The Hochsteiermark or Upper Styria is a mountainous region of this southern Austrian province, settled between Semmering, Hochschwab and the Eisenerz Alps. Imposing mountains, gentle alpine landscapes and a unique wealth of forests and water allow you to immerse yourself in nature. Lived miners' customs with long traditions and at the same time innovations also bring living culture closer. And while you hike this beautiful terrain, you might also want to taste food in the alpine cabins. Upper Styrian delicacies such as Wurzelspeck, Wildkas and Gamswurzen seize to be difficult-pronounced names and become new tastes to remember.
Mountains, forest and water are typical for this region, and this is from where the local cuisine stems from. We have visited a small area of StreuObstRegion, which consists of only three villages: Stanz, Allerheiligen, and Mürzhofen. Extensive orchards with their mighty fruit trees, extensive hiking trails, beautiful alpine landscapes, natural areas, water in its most diverse kind, cultural heritage and genuine customs, culinary experiences and delicacies, special people invite you to treat yourself to a piece of "life". In the kitchens of its landlords, old orchards and wild fruits have long been found again. Their fruits are processed to traditional and innovative dishes and fine desserts and provide culinary delights. From single-variety apple juice and must, fruit strudel and apple bread to the Mostbraten, you will find all of this with our orchards and food artisans. And possibly try just anything made from apples; they even have an apple bread!
Among the various places of enjoyment, we visited Turmwirt. The Gasthof Turmwirt, a restaurant with an old tradition, has endeavoured for generations for the well-being of its small and large guests. The landlords and their team of hosts take care of your well-being and would like to make your stay as pleasant as possible for a quick meal, a party or a night's sleep. But don’t go for a quick meal, as Turmwirt is a place of fine rural cuisine. During the week, Turmwirt boasts with weekly menus, so familiar to us from Croatia! it consists of daily soup and main course. The soups are very important part of everyday nutrition in Austria. Tasty and rich soups are always present on the Austrian table, and in Turmwirt you can try parsley crème soup, beef soup with grated strudel, semolina dumpling soup (so typical Austrian!), potato-mushroom soup, and beef soup with Tyrolean dumplings. As for the main courses, it is something Austrians eat daily; the basis is a good piece of meat! Various schnitzels will be of true happiness for anyone into this classic Austrian dish, but you may also find vegetarian meals, such as champignon schnitzel, vegetable strudel, fried Emmentaler cheese and the likes. Everything good, plentiful and cheap for Austrian standards!
For more elaborate tastes, there are several traditional dishes that are very classically connected to Styria. One is the blood sausage (Blutwurst), served with sauerkraut and baked potatoes. The most common variant of Blutwurst is made from pork rind, pork blood and regionally different fillers such as barley. In Austria it is often prepared in a dish known as Blunzngröstl, which consists of pan-fried potatoes and blood sausage. This is usually served with freshly grated horseradish. Cooked beef is another classic, served here with baked potatoes and semolina or apple horseradish, an excellent combination which will not bring tears on your eyes, as the horseradish is balanced with the apple taste. G’röste Knödel is homemade semolina dumpling with baked onions, bacon and eggs, a dish for champions. Please, don’t stay in some wine cellar after this calorie bomb!
Anyone venturing though the Upper Styria may be well rewarded by visiting this small piece of orchard paradise!
Gasthof Turmwirt
A-8644 Kindberg – Mürzhofen, Turmgasse 2
Tel.: +43 3864 2312
email: office(@)turmwirt.at
www.turmwirt.at
Gallery (photos by Edvard Badurina & Turmwirt)
