Jagdhausalm 2.009 m

The Jagdhausalmen are nestled in a picturesque natural setting at 2,009 meters above sea level at the far end of the Defereggental. The Alm (mountain pasture) village consists of 16 stone houses, as well as the Maria-Hilf Chapel, and is one of the oldest Alms in Austria. As early as 1212, 6 Alm huts, which were called "Schwaighöfe" in the vernacular, demonstrably existed here. Since the settlement is above the tree line and therefore hardly any building timber was available, the houses were built almost entirely from locally occurring stones.Over the centuries, vast Alm landscapes emerged high above the tree line, grazed by farm animals and maintained by diligent farmers' hands. Located at 2,000 m above sea level and nestled between rocks and grassy meadows, they are often referred to as the "Little Tibet" of the Alps. Only a few decades ago, the dairymen here led an archaic life.As finds from the 7th millennium BC prove, the region around the nearby Klammjoch was already a popular campsite for hunters and gatherers in the early Stone Age. The houses of the Jagdhausalm itself today mostly serve as stables, storage rooms, and dwellings for the dairymen. Even today, despite some modernizations, one feels transported back to long-past times. A special feature is the nearby Oberhauser Zirbenwald (Swiss pine forest), the largest contiguous Swiss pine forest in the Eastern Alps. A popular photo motif is the so-called "Pfauenauge" (Peacock's Eye), hidden a few minutes' walk behind the Jagdhausalmen.The Jagdhausalm is also managed during the summer months.