The village of St. Christoph is nestled high in the mountains, somewhat hidden from the rest of the world. I didn’t even know it was there until we had skied almost all the way into it. It was sort of a pleasant surprise, especially since it was our destination for lunch.
The sun was shining brilliantly, and it was warm enough to eat out on the deck, which was crowded with other sun-worshipping people having the same idea. Despite how busy it was, we met the wait staff quickly and received our drinks and food efficiently as well. The Hospiz-Alm serves traditional Tyrolean food, and my choice was a classic – sausage and sauerkraut with a large roll, which was excellent and reasonably priced (most dishes under €10). Other dishes I saw around me that looked tempting were the chicken wings and the hearty potato soup.
While we were eating, someone from my group pointed out the owner up on the wooden balcony. He was dressed in traditional clothing, and looked quite important. Indeed, his establishment has long been an important part of the history of the area.
The word "hospiz" means "hospice" and that is exactly how the Hospiz-Alm started out. In the late 14th century, a man named Heinrich Findelkind was working as a shepherd in the Arlberg Pass area. He often witnessed people in need of help as they crossed over the pass. Heinrich got permission to use the land in the now St. Christoph area to build a hospice to shelter these travelers. It is estimated that 50 lives were saved in the first years the shelter was open. In 1397, Heinrich got support from the Pope to build a chapel next to the hospice, as well as other buildings. The chapel honored St. Christopher and the Brotherhood of St. Christoph was formed to "safeguard the existence of the hospice" (according to the museum plaque that I read).
During the Reformation and later years, the hospice fell into neglect and the Brotherhood was dissolved. In 1957, the hospice was destroyed by fire, but was rebuilt and reopened in 1962. There was also a re-founding of the Brotherhood of St. Christoph, now with 14,000 members. It has worldwide support for charitable works. The owner of Hospiz-Alm is a member, as was the woman telling me this story.
Now guests can stay and eat at the Hospiz in St. Christoph and enjoy some of this rich history. Take a look at the website for more information.
Oh! I almost forgot to mention one special thing about the restaurant. Given that most of the customers have likely skied in for food or drinks, and given that it is very difficult to walk down stairs in ski boots, the Hospiz-Alm has come up with a solution: make a slide down to the restrooms. This is great fun - you may even need it multiple times if you drink enough refreshments!