Mountain, river and side valley all sit so close together that an outing rarely takes a whole day.
Naturns with kids: outings around the Lindenhof
On holiday, kids don’t need a packed schedule. They need space to roam. Around Naturns there’s plenty of it: a mountain with a cable car, old irrigation paths to walk along, a river with a rafting stretch, and a prehistoric village in the side valley.
Naturns sits at around 500 metres in the lower Vinschgau Valley. To the south the dry Sonnenberg, to the north the Nörderberg and the Texelgruppe Nature Park. With more than 300 sunny days a year, plans rarely fall through because of the weather. Naturns with kids mostly means short distances. Staying at the Lindenhof in Naturns, most outings start on foot, by bike or by train.
Up the Sonnenberg by cable car
The Unterstell cable car sets off from the Naturns district of Kompatsch and rises to 1,300 metres. 750 metres of climbing in just a few minutes, without taking a single step uphill. At the top, the Texelgruppe Nature Park begins, and the Meran High Trail runs close by.
At the mountain station, a playground and the Unterstell mountain inn with its sun terrace are waiting. A few minutes’ walk further on stands a viewing platform looking out from the Meran basin all the way to the Ortler range. The Sonnenberg is dry and steppe-like, home to emerald lizards. Older children will find a family via ferrata with short ascents and descents on the Knott rock face. Cable car times change with the season and can be checked at reception.
Waalweg paths and Juval Castle
Waale are old irrigation channels. The paths beside them follow the water, and with it a very gentle gradient. For families, that’s exactly the advantage: barely any climbing, plenty of shade, and always the sound of water nearby.
The Staben Waalweg runs along the Sonnenberg to the edge of Juval Castle. The castle at the entrance to the Schnalstal Valley is the home of Reinhold Messner and houses the Messner Mountain Museum Juval, dedicated to the myth of the mountain. Opening times change with the season, so it’s worth checking the museum’s website before setting off. Below the castle lies the Juval climbing garden. Anyone who’d rather explore the area with a guide can book one of the Lindenhof’s guided hikes.
Rail biking and stepping into the Stone Age
In the district of Staben stands the former Schnals station of the Vinschgau railway. It’s since become an adventure station. Rail bikes run along around 800 metres of disused track, alongside a garden railway, old carriages and a small exhibition. It’s only open on certain days during the season.
The Schnalstal Valley branches off at Staben. In Unser Frau lies the archeoParc, an open-air archaeological museum devoted to Ötzi. Reconstructed Neolithic houses, a bread-baking house and an archery range turn the museum visit into a hands-on experience. From the grounds, the view reaches toward the Tisenjoch on the Similaun, where the glacier mummy was found in 1991. Further outings in South Tyrol are within easy day-trip reach of Naturns.
Cycling through the Adige Valley
The Vinschgau cycle path runs for around 90 kilometres from Malles to Meran. Flat or gently sloping, away from the main road, running for long stretches between apple orchards. Families mostly cycle downhill and take the Vinschgau railway back. The train carries bikes too, and Naturns station is 700 metres from the hotel.
A few kilometres downhill lies Rabland with the Eisenbahnwelt, a model railway layout covering around 1,000 square metres. It’s reachable directly from the cycle path and makes a good stop for rainy afternoons. Bikes are available on site, from children’s mountain bikes right through to e-bikes. The children’s programme also includes mountain bike technique training.
Water for hot days
The Adige flows right through the valley. Guided rafting trips are part of the Lindenhof’s teen programme, aimed at twelve- to sixteen-year-olds. For younger children, the Erlebnistherme Naturns is the better fit: an indoor pool, outdoor pool, slides, a current channel, a children’s pool and a 36-degree thermal whirlpool.
At the Lindenhof itself, the Family Spa sits apart from the main area, alongside the pool world for families. The article on the adventures at the Dolce Vita Hotel Lindenhof describes what a day looks like between the climbing wall, ninja course and water slide.
Playgrounds and short distances
The municipality of Naturns has eleven playgrounds, spread across the village and the districts of Tabland, Tschirland, Staben and Kompatsch. The adventure park at the Waldfestplatz, above the sports ground, is designed for children and adults to play together. Next to it is a fun park with skate and sports areas.
The centre of Naturns is a few minutes’ walk from the hotel. For a late afternoon, that’s usually enough: a playground, an ice cream, and back for dinner.
Experiencing Naturns with kids
The destinations sit close together. Mountain, Waalweg path, river and side valley combine well over a week, without long drives or a packed schedule. As a family hotel in South Tyrol, the Lindenhof rounds it off with bikes to borrow, childcare, and a spa that takes care of the evening.
Impressions
Little explorers, big adventures
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