The lord of fish in Brixental

Sebastian is a man who cherishes peace and quiet. Anyone who visits him in Aschau, an idyllic hamlet near Kirchberg in Tyrol, immediately senses that he has found his place here. Yet his journey has been anything but ordinary. A trained electrician, passionate mountain rescuer and musician, Sebastian is now, above all, a visionary in rubber boots. Together with his family, he has completely reimagined traditional farming on their farm. Where cows once stood in the barn, rainbow trout and Arctic char now swim in crystal-clear mountain water.

Sebastian’s story is also a story about the value of home. While many young people are drawn to the “concrete jungles” of big cities, he chose to stay in the Brixental Valley. “I didn’t really appreciate it back then,” he openly admits today. It wasn’t until he had children of his own that he truly realized what a privilege it is to grow up in “paradise.” “The fact that the kids can just run outside in the morning without a busy road right next to them—you simply don’t get that kind of quality of life in an apartment building in Vienna.””

This deep connection to the land and nature was also the driving force behind the farm’s transformation. The answer turned out to be closer than anyone had imagined: in the water. Even as a child, Sebastian spent every spare minute fishing. So why not turn his passion into a profession? After two years of intensive planning, careful cost calculations, and the courage to embark on something completely new, the family established a modern fish farm.

Anyone who buys from Sebastian Fisch gets a promise: “We slaughter on Thursday and deliver early Friday morning,” he explains, outlining the simple yet effective concept. It takes just two minutes to get from the fish farm to the slaughterhouse—there’s hardly a shorter transport route imaginable. This truly “farm-to-table” approach is winning over not only customers in the region, but increasingly, local restaurants as well.

For Sebastian, however, it’s about more than just business. He wants to help change the way people think about food. “People appreciate food more when they know where it comes from and under what conditions it was raised.” He sees the fact that only around seven to eight percent of Tyrol’s demand for fish is currently met by local waters as an opportunity. It’s a niche he has embraced with passion, always with the same goal in mind: to one day return to farming full-time and devote himself entirely to his farm and his family.

When Sebastian isn’t standing behind his drum kit, you’ll find him in the mountains—either out on a mission with the Kirchberg Mountain Rescue team or simply enjoying the great outdoors. Music is another way he unwinds. “It lets me completely switch off.” Whether it’s traditional brass music or modern sounds, music sets the tone for him and brings people in the village together.

It is this unique blend of deep-rooted tradition, strong family ties, and the courage to embrace change that makes Sebastian and his farm so special. He is a modern farmer who didn’t have to leave home to discover the world. Instead, he brought a little bit of the world to Aschau—in the form of crystal-clear mountain water, healthy fish, and a vision that is only now beginning to take shape.

#KitzbühelerAlpen | #LebenswegeTirol