Dairy hut from the Durlassboden near Gerlos

Built: 1899
Year of translocation: 1964

In 1966, this dairy hut had to make way for the Gerlos hydro-electric dam. It provides a good introduction to the kind of dairying that was once commonly practised in many of the mountainous regions of Salzburg and Tyrol.The hut is built of logs, has a gable-side entrance and three rooms. The main room runs the full depth of the hut and has an open hearth. A large iron cauldron is suspended over the fire. In it the milk was heated until the curd started to form. The curd was then placed in cheese moulds on the big table. Other items on display in the room include frames for carrying the big loaves of cheese back to the farm, a butter churn, muslin cloths for straining and wooden bowls.

In the other external corner of the room is a raised open hearth on which the inhabitants prepared their meals. To the rear are two smaller rooms. One served as storage room for the milk before it was processed into cheese, in the other room the cheese was stored until it could be taken down into the valley. A ladder leads up to the loft where there are simple built-in bunk beds.