Summer Archive

Floral Splendor along the Roman Road

22 June, 202525 June, 2025in Cycling, Spring, Summer, Workation by Florian Hohenberger

The longest night of the year begins with light. For the summer solstice, I was on the Jamnigalm to capture the awakening floral splendor of the alpine meadows in that special light that lasts only a few minutes: the blue hour.

As the sun slowly disappeared behind the Geissl, it changed – gentle, cool, and clear – and settled like a veil over the meadows and the idyllic alpine hut.

A moment that lasts

Between day and night, between spring and summer, between expansion and retreat – the photo series for the summer solstice reminds us how quiet and powerful nature can be.

And how cyclically everything repeats itself.

Experience even more magic of nature: Photo walk in the Seebachtal

Those who want to delve deeper into the world of nature photography in the Hohe Tauern National Park should not miss the photo walk “Natural Treasures of the Seebachtal”. Together with a ranger from the national park administration, participants discover the most beautiful light moments, perspectives and natural details – perfect for all who, like us, want to capture the beauty of the moment.

The Ankogel – one Mountain, many Lives, What Remains?

21 June, 202522 June, 2025in Alpine Club, Hiking Tours, Summer by Florian Hohenberger

It was a discovery that made me pause: The first page from August 15, 1957 in the tour book, slightly yellowed, in the handwriting of a twelve-year-old – my twelve-year-old father.

I had always skipped over this exact entry on the first page until now – twelve years old, every summer at the Hannoverhaus, marking trails with his father, my grandfather. Under the care of his mother, my grandmother, hut keeper at the Hannoverhaus. A childhood in the mountains that later shaped mine as well.

And what could I read there:

My place in the mountains

The story begins in the mountaineering village of Mallnitz, the small high-altitude health resort in the Hohe Tauern National Park, which is somehow just a point on the map – but for me, it’s home, heritage, and the heart of my family biography. My grandparents came to Mallnitz about 85 years ago, a popular tourist destination, also due to its development through the Tauern Railway. They started as hut keepers at the Hannoverhaus, a base camp for those wanting to climb the Ankogel – also known as the cradle of alpinism.

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The Ankogel – at 3,252 meters, the eponymous mountain of the Ankogel Group – is thus more than just a peak. It is a silent chronicler of those people who have visited, conquered, or simply marveled at it over the decades. Those who ascend from Mallnitz with the Ankogelbahn feel the change with their first step on the mountain: from everyday life to the extraordinary, from noise to clarity.

The tour to the Ankogel is no walk in the park

ALPIN – The Mountain Magazine has prepared this high-altitude tour with climbing (I+) for us. In my father’s stories, which included wind and weather as well as the hardships and dangers of the ascent, there was always a lesson. That’s how they are, the summits, rewarding goals and at the same time character-building.

Traces that remain

Today, decades later, I encounter the young generation of hikers, mountaineers with high-tech equipment, children with shining eyes on the over 150 km of hiking trails in and around Mallnitz. They are the mountain enthusiasts of today – digital, freedom-loving, freedom-seeking. And yet the experience remains the same: the contact with nature, the view into the valley, the slow realization that the essential is never loud.

For all those who set out – whether for the first time or on a search for traces – the mountains are silent teachers. They demand nothing but reverence – and give back what we often seek: perspective and orientation.

From the Hannoverhaus to the present

Tourism has changed, yes. But Mallnitz has remained true to itself. As an ÖAV-Mountaineering Village, it focuses on gentle development instead of mass experiences. On quality instead of speed. And also on hosts who know what a true mountain moment means – because they have experienced it themselves.

When I welcome guests today, I tell many stories that my father has already told. They are still true. That remains.

MISSION 3000 to the Ankogel

For all those who want to benefit from the comprehensive knowledge and experience of a mountain guide and want to climb the Ankogel, Klaus Alber (+43 676 526 4717) tauernclimb.com offers in cooperation with Alpine Pearls a summit tour to the great Ankogel. Price advantage for guests of an Alpine Pearls
member establishment.

Bicycles for our Summer Guests

20 June, 202520 June, 2025in Autumn, Cycling, Holiday Year, Spring, Summer by Florian Hohenberger

It was an exceptionally good location for hiking holidays. The view from the apartment already includes snow-capped mountain peaks. From this accommodation, you can directly reach beautiful hiking destinations. The friendly landlord is always available with advice and assistance. He also lends out bicycles in very good condition, which are included in the price. The mattresses are top-notch and the kitchen is perfectly equipped.

Petpad

The excellent location of the apartment, just a few minutes’ walk from the town center and in immediate proximity to the indoor swimming pool. From here, ideal opportunities for hiking or cycling. The landlord provided many useful tips about the nearby and wider surroundings.

Reinhard

Those who vacation in the mountains seek freedom. Freedom to spontaneously set off, for example, to buy regional products. Freedom to think without a car. Freedom to fill a sunny afternoon with a short bike tour to Lake Stappitz. At Apartments Hohenberger in Mallnitz, this is possible – without surcharge, without effort, without a guilty conscience.

Spontaneously mobile in the mountains - bicycles included

Because right at the house there are 9 mountain bikes (in sizes from XS to XL) ready, which our guests can use free of charge – First come, first serve. Whether for a trip to the town center, the quick way to the train station or a leisurely ride towards the Seebachtal – the bikes are ready. And because we know how important this kind of spontaneous everyday mobility is on vacation, these are not just any bikes: We trust our partner fitstore24.com who ensures that the mountain bikes are functional, well-maintained, and roadworthy.

Sustainable travel - Alpine Pearls makes it possible

Petpad

Reinhard

As an Alpine Pearls establishment, we focus on gentle mobility (Free shuttle from the train station for arrival and departure). The bicycles are just our contribution and an additional component of the larger mobility offer that can be fully utilized by guests of our holiday apartments

E-bikes or special models or sizes? → Wolligger Sports directly in town can help.
Longer distances or bad weather? → The on-call taxi service, the 3-valley hiking bus, and the bus network will comfortably take you to our stops.
If you need a car, there’s also an e-car from Family of Power in town.
And the best part: Many of these services can be used at a discount or free of charge with your Alpine Pearls guest card.

Petpad

Reinhard

Do we still have rooms available?

Tranquility, Space, Retreat – why a Vacation Apartment is Sometimes just Right

7 June, 20257 June, 2025in Autumn, Holiday Apartment, Spring, Summer, Winter by Florian Hohenberger

There are places where everyday life doesn’t disappear – but quietly steps aside.
Mallnitz, the ÖAV mountaineering village in the National Park Hohe Tauern in Carinthia, is such a place. Those who arrive by train switch to a different pace. And those who choose a vacation apartment there don’t decide against comfort – but for a gentle retreat into their own space.

What is often technically listed as a “self-catering apartment” is in truth a space for rituals: your own tea in the morning, a window seat with a view of the Tauern Valley, breakfast in pajamas, cooking with regional ingredients, without any time pressure.

The Luxury of Your Own Time

In the vacation apartment, no one asks if you need anything else. And sometimes that’s more soothing than any room service. The dining table isn’t decorated, but ready. The kitchen doesn’t expect stars, but ingredients with origin. And those who choose this often carry the desire not to play the role of a guest while traveling, but to take a place – for their vacation, for themselves.

For Those Who Prefer to Arrive Rather Than Just Travel

Apartments Hohenberger in Mallnitz follow this idea with quiet consistency. Not mountain chalets with open fireplaces and Instagram decor, but Alpine Home Apartments with clear lines, wooden floors, a tranquility that isn’t staged, but grown. The house is a family-run business with history, neither intrusive nor preachy. Those who want can get tips for hikes, excursions, farm shops. Those who prefer silence can simply be there.

The fact that you arrive here by train – directly from Vienna through the Tauern tunnel – isn’t about sacrifice, but experience. The arrival has weight. The transition is fluid. And when the sun wakes up the Tauern Valley in the morning, the window doesn’t open to a view, but to a feeling.

Time That Isn't Timed

A vacation apartment also means: not being served, but shaping. For many, this isn’t a step backward – but part of a self-determined, mindful way of traveling and vacationing. Not because it’s cheaper, but because it’s more authentic.

Those who come to the mountaineering village of Mallnitz aren’t looking for animation. They’re looking for forest paths, granite, fresh air, and time to hike. And sometimes all it takes is an apartment with a wide view and a decent bread knife.