Stachlerhof

The huge balcony is a real treat, with chairs, a table, and amazing views of the gorge and the cliffs. You can hear the river rushing down the slope, though the nearby power lines also give off a hum if you listen closely. It barely bothered us. The view is a little interrupted by the lines, but that can't be helped. Walk down to the river if you can, the stones there have been shaped by centuries of water. The old house is kept clean and in good repair, with a modern kitchen. The owners live downstairs, and the whole upper floor has around 4-5 rooms set up as apartments. There’s one shared kitchen and one shared toilet, plus another toilet and a bathroom with a bathtub and shower. We had three rooms for our group and no neighbors, so sharing was easy. I don't know if they rent each room individually, so you might have neighbors or you might not. Each room has its own sink and mirror, which is handy and kind of fun. The kitchen has all the dishes and utensils you need. All the rooms facing the mountain valley open onto the balcony. The drive follows a winding road through an old Austrian village, and you don't really notice the route from the highway. The owner is a sweet woman who speaks very little English, just enough to get by, so some German helps. She keeps cows and chickens, and for an extra charge you can get fresh eggs and milk straight from the Alpine cow. There's no Teflon-coated frying pan. Don't ring the doorbell, it plays polyphonic music for a couple of minutes. The Wi-Fi was there in name only and didn't work. Still, sitting on the balcony with a glass of Zweigelt is nice.

It's in a lovely, peaceful spot a few kilometers beyond the village, though you'll want a good vehicle when the weather turns bad. The apartment is beautiful and very spacious, so even a big family or group can fit. The landlady is friendly too.

This farmhouse with holiday apartments sits inside the Hohe Tauern National Park - East Tyrol. It makes a good starting point for rewarding hikes.

The mountain town is beautiful and quiet, with impressive views. Grossglockner is about an hour away by car.