It is just a one-and-a-half-hour walk to the Falbesoner Ochsenalm, a charming alpine hut welcoming hungry hikers with a mouth-watering array of local foods from homemade bread and butter to cheese, dried bacon, “Striezel” (a plaited yeast dough bun), butter milk and elderflower cordial.

Why is life different up high in the mountains than down in the valley? It’s all about time! Time doesn’t go faster or slower up there. It’s just that in our busy lives we rarely take the time to appreciate the small wonders in our world. As you walk up to a hut in the mountains, something instantly feels different. Especially in a beautiful place where past and present meet, such as in the chocolate box village of Fallerschein Alpe in Tirol’s Lechtal Valley.

Deeply rooted in tradition, towns across Tirol have turned their annual relocation of livestock from the mountains to their winter stables into a reason to celebrate. Bells are clanking, nervous ewes baaing and hooves clicking down the roads and parading through the villages. Watch on as the streets fill with sheep, lambs, shepherds, locals and visitors!

What would Tirol be without its alpine huts? These traditional refuges in the mountains are known for their hearty food and, in many cases, warm bed for the night. But "Almen", as they are known in German, are actually much more than just the building itself. Curious? Read on to find out!