Holiday in the mountains: with children off to the nature parks

Nowhere else can you experience the unspoilt nature and its unique beauty better and more intensly than on holiday in the mountains with children. There is probably nothing more exciting than discovery tours through a nature park for children. South Tyrol has not only one but an impressive eight nature parks, all located in close proximity to our Familienhotels Südtirol. A single holiday in the mountains with children is definitely not enough to expore the various nature reserves. And you really should explore them all, because each nature park for children has something very special to offer. Experience nature from its most authentic side while on a family holiday in South Tyrol and let yourself be enchanted by the unique mountain landscapes and the fantastic flora and fauna.

Holiday in the mountains: Discover the nature parks with children.

Would you like to reach new heights on holiday in the mountains with children? Then visit the Stelvio National Park that is located in the immediate vicinity of our family hotel in Val Venosta/Vinschgau. The high-alpine national park surrounds the Orter Alps and is one of the largest nature reserves in Europe. Here eagles circle high up in the air, while ibexes and chamois cleverly climb over the rugged cliffs. With a little luck you can observe the shy highlanders. Are you hungry for knowledge? How about a visit to the exciting “aquaprad” national park house, where you will get to know the world of native fish and other aquatic life? In the national park house "naturatrafoi" you will get to know the Ortles massif as a habitat and the survival strategies of nature during your holiday in the mountains with children. Last but not least, the Culturamartell visitor centre allows you to learn more about the hard life of the mountain farmers.

South Tyrol’s largest nature park extends from Val Senales/Schnalstal to Val Passiria/Passeiertal and encompasses the entire Texel Group. High up in the steep, alpine terrain is where the Schwaighöfe are located: ancient mountain farms, which today are managed as alpine pastures. In summer they are a popular hiking destination for families who spend their holidays in the mountains with children. If you come to South Tyrol to hike with children, you should definitely plan a hike on one of the countless Waalweg paths along the ancient water channels in the Texel Group. Speaking of water: In Partschins you can marvel at the waterfall, which drops from a height of 97 metres, and in the Texel Group Nature Park House in Naturns with its pond biotope, aquariums, water channels, rock samples, taxidermy, and touch boxes you can experience the big world of the nature park in miniature with children during your holiday in the mountains.

Lush green alpine meadows, crystal-clear mountain lakes, rustic alpine huts, and a breathtaking view of the spectacular mountain world – in the Trudner Horn Nature Park you can truly experience nature with children. Flowery meadows, moors, and wetlands cover the unique nature park with the greatest variety of species that you can find on holiday in the mountains with children. The nature park house is located in an old mill in Truden, where the grain that grows in the small cornfield next to it is ground to this day. You can also observe life in an anthill, learn about the different calls of owls, and watch the hustle and bustle in the amphibian pond. Another highlight is the Kneipp facility, where the big ones can relax in the mountains with their children while the little ones can romp around in the water.

Do you know why at dusk the Catinaccio/Rosengarten glows in every imaginable shade of red? No? Then let the hosts of the Familienhotels Südtirol tell you the legend of Laurin the Dwarf King during your holiday in the mountains with children. No other nature park is as rich in stories as the Schlern Rosengarten Nature Park, the home of the famous Sciliar/Schlern witches, the beautiful Lake Carezza mermaid, and the petrified Latemar dolls. The nature park, which is part of the Dolomites UNESCO World Heritage, is the oldest in South Tyrol and covers a total area of 7,291 hectares. There are two adventure trails to explore the unique natural landscape with children in South Tyrol: the Oswald-von-Wolkenstein nature trail in the Hauenstein forest near Seis and the geological trail near Bad Ratzes, where one of our family hotels in the Dolomites is located.

In the heart of the Dolomites lies the Puez Odle Natural Park, a very special reserve where you can explore the countless natural treasures in complete peace and quiet during your holiday in the mountains with children. Impressive rock towers and imposing mountain peaks rise high into the sky. On the Geisler Group, which tower above Val di Vizze/Villnösstal, extreme mountaineer Reinhold Messner made his first climbing attempts. A climbing tour on the Sass de Putia/Peitlerkofel near Lüsen is much less difficult. If you are sure-footed and free from giddiness, the Dolomite peak is ideal for the first climbing tour with children. You prefer to stay on the ground? No problem! There are numerous hiking trails in this nature reserve, such as the nature experience trail in Zans, which is even suitable for prams. You can also explore the Wunderkammer Natur in the Puez Geisler Nature Park House, which is dedicated to the geology and nature of the Dolomites and the alpinism around Reinhold Messner.

More than 80 three-thousand-metre peaks surround the Rieserferner Ahrn Nature Park, which borders directly on the Hohe Tauern Nature Park. Together with the Zillertal Alps High-Alps Nature Park, the three nature reserves with a total area of 2,530km² form the largest network of protected areas in Europe. The Nature Experience Trail along the shores of Lake Antholz, which is located near our family hotel in Antholz-Rasen, allows you to discover a unique habitat on holiday in the mountains with your children. On the adventure trail "Das Mühlbacher Talele" you can walk in the footsteps of our ancestors. The Riesenferner-Ahrn Nature Park House in Sand in Taufers deals with the limits of nature and man. Immerse yourself in the world of minerals, marvel at the geological diversity, and discover the power of the glaciers while spending a holiday in the mountains with children.

In the Fanes Sennes-Prags Nature Park there is a very special parliament: Parliament of Marmots. The High House of Rodents is one of many attractions you will discover during your holiday in the mountains with children in this enchanting region. Lake Braies sparkles like an emerald in the sun. Together with Lake Toblach it is without doubt one of the most beautiful mountain lakes in the Dolomites. The water surfaces reflect the bizarre rock formations that characterise this nature reserve, which begins in Olang and extends over six municipalities to Val di Landro/Höhlensteintal in Sexten. In this breathtakingly beautiful jewel of the Dolomites with its extensive plateaus and alpine pastures, you will come into contact with the natural diversity of the Alpine flora and fauna. Would you like to learn more about the origin of the Dolomites? Then a trip to the visitor centre in St. Vigil is your right choice. Here you will also meet the mysterious cave bear that was found in the Conturines cave.

They tower over everything: the mighty Three Peaks, the place of longing for alpinists from all over the world. Alpine history was written on their steep walls from the second half of the 19^th century onwards. To learn more about the pioneer work of mountaineering, head to the nature park house, which is located in the former Grand Hotel in Toblach. Here you can immerse yourself in the fascinating natural and cultural landscape of the nature park, the geology of the Sexten Dolomites, the events of the Great War in the Dolomites, the beginnings of mountaineering, and the history of tourism in Alta Pusteria/Hochpustertal. In the adventure workshop, your little ones can get into close contact with the flora and fauna that is at home in this unique nature reserve. The nature park covers an area of over 11,000 hectares, spread over the municipalities of Innichen, Sexten, and Toblach, and is a unique adventure playground for young and old.