Important information at a glance
The Unternberg is always in season. But it’s particularly beautiful in winter when the mountains are covered in white and the mulled wine is steaming in the mountain hut. That’s when snowshoe hikers, toboggan fans, ski tourers and sun worshippers never want to go back down to the valley.
Touring ski skins glide rhythmically over the snow. It’s the only sound that can be heard, otherwise it’s totally silent, the silence of winter. Snow has covered everything. The houses in the valley get smaller and smaller, shrinking together into a cute miniature town. The view gets wider with every step, over the Alpine foothills as far as Lake Chiemsee, Bavaria’s sea. Heading over trodden tracks and up an abandoned slope as far as the ridge.
The Unternberg may not be Ruhpolding’s highest mountain, it’s not the steepest either, there aren’t any spectacular stories about who first conquered it and anyone who likes to take things easy can get to the top by chair lift without any effort at all. But once you reach the ridge and see the imposing mountain peaks opening up in front of you for the first time, your heart will overflow. While the scenery towards the north is charming, gentle and hilly, it’s mighty and impressive in the south. The Sonntagshorn and Dürrnbachhorn, Hörndlwand, Loferer Steinberge and Wilder Kaiser mountains. You simply can’t get enough. You can continue marching on a high mountain trail up to the Unternberg peak and Unterbergalm.
Florian Müller is the innkeeper here. He has a lot of ties with the mountain. His great-grandmother was the first dairymaid up here. Florian is a chef, hotelier, bartender and passionate restaurateur. The 29-year old focuses on fresh cooking. “Traditionally modern”, is how he describes his culinary concept. He buys the ingredients from the region, local farmers are his suppliers. He also offers a small breakfast range. Where can you start the day more beautifully than up the mountain?
The mountain hut was totally rebuilt in the summer of 2017 following serious storm damage. With lots of wood for cosiness and large window fronts because of the view. Snowflakes dance in front of your face while you’re sitting in the warm and cosy setting. There’s no better spot than the large terrace on sunny days. In winter you sit cuddled up in soft blankets. Tobogganists come up with the Unternberg cable car and get off right next to the hut. After a refreshment stop, all ages zoom down the roughly five kilometre long run. And usually get straight back on again at the bottom. As it was so brilliant.
Ski tourers meet at the Unternbergalm on Tuesday and Thursday evenings to round off the day. Florian Müller stays open extra late then, just like for weddings and all kinds of celebrations. Carving down to the valley under a starry winter sky towards the glittering dolls’ houses with the clear snowy air around your face, that’s happiness. And gives you wonderful dreams.
