Serfaus is a village in the Austrian Tyrol area, 1492 meters above sea level. It’s the sunniest place in the Alps and it won our hearts because it is completely family-oriented.We are staying at the Alpenruh-Micheluzzi Hotel, a 4 stars hotel strategically located: 5 minutes on foot from the centre of Serfaus and only 100 metres from the metro station. Yes, metro! Because this village – to minimize road traffic – has built a very handy metro system of 4 stops, open from 8 AM to 7 PM, and free. In less than 10 minutes you can travel from one end of the village to the other. On top of this, Serfaus is linked to Fiss and Ladis (the two other villages that are part of the same district) thanks to an efficient network of bus routes.
Inclusive in our hotel stay was the Super-Sommer-Card; a pass that allows you to use all the cableways of the Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis area, the shuttles running between the three towns and all the kids’ entertainment programs (from 3 years old).
Hiking with kids in and near Serfaus
Serfaus è un vero paradiso per le famiglie attive.
The Family Trail
In Serfaus (walking time 2.5 h; trailhead at the top of the Sunliner Waldbahn cable car). Before starting this hike, get each of the family members the hiking booklet, either at the tourist office of where the cable car leaves from. You will find questions about the trail and it will tell you how to mark the score. In fact, you can enjoy a fun family challenge, with balance, strength and intellect tests, as well as riddles to solve.
We had a ball, and the kids kept hoping that the parents would make a mistake and lose precious points… each error we made was met with laughter and jubilance! The trail is all downhill and can be walked with a stroller.
The Panoramic Trail (“Panorama-Genussweg”)
It leads from the middle station of Komperdell (Serfaus) to the Möseralm in Fiss in about 2 hours. It’s a very panoramic wide trail, without a great height difference, which can be walked with a baby stroller, too. It’s perfect for a family outing and the mountain views are compelling. As you hike, you will find several places to rest (hammoks, benches, wooden deck chairs)… in one of these places (more precisely in the “Genuss-Pavillon”) you can also listen to classical music.
If you still have some energy left to burn, you can reach Fiss by chair lift and walk to the village of Ladis through laws covered with wild flowers. This part of the walk is two hours long.
The Six Senses Trail
it starts from Murmliwasser (the middle station of Komperdell- Serfaus) and in 4 hours will take you back to Serfaus town. If you have small kids, you can choose a shorter route and leave from the Hög Adventure Park).
The trail offers you several sensorial experiences; you can see, hear, touch, smell, taste and even experience fun illusions. It’s all downhill, suitable to strollers, and interesting for the entire family.
The Groundhog Trail (“Murmeltierstieg”)
It starts from the top of the Lazidbahn and end at the middle station Komperdell (Serfaus). This is a real mountain trail, and you need to pay attention to some basic info in order to do it:
- walking time 3 hours
- lenght 6.92 kms, height difference 302 m uphill / 669 m downhill
- There is no water along the trail, which is narrow, with several rocks and directly exposed to sun and wind.
This trail takes you to an area full of groundhogs, so your kids can get acquainted with them in their own habitat; there’s also several panels which tell you all about them. The trail is suitable to people with a good level of fitness, and to kids used to walking long stretches. Still, it’s worth the effort: the views are amazing and the kids loved to be able to see the groundhogs in close proximity.
The Thomas Brezina storytelling trails
You should also find time to walk the three itineraries based on the children books written by the Austrian writer Thomas Brezina (the “Pirates’ Trail”, the “Witches’ Trail” and the “Explorer trail”). Once again, ask for the free booklet with plenty of riddles to solve. If you want to borrow the “Adventure Backpack” with magnifying glass, pen and binoculars, you need to 30 euros as a deposit.
Piratenweg, the “Pirates’ Trail”
In Serfaus (walking time about 2 hours, inclusive of the necessary time to reach the trailhead from the middle station Komperdell). Captain Pepper’s pirate ship landed somewhere in the forest during a stormy night, but where? Along the trail, the little explorer will find the objects that were lost during the storm. It’s a simple walk, mostly downhill, along a wide path accessible to strollers.
Hexenweg, the “Witches Trail”
In Fiss (walking time about. 1.5 hours, departing from the middle station Schönjochbahn). Peppina, the witch, has made a mistake casting a spell and her house has blown up! Along the trail you will find her household object, as well as her house… turned upside down! It’s a very pleasant downhill trail, through forests and lawns. It’s unfortunately not suitable to strollers. Of the three “themed” trails, it’s the one my kids liked best.
Forscherpfad , the “Explorer Trail”
In Ladis (if you start in Fiss it’s 2 to 3 hours long). Walking the trail, in reality, would take only 45 minutes, but to reach the trailhead from Fiss (and back) it’s quite a hike. Along the trail, the kids need to prove that they are real explorers and solve several riddles about plants and animals. As they walk, they will find giant snails, they will get to experience the world from an ant’s point of view, they will have to identify animal footprints and poisonous mushrooms before reaching the explorer’s house, hidden in the forest. The path runs through the forest and aims at teaching kids’ nature little secrets. It’s engaging and interesting, but not suitable to strollers.
These are only a few of the many trails in the Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis area, and the ones I recommend most. You can check the website to learn more about the many trails of the region, and you’ll be happy to discover that there are trails suitable to all tastes and levels of fitness.
Unique play areas and adventure parks
If you want to take a day off hiking, there are three unique “playground-like” areas.
Fiss – Fun & Action Park
On the Möseralm, with:
- Fisser Flitzera tobpggan run 2.2 kms long where you can reach a speed of 45 kms per hour… a real must try!
- Fisser Flieger (a kite-like device attached to a cable)
- SkySwing (asuspended eight-seater sky swing)
- Summer-Snow factory (just as the word suggests it)
- Kneipp Center
- Tubing run
- Playground with XXL sandpit
- Air slide
- XXL trampoline (huge and fun!)
- Jump tower: you can jump on an inflatable mattress from two different heights (7 and 10 metres)
- Children petting zoo
Hög Adventure Park
Middle station Alpkopf in Serfaus, with:
- Family Coaster Schneisenfeger (summer luge)… thrilling!
- Lumberjack area for kids (balance and skills parcour)
- Boat hire (pedal boat, rowing boat and stand up paddle
- Water labyrinth
- Shallow water area with rafters’ course and wobbling stones (amazing fun!)
- Trampolines shaped as a “cowpat”…(to jump and do somersaults!)
Adventure World Serfaus
Middle station Komperdell in Serfaus, with:
- Murmli water, a 15000 smq interactive themed playground (water and marmots) with sandpits, underground cave systems, water games (dams, floats,…), labyrinths, slides, …
- Murmli Rodeo (adventure trail)
- Bear Catching Park (a geocaching trail)
- Gold washing area (for real gold prospectors)
- Zip-line Serfauser Sauser
- Murmlitrail: a short interactive trail (suitable to strollers, too) which teaches toddlers about groundhogs
What can I do if it rains?
If you are unlucky and it rains, don’t worry. Here’s three fun solutions for your rainy days:
Murmlis Spiegelei
Middle station Komperdell, Serfaus. A hall of mirrors, which my kids enjoyed greatly and went back for more, several times. Other than a maze, you will also find “distorting” mirrors which will make everyone laugh, and a souvenir shop.
PlayIN Serfaus
An indoor heaven for kids and teenagers with: climbing walls, bouldering area, a six-storey soft play centre (with balls, trampolines, slides, rollers,…), a laser room testing different skills such as speed and prowess.
INDOOR Arena
In Fiss. Indoor minigolf, arcade games (airhockey, table football,…) and a LEGO corner.
To sum it up, I cannot stress enough the fact that this area, as well as wonderful from a naturalistic point of view, was planned carefully to cater for families with young children. It’s the ideal place to spend a “healthy” holiday, fun and with all the comforts you can ask for… the perfect place for your kids to fall in love with the mountains.
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