Family holiday

On the Hartkaiser in Ellmau, Ellmi's Zauberwelt takes you on a mystical journey in the tracks of Ellmi the sorcerer's apprentice, who has been turned into a giant frog by the elves.

To set him free his young followers have a treasure map and have to do several tasks along the convoluted path full of surprises in the magical kingdom. It still applies in this mountain adventure world that you should not let yourself be lured off the path, even if talking trees suggest otherwise. The nature educational trail in Ellmi's Zauberwelt is full of completely different treasures and mysteries.

With a view of the Wilder Kaiser the mountain visitor gets a natural botany lesson, of the medicinal plants growing next to their description or smelling and trying to identify herbs on the aroma path. Ellmi's Zauberwelt in the Kitzbühler Alps opens up your eyes, ears and nose and makes you realise that the old farmers' remedies can be very entertaining!

The mountain adventure world of Hexenwasser in Söll in Tyrol has been delighting adults and children alike for more than ten years with games of safe nature watching. Back to the roots is the common theme of all six of the mountain adventure worlds in the Wilder Kaiser region.

So off we go on Austria's longest barefoot path in Hexenwasser Hochsöll over grass, bark mulch, massaging stones and bubbling water to 60 interactive stations where all the senses will be newly aroused. Clever witches and crafty wizards give advice at each point what to do, whether in the Hexenwerkstatt (witches' workshop), fire place or the jumping water.

There is lots to experience: the feeling of wading knee-deep through bog, building channels, sticking your head into the humming stone or getting a note out of the stone harp.

In the KaiserWelt on the Brandstadl at the village of Scheffau, a cheery Emperor of Games invites all his little subjects in to his castle and the unique realm where they can romp and play to their heart's content. A sporting course forms the centrepiece of the KaiserWelt, although it is also worth taking a walk through the Little People's forest or enjoying the views from the treehouses or taking a creative dip into the imperial handicraft workshop.

The most magnificent view of the Wilder Kaiser can be enjoyed from the top of the Hohe Salve at 1,829 metres over Söll. The panoramic setting of one of Tyrol's loveliest panoramic mountains is a mountain experience in itself. If you have already made it to the Hexenwasser, it would be a real shame to miss out on the summit, where the talking Salven giant welcomes you as you arrive at the top station.

By the way, the name "Salve" means "be greeted" in Latin! A fascinating path circles around the peak, the 15 points along the Sonnenuhrenweg (Sundial path) enthral with information about the history of time measurement and the sun's position at various times of the day and year.

As the wind also plays a big role on the mountain, the sound of the wind harp on the Hohe Salve is an invitation to all hikers to have a rest and listen to it. Also to be found on the summit is the Salven chapel which was first mentioned in 1589, a visit to Austria's highest pilgrimage church fits in beautifully with a hike in the Wilder Kaiser region.

On the Talkaser above Westendorf in Brixental, the Alpinolino mountain park combines learning about natural history with directly experiencing it in a very original way. You can measure how far you can jump in comparison with a squirrel or a rabbit, complete the marmot rally and hide yourself like the fluttering inhabitants of the alpine meadows. The Alpinolino's own mountain guide "Schlauberger" turns the whole family into nature detectives. There is all kinds of things to marvel and discover at the touch box, the aroma organ or at the tree telephone, and in Alpinolino the animals are the best mountain guides.

The picturesque Filzalmsee Hochbrixen is a jewel of the Kitzbühel Alps lying at 1,300 metres. Here the focus is on stimulating the senses naturally and to deliberately heighten the encounter with the mountains. There are different ways to experience the Hochmoor-Biotopic at the Filzalmsee: to feel it up close in the moor's mud wading pond and paddling pools or by learning a bit about it in the display cabinets. The hiker is refreshed from head to toe at different points on the Panorama paths round the Filzalmsee, with Kneipp arm baths and foot reflexology massages on the barefoot path.