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Hidden gem: the Gesäuse – wild water steep cliffs and lovely holiday homes
The coffee steams in the morning chill on the balcony. Fifty metres below, the Salza winds its way through the valley, and opposite, at eye level, coniferous and deciduous trees glow in every shade of green, like a wall created by nature. In the distance, on the horizon, mountains and green meadows dotted with cows. It is as quiet as a bird’s chirp, and only the murmur of the emerald-green, glistening river drowns out the song of the birds. Seen from above, a few canoes and rafts bob like splashes of colour in red, blue and yellow over the waves of the Salza, past green, moss-covered stones. It is an idyll like a landscape painting – soothing, relaxing.
We are in the Gesäuse, the name of the region with its eponymous national park in northern Styria, which is likely little known to non-Austrians and which borders the Upper Austrian Limestone Alps. To be precise, we are in the small village of Palfau. Here, around ten years ago, Hermann Berger, a local entrepreneur, opened a holiday gem that was named the best chalet by the Falstaff Hotel Guide 2026.
Four Elements Living by Berger comprises four luxury holiday homes with private wellness areas, situated just outside Palfau. We are spending three nights in the two-storey, approximately 120-square-metre ‘Haus Wasser’, which appears to float high above the River Salza. A lift connects the floors, and the lower level features a glass-walled panoramic sauna, a freestanding bath, a shower and a relaxation area, as well as a hot tub on the sunny terrace. It is a romantic hideaway designed for relaxation – modern yet cosy in its décor, with floor-to-ceiling glazing on almost all sides and furnished with great care. It really lacks absolutely nothing, and you almost hope the holiday will be completely rainy, so that you don’t have to set foot outside at all without a guilty conscience and can simply enjoy the comforts of the house.
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- That first cup of coffee in the morning, listening to the birdsong and looking out from the balcony at the Salza, glistening emerald green 50 metres below.
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- View from the balcony onto the first-floor terrace with the hot tub and the Salza river, and a little further on, behind the trees, the ‘Haus Luft’.
But first, breakfast! It arrives in a basket at the front door at 8 o’clock sharp – depending on which option you’ve ordered – and communication is friendly and straightforward via WhatsApp with Hermann Berger’s partner, Carmen Moser – making for a delicious start to the day: fresh baked goods from the local bakery. Yoghurt, cheese and eggs from local farmers, homemade jam, finely sliced fruit and vegetables, muesli, and a small, enchanting flower arrangement to go with it – all you have to do is set the table and enjoy. Incidentally, you can also order dinner from a nearby award-winning restaurant, book a private chef, or opt for a sumptuous barbecue package with fine meat or fish of your choice. There’s a large gas barbecue right outside the front door, along with logs and an axe – just in case the wood supply by the living room fireplace isn’t quite enough. Of course, you can also try your hand at cooking in the well-equipped kitchen.
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- The bedroom area in ‘Haus Wasser’, featuring a walk-in shower and washbasin, is modern yet cosy.
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- A spot with a view: the daybed in ‘Haus Wasser’ is ideal for spending a few hours reading or simply relaxing. Of course, Mexx the Bearded Collie isn’t allowed to lie on it, but he prefers the cool, grey stone floor anyway.
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- Private chef Susanne Moser is preparing a delicious five-course vegetarian meal for us at ‘Haus Wasser’.
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- Every house has a cosy, crackling fireplace. Firewood is kept handy.
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- A welcome gift for guests: an enchanting floral arrangement featuring snowdrops adorns a glass jar filled with biscuits and fruit.
We set off on a hike to the Wasserlochklamm gorge, a ten-minute drive away. According to a local friend, it’s ‘impressive even for Austrians, who are used to seeing plenty of waterfalls’. That’s absolutely spot on, without the slightest exaggeration! Via a wildly romantic, steep staircase with 13 steps, the path winds its way up the gorge for a good 300 metres, past roaring waterfalls plunging many metres into the depths, all the way up to the Palfauer Wasserloch – a mysterious wonder. For the mighty spring cave, where the staircase ends, arches over a kilometre-deep, tubular siphon lake which, at irregular intervals depending on the season and weather, suddenly ‘spits out’ vast quantities of water. Only nature knows exactly when this spectacle will occur, and lucky is the person standing at the Palfauer Wasserloch at that very moment. Those who aren’t so lucky are rewarded all the same: the view down into the valley of the Salza, glowing in a magnificent green and turquoise, and the surrounding mountains is simply wonderful.
Incidentally, the gorge was completely inaccessible until the 1980s. The local council then had the well-secured climbing route built under difficult conditions and opened it to hikers in 1994. It is definitely worth the entrance fee of €14 for adults and €7.50 per dog. Tip: The climb is challenging to difficult, so only set off on the hike – which involves an ascent of around 1.5 hours – in sturdy footwear with good grip and take something to drink with you.
Back at Four Elements Living by Berger, water remains our element. After the sauna, with its fascinating view through the floor-to-ceiling glass wall into the Styrian jungle, and an ice-cold shower, the bubbling hot tub on the terrace is just the thing to relax your calf muscles after the hike. Good to know: the water in the hot tub is changed for guests every time – it really is a place to feel at ease here.
At 7 pm sharp, Susanne Moser rings the doorbell. The private chef is standing at the door with a handcart. She has everything she needs to conjure up a delicious five-course vegetarian meal in our kitchen over the next few hours. As she prepares the starter – a creamy date and curry spread with freshly baked, still-warm bread – she tells us that she often cooks for guests who frequently travel from nearby Vienna or Hungary.
It is now dark outside, the fire in the fireplace crackles with cosy warmth, and we enjoy the fine dinner of beetroot carpaccio with salmon and coriander oil, a creamy, light cauliflower soup, a delicious cashew and vegetable curry, and, for a sweet finale, a quark cream with fruit and mini dumplings. We drink champagne that we’ve brought with us, though the wine cabinet in the house is very well stocked at fair prices. Susanne Moser serves us, clears the table, turns on the dishwasher and wishes us a good night – a wonderful day comes to an end.
We sleep like logs in the Styrian tranquillity of the Gesäuse, tucked under duvets made of alpaca wool – we meet the lovely animals that provide the wool the following day, which we spend just as wonderfully relaxed as the day before, only with a different hiking destination: up to the Naturfreundehaus and Gamsstein.
There is no shortage of hiking and MTB destinations in the picturesque Gesäuse. You just need to ask Hermann Berger for a tip. The sporty entrepreneur knows every nook and cranny, even by raft on the Salza or Enns.
Four Elements Living by Berger is a place I would visit again in a heartbeat.
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- The trail on stairs and ladders its way up through the Wasserlochklamm gorge, past roaring waterfalls, in a scene of wild romance.
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- In this bath, the world and everyday life seem a long way off.
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- On the way to Palfau’s local mountain, the Gamsstein, which stands at a good 1,700 metres, you pass charming alpine huts.
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- With windows all round offering stunning views of the outdoors and seeming to float above the Salza: Mexx and I agree – we love “Haus Wasser”. Mexx also thinks the path from the house down to the river and the little sandy beach is lovely.
Information, directions and tips:
“Haus Wasser” for 2 people from 400 euros per night, including breakfast of your choice
Directions:
The journey by car, for example from Stuttgart to Palfau (Austria), takes approx. 5.5 to 6 hours (around 500–530 km). The route takes you along the A8 towards Salzburg, then onto the A1/A10/A11, or via the A9, through Munich/Salzburg and the Styrian Ennstal valley in the Gesäuse – a scenic route that looks a bit like Little Canada.
Don’t forget the Austrian motorway vignette! If you’re caught without one, the fine is around 120–150 euros.
Tip:
On the way there or back, visit the nearby Benedictine Abbey of Admont. Founded in 1074, it is magnificent and boasts the world’s largest monastic library, which was regarded as the ‘eighth wonder of the world’ during the Baroque period. Absolutely worth a visit!
Further information:
Entrepreneur and owner Hermann Berger is set to open another building in Palfau in summer 2026, featuring a restaurant and an outdoor pool for all guests to enjoy.
In addition to the four holiday homes at Four Elements by Berger, he also rents out another luxury property: Haus Rosa for four people from 650 euros per night, with a choice of breakfast, situated on a sunny hilltop outside Landl. I’ve visited it and think it’s absolutely stunning! The sweeping views of the valley and the Gesäuse mountains are unbeatable. What’s more, it is very spacious, elegantly modern yet cosy and relaxed in its décor, and features an outdoor pool heated all year round with a terrace, sun loungers, a barbecue and seating. Inside, guests can enjoy a panoramic and infrared sauna, as well as two beautiful bedrooms with balconies, stunning views and freestanding baths. My opinion: Discerning guests will find everything they could wish for.
Below Haus Rosa and his private residence lie the stables and outdoor enclosure for his 16 alpacas. These picture-perfect, alert and curious animals lift your spirits simply by their presence, and they also provide the wool that Hermann Berger has processed into duvets or shoe insoles at a nearby workshop.
The visit took place at the kind invitation of Four Elements Living by Berger.
Photo credits: Four Elements Living by Berger (3), Hermann Berger (1), Petra Kirsch (13), Patrick Heisch (3)
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- Brown, white, black, grey – alpacas are pretty, friendly but shy animals.
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- I’m head over heels in love with this friendly, curious animal. On request, Hermann Berger and Carmen Moser show visitors their 16 or so alpacas. The duvets in the holiday homes are made from the animals’ wool. Thank you, Hermann Berger, for the photo.
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- Hermann Berger’s alpacas are perfectly at home in the Styrian Alps and keep the large grassy areas in front of his private home and Haus Rosa neatly trimmed.
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- One of the lovely interior details at Haus Rosa.
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- Admont Abbey also has a large science museum – well worth a visit.
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- Impressive: the monastery library at Admont Abbey, built in the second half of the 18th century, is the largest in the world and was once regarded as the ‘eighth wonder of the world’.
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- Even in winter, the houses offer a delightful break from everyday life.
