alm44

As you make your way up to the mountain hut near Außerteuchen, the road grows narrow and the forest grows denser. At an altitude of 1,300 meters, the air is crisp and the view stretches across the green hills of Carinthia to the peaks of the Karawanks. Set right in the middle of this landscape is alm44, a typical Alpine cottage clad in dark wood. One step over the threshold, however, makes it clear that the “typical” ends there – Alps meets Boho is the theme, with carved farmhouse furniture and traditional folk-painted pieces placed alongside modern lighting, an old tiled stove beside a matte-black designer kitchen. Even the classic wooden chair with its little heart-shaped cut-out in the backrest could easily be mistaken for a contemporary design piece. Outside, an Acapulco chair sits on the terrace, right in front of the rustic picket fence. Old and new exist side by side here without any fuss. And that is no coincidence: the hostess herself is behind the interior. Munich-based interior designer Annette Payr has deliberately kept the paintings, painted doors, and furniture left behind by the previous owner, who used the alpine hut as an artists’ retreat, and complemented them with a few carefully chosen pieces. The vintage 1960s tiles in the bathroom have also stayed, as have the old wooden floors that softly creak underfoot. The garden smells of pine and fresh grass. Evenings are best spent out here, around the fire pit to watch the first constellations appear above the hills. At 1,300 meters, there isn't much more one could ask for.

WHAT WE LIKE MOST:

• The nostalgic character alongside modern details: old wooden floors and traditional farmhouse furniture paired with simple, contemporary interiors
• Cozy without tipping into kitsch: sheepskins, candles and soft lighting
• The large terrace running along two sides of the house, with a sunny spot to be found at almost any time of day
• Flowers, flowers, flowers: folk-painted floral motifs on furniture and in paintings, plus summer bouquets of wildflowers from the garden
• The working vintage typewriter, should a few days here suddenly turn into writing time
• The (almost) secluded setting among hills and forests on the edge of the Carinthian Nock Mountains
• Watching the sunrise over the Karawanks from the terrace – and then snuggling back under the covers
• The cows that peer curiously over the fence. With a little luck, you might also spot bats, hares, moles, deer, foxes, or salamanders around the cabin.
• Filling the small, portable outdoor ice bath with spring water for a proper cool-down after a day of hiking
• Stepping straight from the garden gate into the surrounding meadows and woods
• The fact that children are just as welcome here as adults.
• Two benches and a fire pit in the garden – ideal for lingering outside in the evening, with the hills stretching out beyond.

GOOD TO KNOW:

• Sleeps up to six: one bedroom with a double bed, one with bunk beds and another with a pull-out bed.
• Children are welcome: a cot and high chair are available on request, along with garden games and a hammock strung between the fruit trees.
• The fully equipped kitchen is ready for everything from Alpine dishes to favorite family recipes; the nearest options for shopping and dining are a 10- to 15-minute drive down in the valley.
• The water comes from a private spring.
• Available to book from April to October, as well as over Christmas and New Year
• For winter holiday stays, there are four nearby ski areas to choose from.
• Lake Ossiach offers surfing, sailing and stand-up paddleboarding; there are also smaller mountain lakes, and the thermal baths at Warmbad-Villach for rainy days.
• Getting there: Klagenfurt Airport is a 40-minute drive away; the train stations in St. Veit an der Glan and Villach are 50 to 60 minutes away by car; from Munich, the drive takes around four hours.
• Hostess Annette Payr also designed the alpine hut falkertsee13 – another one worth knowing about.