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After an exciting day in the mountains, recharge your batteries in the private wellness area.
Family-Friendly Holidays in the Mountains with Children
There is much to discover
There's so much to discover: These excursion and activity tips for your next family holiday in the mountains of Austria are sure to excite parents and children alike!
Mountains are a source of (family) happiness.
Running, climbing, relaxing. Fresh air and pristine countryside as far as the eye can see: mountains mean endless adventures for parents and children. Nature relaxes us and keeps us fully occupied, with no need for a tablet or smartphone. Whether on the ski slopes in winter or the hiking paths in summer – in Austria's mountains, you will be able to spend the quality time with your family that occasionally falls a little short in your daily routine.
5 Benefits of a Holiday in the Mountains with Kids
- Nature and outdoor activities: Hiking, cycling, skiing ... activities in the mountains are fun and let your children experience nature up close on a family vacation. Here you will find helpful tips for your next hike with children.
- Family bonding: A footbath in a mountain lake or a discovery tour through the forest promotes a sense of togetherness and creates memories
- The urge to learn and explore: Mountains are full of fascinating flora and fauna, and a great opportunity for children to learn and satisfy their natural urge to explore.
- Fresh air and good health: The clean mountain air is both refreshing and healthy. Activities in the mountains promote physical fitness and general wellbeing.
- Relaxation and deceleration: The peaceful mountain setting provides a welcome break from the hectic daily routine – for kids and their parents alike.
Adventures in the mountains: exciting vacation days
Forget the grey daily routine and let the adventure begin! The many mountain attractions, alpine theme parks and interactive paths in Austria skillfully unite family-friendly hiking with all kinds of fun & games. At these 10 exciting excursion destinations in the mountains, vacation days with your children will fly by in next to no time:
Witches and Spirits
- Witches' Water in Söll, Hohe Salve, Wilder Kaiser in Tyrol: Here, curious hikers never cease to marvel. The many interactive stations – ranging from experiments with water to natural playgrounds – are inspired by witches and magic, allowing you to explore nature with all your senses (including on your bare feet). The adventure begins as you hop onto the gondola for the ride up.
- Ghost Mountain in St. Johann / Alpendorf, Salzburger Land: A gigantic ghost ship, water playgrounds, climbing features, and numerous other attractions await you inside the 4 worlds of adventure on Ghost Mountain in Alpendorf. A slightly spooky, but absolutely marvelous excursion destination for your family holiday in the mountains!
Dinosaurs
- Triassic Park, Waidringer Steinplatte, Kitzbühel Alps, Tyrol: Here, you will hunt for fossils in a sandy playground, clamber and teeter your way around a low-ropes course, and learn all kinds of interesting facts about the life-sized prehistoric giants.
- Dino Park, Kreischberg, Styria: Pay a visit to stegosaurs and their pals as you enjoy a short hike through this dinosaur park on the Kreischberg near Murau (Kreischi Lift).
Treasure Hunts
- Pan for gold in Raurisertal, Salzburger Land: After a short intro to sluicing techniques, you will be able to pan in the water for fine slivers of gold at two locations in Raurisertal. We checked it out personally, and we were successful! Here you can read more about panning for gold in Rauris.
- Hunting for emeralds in Habachtal, Hohe Tauern National Park Holiday Region, Salzburger Land: Due to its extensive natural mineral deposits, Habachtal near Bramberg has made quite a name for itself as "the valley of emeralds". The Emerald Path, an interactive theme path, leads into this National Park valley, and past the site of a historic landslide next to Gasthof Alpenrose. Here, treasure hunters, big and small, can see if they'll strike it rich prospecting for precious stones.
Goblins and Gnomes
- Fichten Schloss on the Rosenalm, Zillertal, Tyrol: The goblins and gnomes are busily doing their thing at this location in Zillertal! This beautiful adventure playground featuring a play fort and slide, treetop path, marble track and more, is easily reached by taking a ride on the Rosenalmbahn from Zell am Ziller. In Fichtensee lake meanwhile, you can splash and paddle, or even rent a boat or stand-up paddle board.
- Kodok on the Reiterkogel, Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Salzburger Land: On the Reiterkogel, children can try to solve puzzles at 11 different interactive stations in a quest to return magical ingredients to the goblin Kodok – which had been stolen from him by a mean ogre! The ride up is included with the local Joker Card.
Slides and Swings
- Slide Path on the Wildkogel, Neukirchen, Salzburger Land: Let out a yell of joy, then away you go: 10 different slides (including tube slides) lead on an adventure from the mid-station of the Wildkogel lifts in Neukirchen down to Gasthof Stockenbaum. The Slide Path is included with the National Park Summer Card.
- Gabühel Swing Park, Dienten am Hochkönig, Salzburger Land: 2 waterfall swings, 4 giant swings, and a big playground: The first swing park in Austria can be reached using the summer lifts of the Hochmaisbahn and Gabühel.
Playful Learning in the Mountains: Themed Paths and Museums
Nature is by far the coolest classroom in the world. On vacation in the mountains, children have the opportunity to learn all kinds of things about the environment, flora and fauna during a hike: how can you tell the age of a tree, how big can an anthill get, which animal left these tracks...? There are also numerous themed nature trails and museums in Austria that teach children about nature in a fun way.
- Geotrails and Geopark Nassfeld, Carinthia: Fossilized octopuses, traces of dinosaurs, plant fossils: On the geotrails and in the Geopark in the Nassfeld vacation region, you can embark on an exciting journey through time.
- Rauris primeval forest, Rauris, Salzburger Land: How old can stone pines get and what sound do which forest dwellers make? The nature trail in the Rauris valley head leads past dark bog pools and eternally old spruce trees. More about the hike through the Rauris primeval forest.
- Kuhbidu am Grafenberg, Wagrain, Salzburger Land: Where does the milk actually come from? At 10 stations near the Grafenbergbahn mountain station, children learn about cows and agriculture in a fun way
- Moosle's Explorer Trail in Lermoos, Tiroler Zugspitz Arena, Tyrol: The Explorer Trail starts at the Grubigsteinbahn I mountain station, an easy hiking trail with 7 stations that are all about discovery and exploration.
- Wörschachklamm Gorge & Wolkenstein Ruins, Schladming-Dachstein, Styria: On this circular hiking trail, you can learn how water has worked its way through rock and stone for thousands of years, pass a sulphur spring and discover the ruins of Wolkenstein Castle.
- National Park Center Mittersill, Holiday Region Hohe Tauern National Park, Salzburger Land: What does a marmot burrow look like from the inside, what views does a golden eagle have on its flight and how does life at 3,000 m differ from life in the valleys? Interactive and exciting for the whole family!
Discover Regional Treasures
Snow in summer, gigantic waterfalls, and enormous trees: These excursion destinations and natural treasures in the mountains of Austria are a source of excitement for young and old!
Krimml Waterfalls, Hohe Tauern National Park Holiday Region, Salzburger Land
A visit to Krimml Waterfalls isn't just fascinating: The fine mists of nebulized water also do wonders for your respiratory passages! Via a four kilometers-long waterfall path and a viewing platform, you will be able to appreciate the biggest falls in Austria up close. At WaterWorlds, meanwhile, an interactive exhibition close to the entrance of the waterfalls, children get to know this precious natural resource even better.
Lammertal Virgin Forest, St. Martin im Tennengebirge, Salzburger Land
Come face to face with a real-life giant in the Lammertal Virgin Forest: The "Lammertal Sentinel" is 48 meters high and about 300 years old. You can also visit this gigantic fir tree in summer as part of a guided tour. The firs, spruces and beech trees in this roughly 10 ha nature preserve grow particularly well because of favorable soil conditions, and are, in fact, some of the tallest trees in Austria. On the topic of forests: Have you ever tried forest bathing?
Grossglockner High-Alpine Road and Ferleiten Wildlife Park, Salzburger Land
The 48-kilometre-long panoramic road is one of Austria's most popular excursion destinations. And rightly so: from the toll station in Ferleiten, the high mountain road (surrounded by impressive mountains), which was opened in 1935, winds its way in 36 hairpin bends to the pilgrimage site of Heiligenblut in Carinthia and up to the Kaiser Franz-Josefs-Höhe. Along the Grossglockner High Alpine Road, there are numerous photo points, eleven info points and short walks to get your feet wet. With a bit of luck, you might even spot marmots and ibex! More than 200 wild animals, including bears and wolves, can also be observed in the Ferleiten Wildlife Park at the toll station.
Dachstein Glacier, Schladming, Styria
With the panoramic gondola up to the glacier: At 2,995 meters, the Dachstein is the highest mountain in Styria and offers an exciting glacier experience with a suspension bridge, an ice palace, the skywalk and the stairway to nowhere. Good to know: An early reservation for the panorama gondola is necessary! A visit to the Dachstein Glacier is free of charge with the Schladming-Dachstein Sommercard.
Family Resorts in the Mountains
Ideal for a relaxing vacation with children in the mountains are vacation homes and vacation apartments: They offer plenty of space, maximum flexibility and privacy. At ALPS RESORTS you can choose: Will it be an apartment resort with a pool and wellness area, a glamping resort with a playground or a vacation home with a private spa area? Our ALPS RESORTS are located in some of the most beautiful places in Austria - in the national park region, on the slopes or at the valley station of a cable car, always surrounded by mountains. Exciting excursions and plenty of nature await you on the doorstep. Our tip: With included guest cards such as the Schladming-Dachstein Sommercard, the Nationalpark Sommercard or the Joker Card, you can save money in summer! Take a look at our ALPS RESORTS, which are particularly popular with families.
Relaxation for Parents in the Wellness Area
In addition to all that adventure, a holiday in the mountains is also about slowing things down a bit as well. For added recuperation during your holiday, our ALPS RESORTS feature various wellness facilities, spa areas with sauna or pool at apartment resorts, or even a private wellness area in a chalet. Check out our ALPS RESORTS with wellness area and family-friendly accommodations with pool.
Book now: Your holiday in the mountains with children
Let your adventure begin, the mountains are calling! Click here to browse our resort overview including all of our holiday homes and holiday apartments - for your family holiday in Austria.
Copyright © ALPS RESORTS; saalbach.com; TVB Rauris; Wildkogel-Arena; Salzburger Land Tourismus; Schladming-Dachstein / Mathäus Gartner; saalbach.com; Zillertal Arena; St. Johann im Pongau/Chris Perkles, TVB Murau/Tom Lamm
Verena Junger
Content Manager at ALPS RESORTS
Millennial with a passion for solitary mountains and compelling stories, always on the lookout for exciting destinations and experiences.
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