Alpengasthof Hirschbichl

Alpengasthof Hirschbichl is a mountain inn and guesthouse in a former customs house on the Austrian side of the Bavaria–Salzburg border. It makes a good meal or overnight stop on the Klausbach Valley route, with guest rooms, vacation apartments and a shared dormitory. The listed hike from Ramsau is 14 km and about four hours, with 380 m of climbing; the ALMErlebnisBUS reaches the door. The listed ways in are on foot, by bike or by bus, so don't assume ordinary car access. The inn is seasonal, usually open from early May into mid-October; check dates before planning around it.

The restaurant uses regional produce and cooks on a traditional wood-burning stove. If it's on the menu, Kaiserschmarrn is the dish to look for. For a longer stay, the old customs house has guest rooms, vacation apartments and a shared dormitory.

Hirschbichl Pass was expanded from 1240 to carry salt from mines near Hallein toward Pinzgau, hauled over the steep route in horse-drawn carts. The former watchhouse became an inn in 1805. Beside it, an innkeeper-built chapel holds a Lourdes Grotto and still hosts a yearly service for nearby alpine-pasture farmers.