Resident: Julia Hoefl
Photographer Bernhard Müller in conversation with Julia Höfl, born 1998 in Mauterndorf, lives in Obertauern since 2022, receptionist at the Hotel Gamsleiten in Obertauern.
“It just has to go on and on.”
Where are you from? How did you come to Obertauern?
I’m Julia Höfl, I’m 24 years old, I’m actually from Mauterndorf, but I’ve lived in Klagenfurt for 3 years now and now I’ve been in Obertauern for a good half year at my friend’s hotel and I’m doing the reception there. I came in through Christoph and have just taught myself and asked his acquaintances who are from Obertauern and have hotels and also his brothers.
So you live up here in Obertauern the whole year? Some people leave here in the summer.
That’s exactly how it is. Yes, unfortunately many go away, because there is simply nothing going on in Obertauern in the summer, it is like dead. Now the tourism association is trying to show more initiative so that there is more going on in the summer. There are always a lot of cranes in the summer, because then they have time to build. Something should be done to stop construction in the summer, at least for a certain time, so that it becomes more attractive for guests and tourism.
And what do you do in the summer?
Rebuilding! We also go hiking a lot or go away sometimes, to the lake or something, but for the most part we are there.
Do you have any summer guests?
No, not at all. We are rebuilding now, but as soon as there is more going on in the summer in Obertauern, we plan to open.
What do you love about the Lungau?
It’s just so beautiful there. There’s a saying, “When you move away and then come back, you only see how beautiful it is there.” And since I was away for a few years, it’s totally beautiful here now.
What is the difference between your life in Mauterndorf and now here on the mountain?
Yes, there’s nothing up there, I mean there’s not much in Mauterndorf, but up there there is just less going on.
Do you have at least a few open inns?
Yes, a few are open, the DAV-Haus where you can also eat, the Freiwild, the Skiworld and we have a store, the Spar, which is right next to the Gamsleiten, in the Flamingo you can eat burgers and back there the Dikt`nalm and that’s it.
If you want to experience culture or art, do you go to Salzburg or rather to the Lungau?
Because of culture you can go to the Lungau, there you see just what from the past, now was just the medieval festival in Mauterndorf, but art is rather little, otherwise you have to go to Salzburg and in Radstadt there is a museum of local history. Concerts or exhibitions there are just so few, in Tamsweg they have exhibitions from time to time and if it is an acquaintance who draws, then you look at that, but otherwise rather less and even if more would be offered, that would be interesting, also for tourism. You want to make a museum in Mauterndorf again and have planned something. That would be great.
What is special for you in Obertauern?
Well, what is very special for me here in Obertauern is that they all stick together. What is also very funny is that Obertauern is not a place in itself, it is a place, but it belongs together with Untertauern and Tweng and they have two mayors and on the one hand these laws count and on the other hand others count, I find that very special and there is nowhere else. And it is also special that you manage to build in the summer, for a family house you often need one to two years and here everything is ready in 4 months. We’re also building a hot tub, people just want that. It just has to go on and on.
