on holiday in South Tyrol with children

Image: private

Mix the taste of Italy with the punctuality of Austria, add some raw nature and you have South Tyrol in a nutshell. Jannine discovered it this summer with her family.

“When you think of Tyrol, you quickly think of mugs of beer, lots of snow, large plates of fatty food. But South Tyrol is next level, I discovered this summer. It was a bit of a switch, because the days before we were in a cute hotel near Lake Varese. The hotels, facilities and towns there are characteristic and conform to the typical Italian image of Vespas because of narrow streets and old buildings that no longer have a function.

The atmosphere in South Tyrol is completely different. German was spoken everywhere and it was neat and well organised; everything served a purpose. That Austrian gründlichkeit seeped into everything. Yet Italy is just as evident, especially in gastronomy. Very good coffee, delicious pasta, fantastic wines and ice cream to enjoy. As far as I’m concerned, the best of both worlds.

dolomites

Despite the tidy character of the region, nature naturally takes its course. The Dolomites, a majestic mountain range, are very impressive. As if you are in another world, between all that natural violence. From our first hotel, Parkhotel Holzner in Oberbozen, we had a beautiful view. Our hotel room was on the top floor and overlooked this natural spectacle.

We saw how the sun rose and set over the mountains, how clouds passed over and the sky was suddenly blue again. The first night there was a terrible thunderstorm. The four of us lay from the big bed watching the spectacle of all those flashes over the mountains. Better than Netflix. When we woke up, the sky was blue again. And so every few hours there was a completely different view of the same mountain range.

To walk

Admittedly, we are not real hikers. I was extra aware of this when we went up the mountain dressed in shorts and only one sweater. The experienced hikers around us wore zip-off pants, layers and serious hiking boots. Of course they had known for a long time that the weather could change quite a bit on top of the mountain. Despite our poor preparation, the walks we took were very pleasant and above all beautiful.

Numerous routes run close to the hotel in Oberbozen that you can extend or shorten as desired. You don’t necessarily have to take a walk around, because there is a train that you can take back. We opted for a walk tailored to children. Along the way we came across information boards in the form of animals where you could read everything about the area and where fun games could be played. That’s how Elin and Mats kept the energy up. The prospect of being able to take a splash in the hotel pool also made up for it, of course.

“Thanks to the playgrounds along the way, the children kept up with the walk”

For the second hike we took the gondola up the Alpe di Siusi. The walk started with a steep climb, after which we were rewarded with winding paths through forests and over streams. At every bend presented a different view of the beautiful surroundings.

Of course, the children also got tired of it and their legs hurt. With enough stops with good food, a playground and a glass of limo, they kept it up. And of course games along the way. Favorite was to throw a leaf into the water on one side of a bridge and then quickly run to the other side and see whose leaf goes the fastest. And so we walked on, for five hours.

Own character

Driving through South Tyrol you regularly come across secluded lakes where you can swim. The larger lakes also offer catering, pedal boat and canoe rental and sometimes even a swimming pool next to the lake. Everything of course well arranged with delicious Italian food and the convenience of sunbeds.

The great thing about South Tyrol is that you can easily combine hiking with a visit to a city. From the hotel in Oberbozen you can reach the largest city in South Tyrol: Bozen (or Bolzano) in twenty minutes. We also visited Meran (Merano), a town with its own character where the Mediterranean mentality is clearly fused with influences from the Alps: flowers everywhere, a fresh breeze from the river that flows along the promenade and the beautiful old elements that are held.

Meran is traditionally a spa town and you can still notice that it is designed for the well-being of people. With countless drinking fountains, the fresh mountain air, organic eateries where you can also get delicious pastries and almost every hotel has a spa. And if your hotel doesn’t have one, you can visit the City Spa. All in all a town with a cosy, friendly atmosphere where the surrounding mountains give you a protected feeling. After you have strolled through the cozy streets, with a surprising number of modern shops, you can cool your feet in the icy, but also icy river along the promenade.

Also read – Put on your boots and start walking: 5x the best nature spots with children >

a lot of chatting

For the first time since the children were here we went on a ‘hotel holiday’. Completely different from a camping holiday – with both pros and cons. Elin and Mats could not fly off as easily as on a camping site and that provided extra family time. We all went out together, sat together in the restaurant. We played a lot of games, chatted a lot, even while walking. Stories about school, friends, sports, everyday things.

Good: I didn’t have time for myself because of that, but that’s just for this time. The fact that we have now spent so much time together makes this week extra valuable.”

To do

Train back

In Oberbozen you will find many well-marked walks. The Pyramix road is a nice option for children, because of the play elements along the way. Handy: there is a train through the valley. When you’re tired of the walk, you can go back to your hotel.

To kick

Pedal boats are a real thing in the mountain lakes of South Tyrol, for example in the idyllic lake Gretl am See.

gretlamsee.com

Just taste it

I was amazed at the many vineyards in South Tyrol. With a nice tasting room on every corner.

ice mummy

At the Bozen Archaeological Museum, you can see Ötzi, the oldest human mummy found in Europe.

iceman.it

To sleep

Beautiful place

Parkhotel Holzner in Bozen is a beautiful family hotel in Art Nouveau style. We had a breathtaking view over the mountains.

parkhotel-holzner.com

All luxury

Plantitscherhof is a very nice place to stay in Meran. The kids loved the old-timers in the hotel.

plantitscherhof.com

Wine everywhere

Hotel Traminerhof is the perfect base for cycling trips through the wine regions and around the Lakes of Tramin.

traminerhof.it/EN

Food

chocolate prince

In 5ifty8ight in Meran, René makes delicious and honest chocolate. He talks about it passionately and makes the coolest designs with local entrepreneurs.

58chocolate.com/en

artful

Restaurant 1908 is located next to Parkhotel Holzner in Oberbozen, where the local specialties are presented as true works of art. A real feast for the taste buds. Even awarded a Michelin star at the end of last year.

restaurant1908.com

Food with a view

We ate the tastiest Kaiserschmarrn, a kind of rolled up pancake, during our long hike at Alpe di Siusi at Baita Tschötsch Alm Hütte, enjoying the beautiful view.

tschoetschalm.com

This article can be found in Kek Mama 03-2022.

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