{"id":18813,"date":"2018-10-02T21:31:00","date_gmt":"2018-10-02T21:31:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thesojournseries.com\/bavaria\/?p=18813"},"modified":"2018-10-06T10:43:28","modified_gmt":"2018-10-06T10:43:28","slug":"lunch-in-the-clouds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.thesojournseries.com\/bavaria\/lunch-in-the-clouds\/","title":{"rendered":"Lunch in the Clouds"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"lunch<\/p>\n

I don’t like to rely solely on the main travel\/eatery recommendation sites out there when exploring, I much prefer to opt for local (often more reliable, and often more interesting) recommendations instead.\u00a0 The bigger sites can after all often be unfairly manipulated by businesses, and it’s good to remember that what is seen as the epitome of cuisine\/accommodation to one person\/culture, can be another person’s nightmare… But sometimes, the well-known sites AND the local recommenders can get it right, as this post proves…<\/p>\n

Having been exceptionally lucky with the weather for the first chunk of our Vipiteno trip<\/a> (apart from when we were making our way there!) , we were able to forgive the weather on the last couple of days, when we woke up to thick cloud and torrential rain.\u00a0 \u00a0Just a few degrees colder, and we might have seen substantial snow!<\/p>\n

As we had spent the morning in our hotel pool<\/a> (it’s equally empty at breakfast as it is of an evening during dinner service!) all of us were more than ready for lunch!\u00a0 \u00a0We had already investigated various local eating recommendations in Vipiteno, and one that came at the very top of both local recommendations AND the big trip recommendation site that we hadn’t been to was Prantneralm<\/a>…\u00a0 Not that you will find it in the town itself by the way – Alm means Mountain pasture after all!) – this place perches at a reasonably loft 1800 feet above sea level,\u00a0 and has to be the best kind of reward at the end of a vertical 3 hour hike if you are brave enough (maybe not a Hiking with Kids recommendation<\/a>!).\u00a0 Or, if the weather is just one big damp cloud,\u00a0 it makes for a great destination at the end of quite an exciting drive (it’s also a stopping point in the middle of an extreme winter sledging trail should you be here at that time of year!)!<\/p>\n

I will admit to almost chickening out when I heard the phrase “quite a lengthy off-road track” come out of Mr R’s mouth, but after a bit of consideration I figured that our four-wheel drive hire car could deal with it (I am not sure I would consider it in anything but, especially in the winter!!), so we decided to go for it, and I am so glad we did…<\/p>\n

\"tiny<\/p>\n

After leaving Vipiteno behind in our rear view mirror, and passing the most beautiful little round chapel, the road suddenly began to climb.\u00a0 We passed many a farm (watching out for chickens literally crossing the road!) and chocolate box alpine dwelling, when suddenly we left the tarmac behind us and found ourselves in forest territory slowly winding our way up the mountain…<\/p>\n

\"prantneralm\"<\/p>\n

There were plenty of thoughts running through my head at this point – all of them of a “I hope we don’t get stuck”, “I hope we don’t damage the car”, and “I hope we don’t fall off the side of this mountain”theme!\u00a0 \u00a0 I might have been overreacting slightly with that last one, but the cloud was exceptionally thick!\u00a0 Most of all I was hoping we wouldn’t meet anyone coming the other way, which thankfully we didn’t…<\/p>\n

\"prantneralm
The Prantneralm – just visible<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Eventually Pranternalm<\/a> appeared mirage like close to the top,\u00a0 still completely shrouded by cloud, which would lift from time to time to give us a glimpse of a view that could only be described as heaven!\u00a0 Given that we felt like we were almost touching it, it wasn’t that far off really.<\/p>\n

\"prantneralm<\/p>\n

The Pranteralm is run by the genial Gogl family who welcome you in like one of their own.\u00a0 As we couldn’t really sit outside in the pouring rain (which was a real shame, because as well as boasting heavenly views, there’s a good playground and lots of animals to talk to including cows, horses, goats and a few rabbits too, not to mention the resident dogs!), we were made comfortable in the winter garden (conservatory) with the weather continually shape shifting outside (it made me think of The Magic Faraway Tree if anyone remembers that!) where we\u00a0feasted on the many dishes we miss from our second home – including a kinder schnitzel for the toddler that probably could have fed all of us, a house speciality of the best local dumplings (one spinach, one beetroot and one cheese, all three delicious!), and sauerkraut for the small boy who was more than happy with his fix (he still prefers this to mushy peas.\u00a0 I am training him slowly!).\u00a0 \u00a0 Mr R and the Small Girl went for the more Italian side of the menu with a local ragu, and an autumnal butternut squash pasta.\u00a0 All of it home made, all of it delicious.<\/p>\n

\"lunch
a schnitzel almost as big as he is…<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"knodel
Dumplings!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\"sauerkraut<\/p>\n

The Prantneralm isn’t just a refuelling point, it’s also a dairy – a little side line thanks to their alpine cows that graze the surrounding pastures.\u00a0 You can sample a good selection of home-made cheese here too, including the local Grey Cheese (Grauk\u00e4se) which is really typical for this part of the world…<\/p>\n

I will forever remember our lunch in the clouds and the little reminder that you sometimes need to leave the beaten track to find the most interesting places – whether that’s up a mountain or not, and also that perhaps sometimes the local recommendations AND the big travel advisory websites can be equally right too.<\/p>\n

\"lunch<\/p>\n

As an added bonus the view on the way down as good as it is up!…\u00a0 Highly recommended if you are in the area!<\/p>\n

Prantneralm,\u00a03949 Sterzing\u00a0<\/em>
\nEisacktal – Wipptal – South Tyrol\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

info@prantneralm.com<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Fifi<\/a><\/div>\n
\"CulturedKids\"<\/a><\/div>\n

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