Sonntagalm

Sonntagalm (also known as Sonntagsalm or Sonntag-Grundalm) is a working alpine farm (Alm) and mountain hut (Berghütte) in the Kitzbühel Alps, within the municipality of Neukirchen am Großvenediger in the Austrian state of Salzburg. It sits in the Trattenbachtal valley, where the uppermost Trattenbach stream arrives from the west from the Trattenbachalm and the Filzbach valley joins from the north. The operation has been in the possession of a single Neukirchen family for around 300 years; their home farm is the Krausenhof (a youth guesthouse) in the Venedigersiedlung. The Sonntagalm is technically a lower alpine pasture (Niederalm or Niederleger), which is why it is also called Sonntag-Grundalm. The Untere Sonntagalm, at 1,521 m above sea level, is now only a stable and stands directly by the stream. The upper pasture, the Sonntag-Hochalm, lies on the Steinkogel at 2,006 m, below the 2,299 m summit. Around 40–50 head of cattle are driven up each summer under an alpine grazing quota (Almkontingent) of 35,000 kg. The pastures cover roughly 200 hectares of alpine ground across about 1 km², including a private hunting reserve. Access was historically difficult: until about 1990 visitors could drive only as far as the valley basin and then had to climb on foot to the pastures. Until then a material lift ran from the Untere Sonntagsalm to the Grundalm, but it was destroyed by an avalanche shortly before, along with the farm's stable. A forest road was first built on the south-western slope with a connection to the Sonntagsalm, and about two years later direct vehicle access was completed. The improved forest roads made modernisation much easier. At the same time, a new house with a restaurant and overnight accommodation was built above the old Sonntagalm. The old Sonntagshütte remains available in summer and winter as a self-catering hut, while the new hut is open during the alpine summer. The ascent is easy from Neukirchen or Wald through the Trattenbachtal; the trail is laid out as a themed path with stations on Goethe's theory of colour for children. The hut serves as a base for tours to neighbouring alpine pastures in adjacent Tirol and to the Pinzgau pastures, and for summits including the Steinkogel (2,299 m), Kröndlhorn (2,444 m), Wildkogel (2,224 m), Gamskogel (2,206 m) and Großer Rettenstein (2,366 m). Hikers can also cross the Kitzbühel main ridge via the Filzscharte (1,686 m) and descend through the Windauer Achental to Westendorf.

The Sonntagalm has been in the possession of a single family from Neukirchen am Großvenediger for around 300 years. Their home farm is the Krausenhof, now a youth guesthouse in the Venedigersiedlung. The operation is structured as a lower pasture (Niederalm, also called Sonntag-Grundalm) and an upper pasture (Sonntag-Hochalm) on the Steinkogel. The Untere Sonntagalm at 1,521 m is now only a stable by the stream, while the Hochalm lies at 2,006 m below the 2,299 m Steinkogel summit. For most of its history the pasture was reached only on foot. Until about 1990, visitors could drive only as far as the valley basin and then had to climb to the pastures. A material lift ran from the Untere Sonntagsalm to the Grundalm, but it was destroyed by an avalanche shortly before, together with the farm's stable. A forest road was then built on the south-western slope with a connection to the Sonntagsalm, and about two years later direct vehicle access was completed. The new forest roads made modernisation considerably easier. At the same time, a new house with a restaurant and overnight accommodation was built above the old Sonntagalm. The old Sonntagshütte remains available in summer and winter as a self-catering hut, while the new hut is open during the alpine summer. Today the pasture carries around 40–50 head of cattle under an alpine grazing quota of 35,000 kg, across roughly 200 hectares of alpine ground (about 1 km²), including a private hunting reserve. The ascent from Neukirchen or Wald through the Trattenbachtal is easy and is laid out as a themed trail with stations on Goethe's theory of colour for children. The hut serves as a base for tours to neighbouring pastures in Tirol and the Pinzgau, and for summits such as the Steinkogel, Kröndlhorn, Wildkogel, Gamskogel and Großer Rettenstein, as well as the crossing of the Kitzbühel main ridge via the Filzscharte to Westendorf.

• The Sonntagalm has been in the possession of a family from Neukirchen am Großvenediger for around 300 years.

• Until about 1990, access was only as far as the valley basin on foot; a material lift from the Untere Sonntagsalm to the Grundalm was destroyed by an avalanche shortly before, along with the farm's stable.

• A forest road was built on the south-western slope with a connection to the Sonntagsalm; about two years later direct vehicle access was completed.

• With the forest roads, a new house with a restaurant and overnight accommodation was built above the old Sonntagalm.

Traditional family-run alpine farm and mountain hut catering to hikers and nature tourists in the Kitzbühel Alps.

• Alpine summer grazing (Almsommer) with around 40–50 head of cattle

• Restaurant and overnight accommodation in the new hut

• Sonntagshütte self-catering hut (summer and winter)

1. 1Sonntagalm – Wikidatawikidata.org
2. 2Sonntagalm – Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org
3. 3Sonntagalm official websitesonntagalm.at