Alpine breakfast and picnic on the mountain around Innsbruck

Everything tastes better on the mountain. No matter whether it's the previous hike, the fresh air or the view: No breakfast tastes better than the one you have on the mountain! Of course, you can make your own breakfast package, pack a thermos flask and head off. If you prefer to be pampered, simply stop off at one of the numerous alpine huts and lodges around Innsbruck that offer breakfast. Here and there you can also pre-order a bulging picnic basket and enjoy it in a beautiful spot. More on that below.

For this article, I took an early morning culinary foray. The list makes no claim to be exhaustive!

Note: Please be aware of the current Corona regulations for restaurants! Prices as of summer 2021.

The culinary hike starts in the south of Innsbruck at the local mountain Patscherkofel. It is easily accessible from the city by bus and cable car and offers a variety of refreshment stops. Here you are spoilt for choice:

1. The Patscherkofel Schutzhaus offers daily breakfast specialities until 11:00. A traditional breakfast with sausage, cheese, farmhouse bread and egg dishes is served.
2. In the mountain station itself you can enjoy a delicious breakfast in the glassed-in restaurant The Kofel (table reservation recommended: Tel. +43 5702 10 501, E-Mail) from 9:00 to 10:30 a normal breakfast menu (e.g. spicy breakfast 12,90€). In addition, there is a brilliant indulgent 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 available by pre-order only and costs €26.40 for adults, €13.20 for kids (6-12 yrs). Combined tickets with the train cost 37,50€/19,90€.
3. Between Wednesday and Sunday there is also the possibility to Gourmet gondola breakfast to book! I have reported about it last year here on the blog already once in detail.

If you want to hike your breakfast on the Patscherkofel first, you can book it on Boscheben. " What could be better on a summer morning than to stretch your nose into the sun after a short, fine hike, let your gaze wander over the surrounding peaks and fill your belly with a delicious breakfast... The perfect start to the day!" says Clara, the hut hostess. The breakfast (from 9:00) with Birchermüsli, different kinds of cheese, sausage, eggs, fresh fruit, homemade spreads, juices, coffee, tea etc. is available for 15€ per person.

• Advance booking: yes under +43 660 2345396 or by e-mail
• Walking time to breakfast: around 45 minutes without many metres in altitude from the Patscherkofel mountain station
• Breakfast altitude : 2.030m

At 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 homemade bread and eggs from happily living chickens delight the soul according to the words of the Alm. At the Aldranser Alm there are also picnic baskets to go, more about this below in the article!

• Reservation: not necessary, breakfast from 9:00-11:00 a.m
• Walking time to breakfast: 2,5 hrs. | 600 hm
• Altitude for breakfast: 1.511m

Hearty and tasty breakfast for early risers is available at the Sistranser Almfor 14,20€. The breakfast includes fried bacon with eggs, tomato and onion, ham, cheese, alpine butter, jam, a fresh bread basket, yogurt and a choice of hot drink and a soft drink.

• Advance booking: yes under+43 699 100 18 948
• Walking time to breakfast: 1,5-2 hrs | 700 hm
• Altitude for breakfast: 1.608m

Continuing 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, yoghurt for € 12,90 per person. The breakfast without salmon and prosecco - so drink, sausage, cheese, fruit, tomatoes, yogurt at a price of € 10.90 per person. My source says: "this breakfast is tremendous and recommendable!"

• Booking in advance: yes under +43 5232 81419
• Walking time to breakfast: 1-1.5 hrs | 500Hm from the Gasthof Adelshof bend
• Breakfast altitude: 1.778m

From Monday to Friday there is a breakfast brunch at the beautifully located Adolf Pichler Hut for 14€ per person, including two hot drinks. The breakfast buffet is even available from 6:30 a.m. - together with the overnight guests. Otherwise, you can brunch comfortably until 12:00, then it will be prepared on request. There is sausage, cheese, bacon, Bircher muesli, cornflakes, chocolate muesli, juice, yoghurt, jam, honey plus drinks. Karin and Andrea, the two hut keepers, also like to make purely vegetarian buffets, with vegetable sticks and dips - completely individual.

• Advance booking: yes under +43 720 702 724
• Walking time to breakfast: from the Kemater Alm car park approx. 1 hour.
• Breakfast altitude: 1.977m

If you book in advance, you can have a great mountain breakfast at the Rosskogelhütte on Rangger Köpfl for 18€.

• Advance booking: yes under +43 5232 81419
• Walking time to breakfast: from Stiglreith car park 1.5 hrs | 400Hm
• Breakfast altitude: 1.778m

About 40 minutes from Innsbruck is the Mieminger Plateau. Very popular here is the Almfrühstück on the Stöttl Almwhich belongs to the 5* Hotel Schwarz. The breakfast is served daily from 9:30 to 12:00, the hut brunch even goes until 14:00.

• The Breakfast includes: Jams, honey, farm butter, yoghurt, fruit salad, cereals, cheese, sausage, scrambled eggs, a bread basket and orange juice, as well as a hot drink of your choice at 18€.
• The hut brunch at 35€ per person extends the offer with Nutellapalatschinken, scrambled eggs with fried bacon, white sausage with sweet mustard and Prosecco.

The walk is more of a stroll and takes about 20-30 minutes from the car park. My tip: On this occasion, definitely pay a visit to the Steirerhof farm shop. Here you can find many delicacies for breakfast at home..

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

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

You can also get breakfast at the huts and alpine pastures between the Seegrube and the city. For example, at the Umbrüggler Alm, which attracts with great architecture and top cuisine, no matter what time of day. The walking time from Hungerburg is just 30-40 minutes.

• On the New Magdeburger Hut you can have breakfast for 11,50€ after advance booking.
• In the Dorfstadl in Kühtai (without hiking) you can have breakfast for 20€ per person.
• On the Rinner Alm you can also have breakfast by reservation.
• The New Alplhütte in Mieming also offers breakfast. The cake here is also very recommendable!
• At the Götzner Alm you can have breakfast a la carte!

What would summer be without a picnic? Around Innsbruck you can get picnic baskets with delicacies at different places. For example at these four alpine pastures and restaurants:

Blanket, basket and brunch package can be ordered in advance on weekends at the Aldranser Alm. There are two baskets to choose from: Brunch basket 1 contains: Bacon, ham (Demlhof), cheese, 2x eggs for snack, butter, jam, homemade bread, 2x rolls, fresh fruit, 2x coffee of your choice, 0,5l freshly squeezed juice for 30€. Brunch basket 2: Ham (Demlhof), cheese, egg in a glass, butter, jam, homemade bread, 2x bread rolls, goat caprese, melon & bacon, yoghurt from Taxerhof with fresh fruit, 2x coffee of your choice, 0,5l freshly squeezed juice, Prosecco Piccolo at 45€. Pick up between 9:30-11, pre-order until Friday 17:30 under+43 699 13311212.

If you are not an early riser, you will get your culinary money's worth with a picnic basket, e.g. for brunch. The Picnic basket on the Nordkette includes Tyrolean bacon, Kaminwurzen, mountain cheese, sour vegetables, fresh horseradish, mustard, butter, apple and pastries. The €16 picnic must be pre-ordered by 5pm the day before by calling +43 664 88 44 78 16 or emailing seegrube@don.at. If you don't have a backpack with you, you can borrow one for a deposit.

The restaurant at the new campsite on the Mieminger Plateau also offers breakfast and picnic. The picnic includes: Belly bacon, dry sausages, mountain cheese, smoked spread, herb curd, Jausen eggs, horseradish, house mustard, vegetables, fruit, farmhouse bread, apple strudel, 1 thermos of coffee or tea, 2 soft drinks, 1 bottle of water at 21€ per person. For two euros more, there is also a Mediterranean picnic as an alternative. The picnic basket is available from 2 people on pre-order.

For some quality time for two with mountain views, you can also pick up a picnic basket in Innsbruck. The Small & Fine has various themed baskets on offer.

I hope I was able to inspire you with this foray for your next breakfast out and wish you a great start to the day with a mountain view!

By the way, if you're looking for a nice place to sit and enjoy the city, you can find inspiration from my fellow blogger Chris