Even from a distance, a gentle roar and roar reveals that a wet giant is hiding here in the mountain forest. A narrow path leads over many small bridges and up steeper and steeper into the forest. Until you finally stand in front of the 25 metre high Eifersbach waterfall. Summer holidaymakers came here as early as the end of the 19th century - because there used to be a farmer's bath along the way. Today, the tour is perfect for families in particular, as there are only 200 metres of altitude to conquer to reach the destination - even the little ones can manage that. And because every break at the stream invites you to climb and splash around. Don't forget spare shoes for the children!
Mud and children's hands go together like Tyrol and mountains. The dirtier the wellies get, the bigger the grin on their faces. The Lech is a perfect, almost endless water playground. Up to the German border, the Lech remains unspoilt; it is the last wild river the last wild river in the northern Alps with gravel banks hundreds of metres wide. The perfect place for river adventures. Dam building, for example. Branches and stones form the basic structure, and a little mud provides additional waterproofing. You just have to make sure that the self-built dam doesn't get too high and thus impair the flow of water on a large scale.
There is hardly any other place where we feel so connected to nature as when we are surrounded by trees. And then to spend the night there? Exactly the kind of childhood dream that makes adults yawn quietly at the end of the day. At Lake Natterer See there are comfortable tree houses where adventure and relaxation merge into a perfect symbiosis at treetop level. In a "family lodge" in the tree with a terrace and panoramic view can accommodate four people. A kitchenette, dining and sleeping area as well as a bathroom make staying overnight in the countryside very comfortable. And Lake Natterer See is just a stone's throw away. For refreshment the next morning.
Dad, the bow is open! Mum, there's a stone in my shoe! Parents won't hear that here. You can explore the mountain with your bare feet. In Fügen in the Zillertal, there is a barefoot path on the last stretch to the summit at 1,920 metres above sea level. The zigzag path leads to the destination in around thirty minutes: on warming bark mulch, cold pebbles, soft sand or earth. Children can guess the ground with their eyes closed. And then cool their feet at a nearby stream.
Riding across meadows and paths in the middle of nature - can this feeling be topped? Yes, by going higher up. The alpine hike becomes an adventure on horseback. The ride to the Rübezahl Alm at 1,200 metres starts in Ellmau, leads along the Weißache to Egg via the Hochschwendt snack station to the Rübezahl Alm. In 1778 there was still a stable there, today there are schnitzels and delicacies for the riders. The route takes you up over hill and dale and back down through the woods into the valley.
There are stones everywhere in the forest! Exactly. Large and small, sometimes very large. And they are perfect bouldering rocks. Children can easily let off steam on most of them on their own - if you have the right bouldering mats with you to cushion falls from low heights. The Pitztal is a climbing paradise. For professionals, but also for beginners, especially for families. Certified climbing gardens for families are lined up alongside practice tours and via ferratas - and since 2017, the "Mandlers Boden" bouldering area has been developed with 55 boulders, which are all connected via a path. That makes 180 different bouldering routes of varying degrees of difficulty.
You can learn a lot about nature from textbooks. But you can also simply discover flora and fauna for yourself. This is particularly easy in the Hohe Tauern National Park. Around 3,500 plant species have been discovered in Austria's largest national park. Perfect conditions for starting plant scavenger hunts. There are information boards along many paths to help you identify wild edelweiss, glacier buttercups or the rusty-leaved alpine rose. And there are short nature trails - such as in the Oberhauser Zirbenwald, where a path leads children and their parents safely along a 1.5 km circular route. 100 hectares of protected natural forest, 600-year-old stone pines - and only 40 metres in altitude to conquer. This is how family-friendly excursions go.
