There are many particularly family-friendly Alpine Club huts across all mountain groups in North and East Tyrol. Starting in the far west of the country, these include the Friedrichshafener and Darmstädter Hütte in the Verwall group and the Kölner Haus in the Samnaun group. In the Pitztal you will find the Ludwigsburger Hütte, in the Stubai Alps the Winnebachseehütte and the Nürnberger Hütte, in the Lechtal Alps the Hanauer Hütte, in the Karwendel the Solstein-Haus and the Pfeis-Hütte, in the Tux Alps the Lizumer Hütte, in the Zillertal Alps the Greizer Hütte, in the Rofan the Gufferthütte and in the Chiemgau Alps the Straubinger Haus and the Anton-Karg-Haus in the Kaiser Mountains. In East Tyrol, the Lienzer Hütte in the Schober group and the Kalser Tauernhaus in the Glockner group are among the family-friendly huts recognised by the Alpine Association. In addition to the 16 huts presented here, you can find more huts with the "With children in huts" seal via the Alpine Association.
All of the huts listed here are huts run by the German or Austrian Alpine Association and bear the "With children in huts" seal. In addition to child-friendly access, the huts fulfil other criteria, such as food that children like to eat and that is served in child-friendly portions. Where there is space, there is a safe playground, the surroundings are inviting to explore and there is no danger of falling. Depending on the size of the hut, there are play corners or playrooms with books, colouring materials and toys, separate family rooms usually with bunk beds and a changing table in the sanitary facilities as well as high chairs at the dining tables.
Children want adventure and variety. Monotonous forest roads - unless you ride an (e-)bike - are therefore not the kind of thing that encourages children to go hiking. However, if the trail leads over roots as a forest path or mountain trail, crosses streams by means of small bridges, runs across flower-filled alpine meadows or even through a gorge and offers nice places to rest with a view, then things get more exciting. In addition, the approach should not be much longer than three hours and should not include any difficult passages or be at risk of falling. A particularly good example of an approach suitable for children is the one to the Lienzer Hütte in the Hohe Tauern National Park or the one to the Pfeis-Hütte in the Karwendel, although the first section requires a little surefootedness.
For children, of course, the destination is also crucial; the prospect of a good snack, the playground or even an overnight stay at the hut often makes them surpass themselves.
Children don't like to be rushed - there is far too much to see and explore along the way. You should therefore plan an extra hour of walking time. Don't forget to take the necessary breaks - it's best not to plan any additional programme items on the day of the hut hike. Our advice: Stay flexible - children often have a mind of their own.
When hiking with children, you should definitely take a snack, plenty of drinks, warm clothes, a change of clothes (for spontaneous trips to water, fountains, streams...), something sweet for motivation and perhaps also your favourite cuddly toy.
Playing word games, inventing stories about rocks, trees and lakes and letting the children continue the story, or going on a discovery tour and looking out for small animals along the way can help prevent boredom while hiking. Basically: Let your children help organise the hike. Of course, you need to allow enough time for this and choose the route wisely. Here you will find numerous family-friendly hikes on adventure trails, as well as other tips to prevent boredom.
Hiking boots, hut sleeping bag, a change of clothes and, above all, how many pairs of pants? - Here you will find a comprehensive packing list for your multi-day tour.
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