Winter holiday with the whole family

Updated 13.10.2021

If you are going on a winter holiday with children, you can expect selected Tyrolean regions that pay special attention to the needs of children. These regions show themselves to be particularly imaginative when it comes to getting into skiing.

From children's cinema to magic carpet in AlpbachtalWhatdoes the ideal ski resort for families look like? It should fulfil several conditions: The right infrastructure, such as a children's ski area and ski rental for the little ones, are just two of many criteria. After all, parents want their children to be in good hands. For example, at the Kid's Center in Alpbach. When the children get tired and their parents want to ski a little longer, the little ones are looked after by the hour on the premises of the Wiedersberghornbahn. There is a children's cloakroom, sleeping facilities and even a children's cinema. In neighbouring Reith im Alpbachtal, a magic carpet (ski conveyor belt), playful obstacles and many highlights for toddlers who want to learn to ski await them at the valley station in "Kinderland Juppi Do". "Build your own igloo" - is the motto in the Wildschönau. The beginners' drag lift and the Sunkid magic carpet, a large piste with plenty of space and several "children's lands" are reserved for children and beginners.

Skiing fun with Murmli and Berta in Serfaus-Fiss-LadisMurmliand Berta - these are the names of the two mascots in the large family ski area of Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis, a real magnet for families. The family-friendly children's ski paradises "Bertas Kinderland" in Fiss and the "Murmlipark" in Serfaus also bear the name of the two mascots. The region on the sunny plateau offers its guests age-appropriate children's ski courses and childcare, for example in the Murmlikrippe, the Kinderschneealm, Bertas Kindervilla or in the Indian Village in Fiss. Special highlights are the children's restaurants Murmlirest and Starrest in Serfaus.

SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser - Brixental: Children's ski care with a focus on environmental protection and innovation The resorts of Ellmau, Scheffau and Söll are regarded as showcase examples of how child care can be organised in the ski area. With the Ellmi's Kids Club, the Schneepiraten Kidsclub and the Kinderkornkammer childcare, "KiKo" for short, great offers await. Ever heard of the Mini-Carvers? With these skis, even the youngest children can take their first steps in the snow - without ski boots. This innovation comes from the Scheffau ski school in one of Austria's largest ski areas, the SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser-Brixental. In the Kinderkaiserland and the Adventure Park, kids learn how to ski under the guidance of professional snow sports instructors. Short instructional films during the ascent on the magic carpet motivate the little ones to follow suit. At the end of the ski course, the young skiers receive a qualification card in credit card format. This "qualification card" not only enables the young skiers to ski on blue and red marked slopes, it also distinguishes environmentally friendly behaviour, which was playfully taught during the ski course with the help of mascot Snoki. With the "KiKo" in Söll, parents with babies and toddlers also get their money's worth.

The Hohe Salve panoramic mountain in the SkiWelt has many easy slopes and the Kids Club Hopfgarten with a practice area, two magic carpets and supervision for children from 1 to 3 years. The Familotel Hopfgarten even offers special family flats, a baby club and a children's pool. There is a family ski depot at the valley station in Hopfgarten. The Brixental is also popular with young and old. Reasons for this include the Alpeniglu village in Hochbrixen with its ice exhibition and the three Skimovie routes.

Kitzbühel Alps: From the Mini Streif to the BabyhotelIn theKitzSki ski area in Kitzbühel, skiing fun awaits brave kids. On the "Ministreif", young talents can prove themselves on attractions such as the Mausefalle, Gams, Tretorgel der Seidlalm and Hausbergkante - all in miniature, of course. Family-friendly accommodation such as the Babyhotel babymio in Kirchdorf make the ski area Skistar St. Johann in Tirol a centre of attraction. Parents with small children who have never stood on skis before have the choice of no less than four snow sports schools that teach the little ones how to ski in a playful way. Those who travel with their family to the Pillerseetal in the Kitzbühel Alps also do everything right. The Skicircus Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn, Buchensteinwand - Bergbahn Pillersee offers action-packed play and fun elements especially for teens. In Fieberbrunn, the "Timoks Coaster" is a spectacular Alpine Coaster that is also open in winter. In Ortisei there is a separate children's alpine pasture where children can sit, eat and play undisturbed and also on the Steinplatte Waidring the little ones are looked after on the mountain in an appealing indoor and outdoor area.

East Tyrol scores with young and old with family-friendly ski resortsNo, noSwiss DJ was the godfather of the "Bobo Kinderclub" in the small, fine East Tyrolean ski centre of Sillian Hochpustertal. And it doesn't need one, because the practice area near the mountain station of the Thurntaler gondola lift gets children excited about skiing. The particularly favourable children's rates put a smile on the faces of even cost-conscious parents in this ski area. The slopes in the sunny neighbouring ski area of Zettersfeld near Lienz are almost all suitable for families. On a specially created fun slope, the kids have a race, while the young snowboarder and freestyler scene meets in the Sunsite Park. The old town of Lienz also offers a special flair for cosy evenings away from the slopes.

Lots of variety awaits you in the Ötztal and Paznauntal valleys

If you turn left right at the entrance to the Ötztal, you will find a true snow paradise in Hochoetz. Here the mascot Widi welcomes the children and teaches them the ABCs of skiing. To do this, they go to one of the three Kids Parks, which are run by the local ski schools. For the slightly older ones, there is a fun park below the Balbach chairlift. Those who are more experienced skiers will enjoy the more challenging slopes, such as the long downhill run to Ochsengarten, the permanent race course with timekeeping and the ski routes through fresh deep snow.

A scavenger hunt on skis makes the winter holiday in the Kühtai ski area a great adventure for children. Various tasks and puzzles have to be solved at 12 stations over 15 kilometres. The supervisors at the Kids Club Kühtai for two to four-year-olds pay attention to the needs of smaller children. The KidsPark also awaits all children and fun park newcomers. For the more experienced there is the KPark with FreeStyle area, SnowCross & SuperPipe.

The Silvapark Galtür in Paznauntal has three zones that are especially aimed at children and teenagers. In the Dwarf World, the little ones playfully gain their first experiences, in Adventure Land, the more advanced can track through tunnels and over wave tracks, and in the Action Park, teens and the young at heart can show how much fun they can have with rails, boxes and on the race track.

Free ski lessons in PitztalOptimalfor families is the infrastructure at Hochzeiger in Pitztal, because the distances between ski school, ski rental and slopes are short. Children learn their first turns in the ski course in the valley, at low cost and without a lift ticket. More experienced kids let off steam in the snow park. Pitzi's children's paradise guarantees optimal supervision. The "Hochzeiger Restaurant" also has a children's play and lounge area with Gratsch and Pitzi.

Childcare for a carefree skiing dayWhoevertravels to the Stubaital with their children should take a look at the Schlick 2000 skiing area. Because Big Ron's Kinderland is waiting at the middle station with childcare facilities, magic carpets, snow carousels and slalom courses, where mum and dad can easily drop in. The "Big Family Kinder Restaurant Gamsgarten" on the Stubai Glacier is considered a model establishment with appealing children's menus, childcare, child-friendly facilities and ample seating. Families will also find everything they need in the Nauders-Bergkastel ski area. The biggest thing for the little ones there is probably the 6,500 square metre Nauderix Kinderland with playground, tubing track and Indian trail, as well as the Nauderix Kids Park, which is aimed at teens with all kinds of fun sports. The Interski ski school also has a large children's area and there is also an attractive children's restaurant with excellent childcare.

The Ehrwalder Almbahn also promises special fun for the family with childcare and the very child-friendly Tirolerhaus restaurant. In the Ehrwalder Wettersteinbahnen ski area, the "Confetti Alm" children's land is particularly recommended for families.

For more information on all family ski regions in Tyrol as well as winter holidays with the whole family, visit https://www.tirol.at/reisefuehrer/familienurlaub/winter.

Safe hospitality: An overview of the current Covid 19-related safety regulations and recommendations in Tyrol can be found at www.willkommen.tirol.