle Meirlaen
Arabelle Meirlaen indulges guests at her restaurant Arabelle Meirlaen in Marchin, Belgium with her tasty, charming and sometimes even unconventional cuisine. She masterfully combines new and traditional culinary techniques. “Cooking is not a discipline governed by rules and regulations, everyone has their own style. Here we offer a feminine cuisine, a combination of my intuitions and creativity that is in symbiosis with nature, and my spontaneity,” says Meirlaen. Her sources of inspiration from childhood memories and her intuition give her cuisine a feminine, light, poetic touch that is full of emotion. For this purpose, the Belgian’s menu is based on natural cuisine. Her keyword: Vitality. To get the best ingredients, she forages for wild plants with a herbalist, without losing sight of local produce, vegetables and rare garden herbs. With success. Her achievements include Gault&Millau Chef of the Year 2014, one Michelin star and 18 Gault&Millau points.
Culinary St. Jacobs Way holiday package
If you want to experience the Culinary St. Jacobs Way and savour all five dishes along the alpine hiking route, then book your summer holiday in the Paznaun valley between 8 July to the end of summer 2018: five nights in Paznaun staying in a hotel category of your choice plus all the services of the “Silvretta Card all inclusive” is available from € 153 per person including breakfast. Book now: www.paznaun-ischgl.com.
Money saving tip: “Silvretta Card all inclusive”
Hikers and mountain bikers staying at least one night in Paznaun can have access to free local services with the “Silvretta Card all inclusive” guest card. The card offers free use of cable cars and chairlifts in the entire Paznaun region, ensuring all mountain bike trails, hiking routes and alpine pastures can be enjoyed free of charge. If you need a refreshing dip after an active morning, you can cool off in one of the indoor or outdoor pools in Ischgl or Galtür free or charge, as well as in the lake at See. Also included are: bus journeys in Paznaun and the toll on the famous Silvretta High Alpine Road. For more information visit: https://www.ischgl.com/en/active/cycling-hiking/silvretta-card-all-inclusive.
For more information about the chefs and the hikes please visit https://www.ischgl.com/en/events/summer-highlights/culinary-st-jacobs-way or https://www.paznaun-ischgl.com/en.