Family vacation in the mountains

Vacation in the mountains with children

Vacation with the kids together in the mountains. That means get out of everyday life, into the beautiful nature with green alpine meadows, high mountain peaks, fresh air and many beautiful family experiences. So that your vacation in the mountains with the family works as well as possible, we present you our best experiences with children in the mountains.

Family vacation in the mountains – for us this includes not only hiking together, but also exciting and fun excursions, cool playgrounds and beautiful family accommodation in the mountains. This post is about summer. If you want to learn more about a nice winter holiday in the mountains, then read on here in the winter article:

-> Winter vacation with children

For the summer family vacation in the mountains I will show you some ideas how you can already go to the mountains with the baby, what can be done with teenagers in the mountains and then we will introduce you to really nice regions for your family vacation in the mountains – from Germany to Austria! Here we go.

Family vacation in the mountains – with baby

Some of you are probably wondering whether you can go on vacation in the mountains with the little ones. "Sure," we say. We also took our children to the mountains from the start. First in the stroller or in the sling, later in the back carrier. We didn’t want to miss out on beautiful mountain experiences. And why should I??

Of course, you don’t get as far with babies as if you were traveling alone. But that’s never the goal with children. It’s about spending time together in the beautiful backdrop of the mountains. Sometimes less is more. Because children sometimes want to get out of the stroller, want something to eat or just need a break. If you plan this in advance, nothing stands in the way of a relaxing mountain vacation.

Now our children are bigger and are walking in the mountains themselves. Nevertheless, we are on the lookout for ways to travel with the stroller. And we also present our own tours to you among our many

-> Strollers walks

Family vacation in the mountains: which hotel with baby?

Many family hotels are also geared towards babies and toddlers. There is baby porridge and milk and 24h the opportunity to prepare something for the little ones. The childcare options in the children’s clubs often start from a few months. In Tyrol we found a hotel that only specialized in families with babies and toddlers. The whole hotel is designed for your little ones and you have connection to families in the same situation. This creates a special feel-good atmosphere for young families!

-> read our report about the Babymio in Tirol

Family vacation in the mountains with teenagers?

Varied family vacation with the big children
Teenagers and older children can still have fun on a holiday in the mountains. Our older son now belongs to this category and still enjoys traveling with us. Why? We just try to bring a lot of variety to our vacation. He also enjoys hiking, as long as he can “exhaust himself” and it is not a boring forest road (but this applies to all walks with children anyway).

Small highlights along the way are of course welcome: suspension bridges, spectacular waterfalls or maybe marmots to watch. A "candy" at the end of the tour or in the next few days will of course also raise the mood. So there are trips with the summer toboggan run or a visit to the climbing forest.

-> read more about our summer toboggan runs

-> here all about our visit to the Garmisch high ropes course

-> Excursion to the Schlegeis reservoir with a suspension bridge, waterfalls and a tour of the dam

Exciting trips with teenagers and older children
And then there are the really COOL excursions and mountain experiences that you can do with teenagers. Such as a canyoning or rafting tour. You will experience exciting days in the middle of the mountains. Different offers for families, offer you great beginner tours. The hike at the Pasterze, the (still) largest glacier in Austria, was an absolutely enriching experience for all of us. A very impressive landscape, a great tour with a nature park ranger and the consequences of climate change. Here is the whole package.

Rafting with the whole family in the Gesäuse

-> our canyoning tour in the Salzburg region

-> and here we were as a family rafting in the Gesäuse

-> that was our hike at the Pasterze in Carinthia

Mountain biking in the mountains
And then our teen also loves mountain biking in the mountains. We go up there with our own mental strength, because you can really feel your own physicality. And then of course down the hill again: pure action!

-> here you can read about our mountain bike tours

Where to go for a nice family vacation in the mountains?

Get enough inspiration or just have a look which destinations are nice for your family vacation in the mountains? Where is it most beautiful? The choice in the mountains for a family vacation is great. There are well-known places and regions that you may also know from winter. Here you have to take a closer look. If all the mountains are covered with lifts, it’s not a pretty sight in summer.

But sometimes you just have to look a corner further and you will find undeveloped valleys with alpine huts, mountain lakes and huge mountain peaks. Or you consciously look for places that do not have winter ski tourism. In the meantime, however, many lift companies have recognized that there are summer tourists and have great offers on the mountain, especially for families, e.g. Gameplay paths.

In the following we will introduce you to some of our favorite mountain regions. We have experienced a lot here, while hiking and on beautiful excursions in the area. Let yourself be inspired a little!

Mountain vacation in the Zillertal

You probably know the Zillertal as a popular winter sports region. So we were a little skeptical at the beginning whether summer holidays in the mountains are possible here. And so we set off and explored the Zillertal a little more closely. We made excursions up the mountain, with and without a lift, to really well-made children’s playgrounds on the mountain.

At the very end of the Zillertal we were at the Schlegeisspeicher lake. There is a fantastic mountain world, with great family hikes and even a tour of the dam. We met marmots, took a leisurely hike to the largest waterfall in the Zillertal and also went by bike on the very family-friendly Zillertal bike path.

Oh and railway fans will also get their money’s worth in the Zillertal. Either ride the old steam train once a day or use the train for a comfortable arrival and departure. When driving through the Zillertal you can enjoy the mountains without any effort!

–> our experiences for your family vacation in the Zillertal

-> our hikes with children in the Zillertal

Family vacation in the mountains near Füssen

At Füssen you will first think of Neuschwanstein Castle and King Ludwig II. A beautiful mountain landscape stretches directly behind the castle. So we hiked here on the romantic Altasee, which is even possible with a pram. Of course, we also visited the fairytale castle and hiked over the Marienbrücke (with a fantastic view of the castle).

In the forest experience center and on the treetop path, we got to the bottom of the forest living space. And on a rainy day, we did a city rally through Füssen. And of course we were also wonderful hiking in the Allgäu in the children.

-> read more about our family vacation in Füssen here

-> and our hikes in the Allgäu

-> as well as other great trips with children in the Allgäu

Family vacation in the mountains: The Tölzer Land

Around the beautiful town of Bad Tölz you can experience a great family vacation in and on the mountains. You can of course hike up the mountains or you can stay below and enjoy the views upwards. There are wonderful hikes, family-friendly bike tours and interesting excursions. For example, we found the interactive and interactive exhibition at the Walchensee power plant interesting. Here we were able to generate electricity ourselves and experience how water becomes electricity.

A highlight hike took us from Walchensee to Jochberg. And on the Isar we cycled to Sylvensteinsee. We did even more bike tours through the Kochelseemoor and in the Glentleiten open-air museum we got to know everything about life in ancient times. We also liked the gourmet hike along Lake Starnberg quite well.

-> Here you can find out more about our experiences on family vacations in Tölzer Land and on Kochelsee, as well as for a hike to Jochberg

Family vacation in the mountains in the Kufsteiner Land

Kufstein is the small town on the border with Bavaria, which some of you have probably already passed. The Kufstein Fortress, which towers high above the city, is particularly eye-catching. During a vacation in the region, you should definitely plan a visit to the old walls. For hiking it goes directly from Kufstein with the Kaiserlift into the mountains. There you hike between the peaks of the Wilder and the Zahmer Kaiser Mountains along to beautifully situated alpine pastures.

Not far away on the other side of the border in Bavaria, we experienced great hikes around the Hocheck and made action-packed excursions, such as with the summer toboggan run or the freefall slide. A very short hike takes you to the Tatzelwurm waterfalls, where you can then hike further up into the mountains. Not too far from Kufstein, again on the Tyrolean side, you then go on an exciting mountain excursion to the dinosaurs. On the stone slab you can meet the giant of prehistoric times up close. You can also go hiking there, even with a pram.

-> here you can read more about family holidays in Kufstein

-> to our experiences on the Hocheck and at the Tazelwurm waterfalls

-> and here it goes to our report from Triassic Park on the Steinplatte

Family vacation in the mountains at Weissensee

The region around Lake Weissensee is one of the areas that have been relying on gentle tourism in summer and winter for many years. long before it became fashionable. There is a small family ski area that we really liked in winter, and you can also go ice skating on the frozen lake.

-> more on this in our article Winter at Weissensee

In summer we did some nice hikes here, away from the hustle and bustle, and still not boring. We particularly liked the hike along the lake, we went back by boat. Our big one went on a couple of mountain bike tours with dad, while the little one tried out the adventure trail with mom. By the way, we stayed in the very pleasant and sustainable family hotel Kreuzwirt.

-> our tips for family holidays at Weissensee

-> here you can go for a hike on the lake shore with a boat trip and here for an adventure hiking trail

-> read more about the mountain bike tour at Weissensee here

Hiking on a family vacation

No matter where you go on holiday in the mountains, you probably want to hike. Since we spend a lot of time in the Alps ourselves, there are now well over 200 hikes that you can take a look at. On our article hiking with children, you will find hiking tours divided by country and region. Click here for hikes in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Italy. There are also tips on our favorite hiking destinations. We would like to briefly introduce a few of them to you here.

Before the hikes come: Hiking with children is not always fun everywhere! If you are not in the mountains that often, our tips will interest you. We have put together our tips on how to hike with children. Since we travel a lot in the mountains with our children, we have tried a few things to make hiking as fun as possible for everyone involved. You can find our guide here

-> our tips for hiking with children

Hiking to the natural spectacles of Lüner See and Kaprun reservoir

Even if the two reservoirs were created artificially to generate electricity, the landscape of both lakes is indescribably beautiful. It is not for nothing that Lake Lüner was voted Austria’s most beautiful place in 2019. To reach only with a cable car, a wonderful nature extends around the lake. Around the lake you can experience this landscape with a simple family hike.

A spectacular approach leads to the Kaprun reservoir. Buses and Austria’s largest inclined elevator take you to the lake. The lake awaits you at the top, in the background the glaciers and whoever wants to can take a guided tour inside the dam.

-> and so were our trips to the most beautiful place in Austria on Lake Lüner and the spectacular reservoir in Kaprun

Hiking on the Golm adventure mountain

The Golm is located in Vorarlberg in the beautiful Montafon. Here in our family vacation we found (almost) everything for beautiful days in the mountains. The Golm can be conquered both on foot and with the gondola. This gave us the opportunity to hike from far up in the middle of the unspoilt nature of Vorarlberg. Our hike to the Lindauer Hütte was simply beautiful in terms of landscape: alpine meadows, many mountain flowers, rugged peaks above our heads and quaint alpine huts.

Not quite as idyllic, but with all the more fun, we discovered Golmi’s Explorer Path. We hiked uphill from the middle station from adventure station to adventure station. Downhill it went pretty fast in the slide park. Seven long tube slides have gradually transported us further down into the valley. A very very fun idea for families! And then not enough action, we drove the last one and a half kilometers with the coaster all the way down. Many curves and gyros later the day was over.

We stayed in the Montafon near the Golm valley station in the JUFA Hotel Montafon. There is a really great climbing play room for the children here. You sleep in the JUFA family rooms and everyone can find their favorite meal at the evening buffet.

-> and so was our hike to the Lindauer Hütte, as well as our adventure day on the Golm

-> Click here for the report on the JUFA Hotel Montafon

Walking and playing

Yes, we know from our own experience that children are not always particularly motivated to go hiking. Movement in the mountains is also very family-friendly, with the now quite numerous mountain game experiences. In the meantime we have tried some of them. And of course, such adventure trails are something different than a mountain hike over alpine meadows or to beautiful view peaks. We just like the variety and the children are happy about the tasks they can do there.

Schmidolin’s baptism of fire near Zell am See
High above Lake Zell on the Schmitten, you will find Schmidolin’s baptism of fire. This adventure trail is aimed at families with children from elementary school age. But our teenager also had fun at many stations. There is a lot of climbing here, puzzles are solved, there is a giant tower with a long, fast tube slide and a few very unusual and exciting activities.

-> check out our blog on Schmidolin’s baptism of fire

Zirzepark Hochzeiger
The Zirbenpark on the Hochzeiger in the Ötztal is a great success. There are naturally many Swiss stone pine trees here, the queen of the Alpine trees. A great hiking trail for families has been created around the topic of this tree. There are original ball tracks, a hay barn for hopping, climbing opportunities and, as a highlight, a huge pine cone.

-> there is more here at the Zirbenpark Hochzeiger

Kugelwald am Glungezer near Hall in Tirol
One of our favorite mountain game experiences can be found at Hall in Tirol, the Kugelwald. Large wooden balls made of stone pine are sent through specially made, very large ball tracks. The lanes are very individual and there is also an area where you can build your own lanes. You can combine the whole experience with a hike on the Zirbenweg, a very scenic and beautiful high path.

-> read more about Kugelwald am Glungezer

Wild mountain Mautern
You definitely have to plan the whole day when you are on the Waut Berg Mautern in Styria. You can comfortably climb the chairlift (pushchairs are also transported!). You hike down through the wildlife park with its many animals before you take a look at the sensational bird of prey show. We continue past ball tracks and the game hut before you come to the extraordinary rides. The children ride the unicorns while you take a lap in the moon swing. You can descend down into the valley either with the mountain carts or with the summer toboggan run, the choice is yours.

-> here are our experiences on Wilden Berg Mautern

Where to stay on a family vacation in the mountains?

Hotels and nice family accommodations in the mountains
The range of accommodation options is usually very large everywhere in the mountains. You have the choice between accommodation on a farm, holiday apartments or hotels. Here we show you some of our best places to stay. You can also find out more from our family hotels.

Spend the night in a hut village
We discovered a really nice, cozy chalet village in Flachau in the Salzburg region. The Almlust Hüttendorf consists of several huts and also offers apartments in the main house. In the chalets you live as a family or group, all for yourself. If you like, the breakfast fairies come in the morning and set up a fantastic breakfast in your hut at the table – that is pure luxury for us!

You don’t have to do without anything else. In the main house there is a cozy sauna area and even a swimming pool. In summer you can have fun in the swimming pond. And then of course you can also use one of the many action offers: rafting, canyoning, an in-house high ropes course, guided ski tours ….

-> and here you read more about the Almlust Hüttendorf

Family vacation in the mountains: Familienhotel Millstätter See

A guest in the summer resort on Lake Millstatt
We always felt very, very comfortable in the Post family hotel on Lake Millstatt. Millstatt has many old villas from the K&K time and who walks through the place almost feels like back in time. The Familienhotel Post has also been able to retain parts of the old charm. The old wood-paneled dining room is impressive.

But the hotel also has a lot to offer for a relaxing holiday. Right behind Millstatt there are the wonderful Nock Mountains, which are perfect for family-friendly hikes. The sister hotel has a wonderful lake property. Here you can just enjoy the summer days. All-round care while eating and a very nice child and youth care absolutely contribute to well-being.

-> Click here for more stories about the Post family hotel on Lake Millstatt

Family vacation in the mountains: family hotel Kleinwalsertal

Hiking holidays with children in the Kleinwalsertal
We have already spent wonderful days in the Hotel Rosenhof in the Kleinwalsertal. We were accompanied by dwarf Bartli, the hotel’s funny mascot. The hotel is located in Austria in Vorarlberg, but can only be reached via Germany. It is surrounded by beautiful mountains and there are numerous unspoilt valleys that are easy to hike. Perfect for nature-loving families!

In the Rosenhof there are cozy rooms and family apartments spread over several houses. In between are the children’s playgrounds. In the hotel you can let yourself be pampered all day. From breakfast to a small lunch, a cake buffet to dinner, everything is included. Of course, the swimming pool and sauna are not missing for us big ones. The children can play and tinker with Zwerg Bartli in the children’s club.

–> look here for our report on the Rosenhof with dwarf Bartli V >

Family vacation in the mountains – at the Weisensee in Carinthia

Vacation at the Bio-Hotel at Weissensee
The family hotel Kreuzwirt on the Weissensee manages to combine a pleasant vacation for families with as much sustainability as possible. Heating is carried out with its own block power station, the food is of organic quality and sustainability was also taken into account when furnishing the children’s playroom. For example, the soft play system is equipped with a wooden frame.

You can relax in the new sauna area with a swimming pond or on a hike around the beautiful Weissensee. The region also attaches great importance to an environmentally friendly vacation. There are many hiking buses so that you can safely leave the car behind.

-> here it goes on to the Kreuzwirt family hotel on Lake Weissensee

Family vacation in the mountains: Familienhotel Berchtesgaden

Luxury vacation in beautiful Berchtesgaden
If you want to combine the amenities of a 4-star plus hotel with a hiking holiday, then the Hotel Edelweiss in Berchtesgaden is the right place for you. The hotel is not a family hotel, but offers enough space for children. There is a children’s club with childcare and a large, cool family swimming pool. And while the grown-ups enjoy the pampering menu in the evening, the children rush to their own children’s buffet or choose from the children’s menu. Special requests are also fulfilled!

From many rooms you have a view of the famous mountain of Berchtesgaden, the Watzmann. The Königssee can be reached quickly and great family hikes can also be undertaken on the romantic Hintersee. Then you can go to the very spacious sauna and wellness area.

-> look here for our pictures and reports from the Hotel Edelweiss in Berchtesgaden

Family vacation in the mountains: family hotel Bad Kleinkirchheim

Vacation in the middle of the Nockberge Nature Park
The hotel "Die Post" in Bad Kleinkirchheim combines many amenities that we are looking for in a family vacation. The hotel is not a family hotel, but has great offers for families with children. There are spacious family rooms, a large swimming pool with family sauna, a children’s club and great outdoor play areas. Our children particularly liked the old tennis court, where they could play around with the kettcars.

The highlight for us big ones was the great sauna and wellness area. There is even a tree house sauna !! And of course there are many beautiful hikes around the hotel in the Nockberge Nature Park. For us, these mountains with their flat peaks are perfect family hiking mountains. It is not too steep and far and yet there are wonderful landscape views.

Family holidays in mallorca, holidays with children, baby hotel by the sea

Family vacation in Mallorca holiday search Mallorca at a glance Off to the island! Family-friendly beaches, good food and enchanting landscapes -…
Family vacation in austria – over 100 tips for you

Family vacation in Austria Our tips for your family vacation in Austria Family vacation in Austria – why? – We think Austria is the ideal holiday…
Family vacation at the lake – germany with children

Family vacation at the lake in Germany Family vacation at the lake Germany. Where? Where to go on a beach holiday with children by the lake in Germany?…
Karwendel with children – this is how family vacation really works

Family vacation Karwendel – nice vacation days in the mountains This is how we imagine family holidays in the mountains Holidays in the Karwendel with…