A Culinary Journey at Hochkönig: From Farm to Michelin Star

The Culinary Journey at Hochkönig is a four-day culinary experience at Hotel die HOCHKÖNIGIN in Maria Alm at Hochkönig, Salzburger Land. This year's edition runs from 18 to 21 September 2026 – deliberately offered only once a year, as something special rather than a standing offer. At the stove for the 4-hands dinner: RAR head chef Maximilian Reuter and guest chef Ulrich Heimann of Restaurant PUR at Kempinski Berchtesgaden.

The first taste isn't wine

If you want to understand why the 4-hands dinner on Sunday evening tastes so special, the journey doesn't start in the RAR restaurant. It starts on the Sommerjufen. Up there, it's not really about the butter itself – it's about experiencing how much patience goes into a product that, in a supermarket, so often gets taken for granted.

Just a few kilometres on, the next host is already waiting. At Biohof Ebengut, sustainability quickly stops being a buzzword. It starts with people who know their animals and tend their fields with the same care that later goes into cooking. Over home-made pasta with organic bolognese, they talk about their livestock, their land, and why regionality always begins with responsibility. By this point, it's clear: real enjoyment doesn't start in a restaurant. It grows in the meadows around Hochkönig.

And if you think the journey is complete by now, you haven't met Misssi Eis yet. Here, local ingredients become ice cream that proves even a simple dessert can be the result of real passion, creativity and craft. With every stop, another piece of the picture falls into place – and that same picture reappears, that evening, on the plates at HOCHKÖNIGIN.

Why great cooking always starts with the producers

The world's best restaurants don't know their producers by accident. Anyone who understands how long butter needs to mature, how a herb reaches its full aroma, or how an animal is raised, simply cooks differently. More deliberately. More honestly.

That's exactly why guests on the Culinary Journey visit the farms around Maria Alm before they sit down at RAR on Sunday evening – not as a nice side trip, but as the first course of the menu, long before the first plate is served.

Cocktail tasting with bar chef Marin

The Culinary Journey doesn't end on the farms. It simply changes stage.

When bar chef Marin hosts the evening's cocktail tasting, it isn't about working through as many spirits as possible. It's about flavour, story and unexpected pairings. Why does a local ingredient sit so well alongside an international classic? Why does a single herb completely change the character of a drink? And why does this particular cocktail stay in your memory long after the holiday ends? Spend an evening with Marin at HIGH QUEEN BAR, and it quickly becomes clear: bar craft takes every bit as much skill as fine cooking.

The highlight: a 4-hands dinner with Maximilian Reuter & Ulrich Heimann

Ulrich Heimann is one of the most respected chefs in the region, and this September he brings that reputation to Maria Alm. At Restaurant PUR at Kempinski Berchtesgaden, he has spent years combining Alpine produce with modern fine dining. For the Culinary Journey, he isn't simply cooking a guest menu – together with RAR head chef Maximilian Reuter, he creates an exclusive 4-hands dinner that exists only on this one weekend.

The highlight follows on Sunday evening – and even here, the Michelin star isn't really the point. Before the first course, guests gather at the fire bowl for a glass of Champagne Deutz, fine canapés, and conversation that feels as relaxed as an evening among friends. Only then does the door to the restaurant open, where Maximilian Reuter and Ulrich Heimann cook the exclusive 4-hands dinner together. The courses are paired with selected wines from Weingut Müller, or a carefully composed non-alcoholic pairing, before a digestif rounds off the evening.

If you're not booking the full Culinary Journey, you can still experience this one evening on its own – a 4-course menu with wine pairing at the restaurant, for € 280 per person.

Between the Alps and a Michelin star

What makes this special isn't only the chefs' accolades. It's the connection between the two.

In the morning, guests have seen where the butter is made. They've talked with the producers, tasted regional specialities, and understood just how much work goes into exceptional ingredients. By evening, they experience those same ingredients interpreted at the highest culinary level. Between the Alps and a Michelin star, this weekend, there are only a few kilometres – and that's exactly what makes the Culinary Journey so special.

Between the butter-making, the producer visits, the cocktail tasting and the gourmet evening, there's deliberately time to let it all sink in. Some guests swim a few lengths in the QUEEN SPA infinity pool, others enjoy the quiet of the Adults Only TIARA SPA, or simply stroll through Maria Alm. That rhythm between indulgence and rest is what turns the weekend from a list of activities into a proper journey.

What stays with you

When guests check out on Monday, they take home more than a few regional specialities. They now understand why good flavour doesn't start in the kitchen, but with the people who make it possible, day after day, through their work. That's often what lasts longest from this Culinary Journey – not just the memory of an exceptional menu, but a new understanding of what regionality really means.

Who is the Culinary Journey at Hochkönig for?

For food lovers, curious travellers, and anyone who wants to experience flavour rather than simply consume it.

Dates, inclusions & price

Dates	18 September – 21 September 2026
Duration	3 nights
Price	from € 943 per person
Included	Half-board gourmet cuisine, welcome drink, producer tours (Sommerjufen, Biohof Ebengut, Misssi Eis), cocktail tasting with bar chef Marin, champagne aperitif at the fire bowl, 4-hands dinner with wine pairing, QUEEN SPA & TIARA SPA access, daily activity programme, free parking

Book the Culinary Journey at Hochkönig now →

Only interested in the 4-hands dinner? Sunday evening with Maximilian Reuter and Ulrich Heimann can also be booked separately – a 4-course menu with wine pairing, € 280 per person.

Frequently asked questions about the Culinary Journey at Hochkönig

What's included in the Culinary Journey at Hochkönig? The package includes 3 nights of half-board gourmet cuisine, visits to local producers (Sommerjufen, Biohof Ebengut, Misssi Eis), a cocktail tasting with bar chef Marin, a champagne aperitif at the fire bowl, and an exclusive 4-hands dinner with wine pairing. Access to the QUEEN SPA and Adults Only TIARA SPA, plus a daily activity programme, is also included.

Who cooks the 4-hands dinner on the Culinary Journey? The 4-hands dinner is prepared jointly by RAR head chef Maximilian Reuter and guest chef Ulrich Heimann of Restaurant PUR at Kempinski Berchtesgaden, at Hotel die HOCHKÖNIGIN.

When does the Culinary Journey at Hochkönig take place? This year's edition runs from 18 to 21 September 2026.

Why does the Culinary Journey at Hochkönig only take place once a year? Because it's designed as something out of the ordinary – a one-off gathering of local producers, bar craft and fine dining, rather than a recurring standard package.

How much does the Culinary Journey at Hochkönig cost? The package starts from €943 per person for 3 nights, including gourmet half-board and all programme elements.

Can non-guests book the 4-hands dinner? Yes. The 4-hands dinner with Maximilian Reuter and Ulrich Heimann can also be booked separately, as a 4-course menu with wine pairing, for €280 per person. [Link to follow once available]

Why do guests visit local producers as part of the Culinary Journey? Because fine dining begins where the ingredients grow. The visits to Sommerjufen, Biohof Ebengut and Misssi Eis show where the produce used in that evening's 4-hands dinner actually comes from – which makes the flavour easier to understand, and to appreciate.

Do I have to drink wine as part of the Culinary Journey? No. Alongside the wine pairing from Weingut Müller, the 4-hands dinner also offers a non-alcoholic pairing – both are included in the package price.

Do I need to be a wine or fine-dining expert to join the Culinary Journey? No. The Culinary Journey is designed for anyone who enjoys good food – no prior knowledge of fine dining or wine is required.

Who is the Culinary Journey at Hochkönig best suited for? Mainly for guests who want to combine an autumn stay at Hochkönig with an active culinary focus – producer visits, the cocktail evening and fine dining take centre stage, rather than a classic wellness programme.

Where is Hotel die HOCHKÖNIGIN located? Hotel die HOCHKÖNIGIN is located in Maria Alm at Hochkönig, Salzburger Land, right at the foot of the Hochkönig region.

 

 

 

 
ROOMS
OFFERS
SUMMER
WELLNESS
CULINARY DELIGHTS
HOCHKÖNIG CARD