When alpaca wool beds you on clouds...

A television documentary about Bolivia was the reason why a pair of alpacas moved to the Rauter family's farm in Aifersdorf in the Lower Drau Valley 21 years ago. This domesticated camel from the South American Andes enchanted Gerlinde from the very first sight. The almost endlessly long eyelashes were one of the reasons why the thoroughbred farmer fell in love with this fluffy animal. The alpacas finally arrived in the summer of 1995, not from Bolivia, but from a breeding farm in Baden-Württemberg, and four of them now live on the farm. Three mares and a stallion - Madonna, Chicca, Luisa and Blacky.

Hut vacation with South American dreams

But the animals are not just pretty to look at, their wool makes you feel like you are lying on clouds. Once a year, the animals are shorn and two to three kilos of wool per alpaca are then processed into the finest blankets in the Mörtschach wool workshop. "These blankets are a dream," enthuses Gerlinde. Light and breathable in summer, pleasantly warm in winter. If you would like to experience the pleasure of wrapping yourself in such a blanket, you can do so during a vacation at Almhaus Köfler. At 1230 meters above sea level on the Amberger Alm, the Rauter family has lovingly renovated this 350-year-old alpine hut on the south-eastern slope of the Mirnock power mountain. Whether you want to relax and unwind, enjoy the view as far south as the Julian Alps or relive childhood memories, the tranquillity in a magnificent natural idyll makes this former mountain farmhouse the perfect vacation home for young and old. The three rustic bedrooms, which can accommodate a total of ten people, are rented out from May to October. Many regular guests appreciate the unique location and would like to show their children how they once romped through the meadows here, played hide and seek and enjoyed the summer while frying frigga in the large pan in front of the house. A taste of childhood.

Then as now

Gerlinde also has a story to tell: "One summer, a family with four children came to us on vacation. As the weather didn't always play along, they came up with a bad weather program. Without further ado, they immortalized the alpacas on a beautiful mural near the Almhaus. Years later, the now grown-up children came back with their youngest to proudly show them the work of their childhood." For Gerlinde, working on the farm and on the alpine pasture itself is associated with fond memories of her childhood, growing up on the farm herself and doing the daily stable work with her parents early in the morning before going to school. She moved in with her husband Johann 27 years ago, where they have been managing the 55-hectare farm together with their three children ever since. The only question that remains is whether Gerlinde, with all her love for animals, has ever been to South America herself? "No, but I'm sure this dream will also come true."