Almhütte Traunsee - auf dem Feuerkogel

The electricity charge was a real shock. It’s billed separately at 70 cents per kilowatt-hour, so for four full days we paid €200. At the time, the average price in Upper Austria was 29 cents. That feels completely unreasonable to me, even though the charge is mentioned on Airbnb. The place is well equipped and right on the slopes, but there were nine of us and we were often out skiing. We could only partly control the TV and heating. The TV stayed on a static screen, and the electric heating was governed by the ambient temperature. We also used wood for extra heat, so the electric heating would hardly have needed to run.

There’s plenty of room for 12 people, and the kitchen is equipped well for a group that size. This is a lovely self-catering cabin right in the middle of the Feuerkogel ski area, with modern features like infrared heating, a sauna, TV and reliable internet. In summer, the mountain setting also gives you lots of hiking options.

The cabin was clean and furnished very nicely. We stayed in September, soon after the flooding, or rather the snowfall on the Feuerkogel. The owner had told us in advance that the staff might not be able to get everything ready, but they found solutions and gave us a bottle of sparkling wine to make up for it. We also needed another cabin because of the group size, and the one from Hüttenresort24 was awful despite costing practically the same. This cabin was top-notch.

Arriving in a storm can be quite an adventure, so check the conditions first. Once there, the views are incredible by day and night: Lake Traunsee, the Traunstein mountain, the Totes Gebirge range, the Dachstein massif, and even the Mühlviertel region. The cabin sits in a small village on the Feuerkogel at 1600m, and the kitchen is very well equipped for 12 people. The owner communicates really well. There’s a small but excellent ski area, good snowshoe routes with wide views, and options for ski touring. Mountain restaurants and huts are available too, so you don’t have to be entirely self-sufficient. We’ll be back!