Serfaus Fiss Ladis
Located on a sunny plateau, the resorts of Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis are relatively unknown in the UK, both as a ski resort and as a summer destination. Therefore, it may be surprising to learn that they make up Tirol’s number 1 family region. With the bar set high, the mountainous landscape provides plenty of outdoor excitement for families. Spend a day at the Hög Adventure Park, a summer swimming and bathing area or enjoy the interactive Murmli Water Park.
A visit to the X-Trees Adventure Park in Serfaus is a must and any family member over 110cm can have a go on one of the nine colour-coded courses. Test your agility from platform to platform, crossing bridges, climbing ladders and zooming across zip lines.
Over at the Fiss Summer Fun Park, soar high on the Skyswing with a free fall of 12m, zoom down the mountain on the ‘Fisser Flitzer’ Alpine Coaster or have a go at one of the alternative activities on offer.
Families can also make full use of the Super. Summer. Card. guestcard and benefit from free children’s entertainment from Sunday-Friday at the Murmli-Club in Serfaus or the Mini&Maxi club in Fiss-Ladis, as well as entry to the summer fun park in Fiss and the Adventure World in Serfaus.
Where to stay?
The 4* Hotel Löwe has been a member of the Kinderhotels group for over 25 years. Centrally located the hotel has its own water park and a spa reserved exclusively for adults. Stay at the 4* Hotel Löwe in a family suite, with prices starting from €1001 (£782) per adult for 7 nights and child prices starting from €343 (£268). Prices are inclusive of breakfast, lunch and dinner, child care at the Löwe children’s club and a host of other extras mentioned here. Prices are based on July/August departures. To book visit loewebaer.com.
Closest airports are Innsbruck (60 miles) and Munich (115 miles).
Stubai Valley
The Stubai Valley is well-known as a winter destination but with its adventure parks, kids programmes and natural playgrounds it scores high on summer fun too. Tree top rope courses, zip wires and suspension bridges at the 1st Adventure Park in Fulpmes provide family fun for ages 6 upwards.
The Stubai Bike Academy is also located at the Adventure Park and mountain bikers can learn to ride better, faster and more confidently. For an added downhill thrill, speed down the valley on the Mieders Alpine Coaster, the steepest track in the Alps, gaining speeds of up to 42kph along the 2800m track.
If the summer heat gets too much, head to the Stubai Glacier, located at the end of the valley and enter into a fascinating world of snow and ice, exploring the ‘Ice Grotto’ taking you 30m beneath the ski slopes.
Families should opt to stay in one of the 71 BIG Family partner hotels, so they can benefit from enrolling their children in the BIG Family Stubai summer club. It offers a weekly programme of activities for children from 5 years old, including pony riding, forest adventures, pirate fun and BBQ parties.
Where to stay?
Stay at the Ladestatthof in Neustift for 7 nights in an apartment, with prices starting from €1090 (£852) for a family of 4 (2 adults and 2 children) and includes the Stubai Super Card and participation in the summer club. An optional night can be spent in the ‘hay barn’, offering a unique experience sleeping on a warm mattress of hay after enjoying a Tirolean supper of bread, sausages and cheese. Prices are based on July/August departures. To book visit ladestatthof.at.
Closest airports are Innsbruck (16 miles) and Munich (113 miles).
Tirol Zugspitz Arena
Tirol’s scenic Zugspitz Arena is located on the borders of Germany and Austria, which means easy access for travelling with kids from Innsbruck or Munich airports. Families can easily fill a week of activities with so much to do in this area.
From Ehrwald, take the Tiroler Zugspitzbahn to the top of the Zugspitze, Germany’s highest mountain at 2962m, for amazing 360 views of four countries. At Biberwier take the chairlift up the Marienberg and take the exhilarating 1.3km Alpine Coaster back down or try out some of the fun sport equipment, such as the monster scooters and mountain carts.
Make sure you spend a day at the Bichlbach Sports and Recreation Park, where kids can play by the shores of the lake, use the diving platform and waterslides, as well as taking the opportunity to go down the natural Rapid River Raft ride or go on the Electric Quad Track.
To add a bit of learning outside the classroom take the family on an interpretive nature trail, the ‘Moosle Forscherpfad’ or head to the Arche Alm in Ehrwald, where you can discover the mountain pasture and assist with caring for some of the rare and endangered breeds of pigs, chickens and goats.
Where to stay?
Families have everything they want and more when staying at the 4* Hotel Tiroler Zugspitze. Prices start from €1715 (£1340) for a family of four (2 adults and 2 children up to 15) on half board and inclusive of childcare at the DIDIs Kids Club from 3 yrs. Prices are based on July/August departures. To book visit zugspitze-resort.at.
Closest airports are Innsbruck (50 miles) and Munich (70 miles).
Zell-Gerlos
Mayrhofen is probably the best known resort to British families in the Zillertal but Zell-Gerlos in the Zillertal Arena makes for a super family holiday destination.
If you have a head for heights and are aged over 8, try the Arena Skyliner, a zip line running at speeds of up to 50kph over a 738m long line.
For something more sedate spend a day at the Zell Recreation Park, a 45,000 sqm outdoor playground with pools, slides and other sports, such as mini-golf, tennis and beach volleyball. Kids will love descending underground to the Hainzeberg Gold Mine and experience the mountains as if they were hard rock gold miners and hear tales of how hard it was to uncover the gold.
During the summer, children can join the weekly ‘Familiennest’ kids programme in Zell am Ziller (from 4 years) offering a range of activities plus there’s a teenage programme (10-15 year olds) available with more demanding activities on offer, such as canyoning, mountain biking and climbing.
Where to stay?
Stay at the 4* Ferienhotel Sonnenhof in Zell am Ziller, situated only a few moments away from the mountain lifts. Guests can participate in the in-house activity programme and with free childcare on-site in July and August means parents will also have some time to explore themselves. Prices start from €2079 (£1625) for a family of four (2 adults and 2 children) in a family room on half board. Prices based on July/August departures. To book visit sonnenhof.tirol.
Closest airports are Innsbruck (37 miles) and Munich (92 miles)
FLIGHTS
Innsbruck is the closest airport to all the resorts mentioned and is served by easyJet (easyjet.com) from London Gatwick. Alternatively fly to Munich airport, which opens up a host of additional UK regional airports and is served by Lufthansa (lufthansa.com) from Southampton, Bristol, Birmingham and Manchester, by British Airways (ba.com) from London Heathrow, by easyJet from Manchester, Gatwick, Luton and Edinburgh, by BMI Regional (bmiregional.com) from Southampton and Bristol and by Flybe (flybe.com) from Cardiff. Affordable resort transfers are available through Four Seasons Travel (transfer.tirol.at).
For more information on the Tirol region visittirol.co.uk or keep updated at facebook.com/visittirol or @VisitTirol on twitter
