The thing I like about hiking is that it’s usually nothing like what you think it would be. Looking at Google Maps, I was sure that the bus would take be to the end of a valley, from which walking to the Rotgülden lake would be a trivial affair requiring a few twists and turns but no real ascend. As it turned out, the bus made quite a journey climbing the mountains to the starting point of the hike to the lake. From there, it took me an hour to reach the lower lake, and after a half an hour of walking towards the upper lake (located over a very spectacular waterfall), I decided to give up, as the risk of accidental death due to negligence was quite real.
At 11:15 am, when I saw the lower lake and the nearby Rotgüldenseehütte for the first time, the surroundings appeared anything but friendly. The hut had only two visitors, whose tiny dogs decided to attack me, leading to a complete over-reaction from their owners, who were throwing stuff at them and shouting to persuade them to become friendlier. After my unsuccessful foray to the upper lake, however, the hut started to fill up with people, and the sun came up, not only making me generally happier, but also revealing parts of the scenery (the very high mountains in the background), which I had missed at first.
That was when I ordered the Brettljause, expecting nothing but a very industrial, supermarket-originated kind of cold cuts. I could not have been more wrong. The Brettljause was prepared not only by someone who despised supermarkets, but also had a very good feeling at what Brettljause fans might be looking for.
Simply glance at the number of cheeses on the photo. I would lie it I said they tasted very different, but they were different cheeses, and it is highly unusual to find such a variety at a mountain hit. The meats were great, too, quite certainly coming from local producers who were friends of the hut’s renters. No bits I dislike (black pudding, liver) were present, while the head cheese was so tasty, it was for me one of the dish’s highlights.
Furthermore, looking at the photo, notice the pumpkin spread, very tasty even outside Styria and the jam/chutney meant to improve the “cheese experience.” The cook did not take his/her job lightly; it is one of the best Brettljausen you can try not only in the remote areas of Lungau, but anywhere. A few people around me were giving accolades to other dishes they had ordered, and I can easily believe that Rotgüldenseehütte’s crew takes its cooking job very seriously.
Rotgüldensee is a true hidden gem, which every Austrian nature lover must pay a visit to, and Rotgüldenseehütte, at least as long as managed by the same people as now, is a perfect place to eat at, both in terms of friendly service and the quality of food.
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