Bus Stop Jause

Of all the locations reachable by hiking buses from Schladming, Eschachalm at the end of Obertal is probably the least spectacular. True, an hour and a half walk uphill can take you to the Duisitzkar lake, which is very beautiful, but getting out of the bus at its last stop does not immediately present you with great sights, apart from a public toilet and the Eschachalm hut.

I stopped at the hut on my way back from the lake, feeling quite hungry. According to the menu, Eschachalm makes its own bread, and it was not bad, though to be honest I would not be able to distinguish it from a non-homemade one. The Brettljause’s ingredients, on the other hand, were definitely not homemade, as the presence of a cabanossi sausage made very clear.

Surprisingly, it was still a very tasty Brettljause with a distinct Styrian flair. Mainly, that was thanks to a thick slice of a strong cheese (the second provided cheese type was unexciting), very fresh and creamy butter and authentic, not-too-fat and not-too-salty Verhackertes. Two types of Speck concluded the dish, of which I preferred the fattier Bauchspeck.

I liked the hut, I liked the service (even though I was sitting behind a corner, the owner came out regularly to check if I needed anything) and enjoyed the Brettljause, but I just wish there would have been more to it – an extra spread or a spicy Hauswurst. More green stuff and stronger horseradish would have been nice, too. Eschachalm is fine if you are not planning to walk up to the lake (though why miss the main attraction?), but if Duisitzkarsee is on your itinerary, I would recommend a Brettljause at Fahrlechhütte instead – it’s better and you get a fantastic view over the lake as an extra.