Strauben-Fest (Madritschhütte, Solda)

Strauben festival above Solda all'Ortles

The Strauben-Fest is one of the high-altitude culinary events that brighten the summer in Solda all'Ortles (Sulden), the famous mountain village in the municipality of Stelvio/Stilfs, South Tyrol. The stars of the day are Strauben, the typical South Tyrolean funnel cakes made by pouring batter in a spiral into hot oil. Served hot, crispy, and dusted with powdered sugar, they are often accompanied by lingonberry jam. The tasting is free and takes place in one of the most spectacular settings in the Alps.

The Madritschhütte, a balcony overlooking the Ortler

The festival is held at the Madritschhütte, a cozy wooden mountain hut situated at about 2,800 meters above sea level above Solda, featuring a large sun terrace overlooking the Ortler group, the highest peak in the Eastern Alps (3,905 m). The hut, rebuilt and modernized in 2017 while retaining its traditional charm, is easily accessible via the Solda I and II cable cars and the Madritsch chairlift, operated by Seilbahnen Sulden. Here, you can enjoy South Tyrolean and Italian specialties all year round, from dumplings and Schlutzkrapfen to the famous Kaiserschmarrn.

Music, flavors, and high mountains

In addition to the Strauben, the Strauben-Fest offers live music and other regional specialties in a convivial and relaxed atmosphere. The event is part of the rich summer at altitude (Bergsommer) calendar in Solda, which also includes the Kaiserschmarren-Fest, the Apfelstrudel-Fest, and the Apfelkiachl-Fest: a series of festivals dedicated to the great classics of alpine pastry, each hosted at a different mountain hut in the Ortler ski area.

In the heart of the Stelvio National Park

Solda all'Ortles is located in the heart of the Stelvio National Park, one of the largest protected areas in Europe, surrounded by fourteen peaks over 3,000 meters. Attending the Strauben-Fest means combining a high-mountain excursion with the pleasure of an authentic gastronomic tradition, in a setting that blends German-speaking South Tyrolean culture with the alpine hospitality of the Val Venosta.