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Swiss stone pine wood: Living with nature

by Hotel Neuhintertux

Living with nature

Why is there a lot of wood in a typical Tyrolean living room? Because wood is the material that creates cosiness. In the past, when houses were not yet heated and the only warm place was the "good parlour", this was enormously important. That was a long time ago, but the feeling that an ambience with wood radiates warmth and comfort has remained. And so it is not surprising that wood once again dominates in the newly designed rooms of the Neuhintertux. Even more: With Swiss stone pine wood, a domestic wood species was chosen which, by the way, has extraordinary properties. Because this wood exudes an intense, spicy scent reminiscent of a forest - and will do so for many years to come. This is due to the high proportion of essential oils in Swiss stone pine. This means that Swiss stone pine has numerous positive properties. To enhance these, the Swiss stone pine wood that was processed in the new rooms was first slowly air-dried and then stored in a drying plant. This guaranteed that guests would enjoy their new rooms for a long time - both in terms of the appearance and the scent of the wood. In this way, the Swiss stone pine wood promotes a sense of well-being. It relaxes psyche and body. And Swiss stone pine wood promotes a healthy, restful sleep. The oil extracted from the branches and needles can also be used in many ways. It purifies the air in the room, helps with muscle tension and respiratory diseases, is a pleasant relaxing bath and even an effective protection against moths and insects. By the way: walking barefoot on the beautiful Swiss stone pine wood floors is balm for troubled ski boot or mountain boot feet! Give it a try!

Homemade Swiss stone pine brandy

Bottle of pine schnapps lying on a wooden shelf
Enjoy our homemade pine schnapps

The homemade Swiss stone pine brandy is a speciality in the Neuhintertux. "Zichna" is its name in the Zillertal dialect. And even if the word is a bit difficult to pronounce for a non-Zillertal person at first - a few sips of our "Zichna" will change that quite quickly. The "Zichna" not only tastes delicious - with its beautiful red color it also pleases the eye even before the first „Stamperl“! The strong red colour comes from the Swiss stone pine cones, which it needs for the schnapps - which is not a schnapps in the real sense of the word, because it is not distilled. They have to be young and fresh, because then they can not only be cut better, but also give the schnapps its typical aroma and wonderful colour. Now there are plenty of Swiss stone pines around Neuhintertux, because they feel at home in the high mountains and grow between 1,600 and 1,800 m above sea level. But harvesting the young cones is a small challenge. Because someone has to get up on the tree and bring down the most beautiful Swiss stone pine cones. Our head waiter Gerhard is responsible for ensuring that the "Zichna" in the Neuhintertux does not run out. As soon as he has the fresh cones in the house at the end of June, beginning of July, he puts the "Zichna" in place for the new season: He cuts the cones, puts them into a jar with alcohol - Gerhard swears by tasteless corn schnapps (“Kornbrand“) - and sugar. Then it's all about patience. For four to five weeks the Swiss stone pine brandy must now be steeped and carefully stirred once a week. Then the "Zichna" is ready for the first tasting.

The Neuhintertux recipe tipps

„ZIRBLERIN“:

  • 4 cl Swiss stone pine liqueur
  • 2 cl tequila
  • 1 shot of Galliano
  • Orange juice
  • Flower mix

„ZIRBLER“

  • 4 cl Swiss stone pine liqueur
  • 2 cl gin
  • 100 ml ginger beer
  • Juniper
  • Rosemary

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