No time for boredom

Discover (natural) playgrounds in the Wipptal valley

At first glance, the offer for families in the Wipptal is manageable. This is because there is no room for Disneyland and the like here. Simple offers such as playgrounds or shallow streams are ideal for children to play creatively together or to discover nature as an adventure playground. We travel a lot as a family and would like to introduce some lesser-known but really cool places.

There is a public playground in almost every municipality in Wipptal, which is a regular meeting place for local families with young children. Some communities have decided to make the leisure facilities even more attractive and so some new playgrounds have a specific theme. We like the barrier-free playground in Statz (at the southern end of Matrei, next to the Sill, at the junction to Navis) and the energy playground at the landscape pond in Trins the best. In Statz, barrier-free play equipment encourages children with and without disabilities to "play together". There is also a planted area where children are encouraged to "garden" under supervision. The fruit that grows there can then be enjoyed by the little ones.

In Trins, on the other hand, the focus is on "energy and energy production". Informative boards provide families with knowledge on the topic of "energy". There are also comfortable loungers and tables for a picnic by the pond.

Climbing is a top priority at Maria Waldrast - the new playground in front of the inn has some great climbing elements as well as swings and comfortable seating for parents in the shade of the large trees. Further up, diagonally behind the church, there is also a small Kneipp facility, which is particularly inviting on hot summer days for a dip with the children.

A tip for less good weather is the free indoor wooden playground at JUFA Wipptal and the Tunnel Worlds next door, where the topic of "tunnel construction" is taught on 400 m2. The exhibition is constantly updated with new interactive elements for young and old to discover.

Apart from the "artificially" created playgrounds, playing "in the open" - preferably near shallow water - is also very popular with our son, especially in summer. We prefer to play in the Obernbergtal or Valsertal valleys, but you can find such places everywhere in the valleys. In Obernberg, the most beautiful spot is about a 10-minute walk out of the valley from the parking lot at the end of the village on Seebachweg. There are many shallow spots by the stream with mud and stones, which you can use to build a small dam or play in the water. The stream is also surrounded by alpine meadows - plenty of space for a picnic in the grass.

The same good conditions can be found in Valsertal if you walk into the valley for about 2 minutes from the parking lot at the Nockeralmen and then turn south along the forest path into the gray alder forest of the Natura 2000 protected area. After a short hike of approx. 10 to 15 minutes, you will reach an idyllic spot with several shallow streams in a forest clearing. A paradise on hot summer days.

There is also a new, interesting offer for families in the Gschnitz Valley: the two water droplets Gschnitzy & Gossy tell their exciting story along the Gschnitzbach stream. You can experience a few adventures and learn lots of interesting facts about water along the way. If you follow the drop-shaped signposts, you won't miss a single station. One starting point is opposite the Bergeralmbahn valley station in front of Tunnelwelten. There is even a puzzle to be solved along the way, where a surprise awaits in the mill village as a reward. As it is a few kilometers to Gschnitz, it is advisable to take the bike.

Tip: If you are looking for more excursion options for the whole family in the Wipptal Valley, then take a look at our page with excursion destinations: www.wipptal.at/ausflugsziele