Kinderhotels In Austria

Another of my travel regrets is not doing The Sound Of Music Tour when I was in Salzburg, Austria. I loved the movie growing up, but as a 20-something backpacker traveling Europe solo, I was too cool for school to go on such a touristy tour. Now that my daughter also loves the story of the Von Trapps, I have no doubt that Austria will be on our future Europe itinerary, and The Sound Of Music tour will be on the top of our list.

And where will we stay in Austria? Well I definitely hope to visit with our extended family;  a grand hotel in town would be great for a night or two; but a chain that really caught my eye was Kinderhotels, a series of beautiful-looking hotels and chalets located throughout the Austrian countryside and the Alps.

The 33 4 and 5 star properties all offer something a little different. Some are tailored to those with babies, some are All-Inclusive, some have upscale spas or fitness centres, and some offer winter activities for your Olympic skier-in-training.  All offer fresh mountain air, fresh (mostly) organic food, and high quality childcare – some as much as 40 hours per week.

The All Inklusive Baby & Kinderhotel Habachklause (map), just outside of Salzburg, has an action and fun park, slides, mini-farm with cows, pigs, rabbits, geese, goats and pony riding, children’s fun pool, play lawn, campfire suppers, baby club room with crawling corner, climbing frame, slide, cots and bath, a two-storey playhouse and children’s club, with disco, climbing wall, table football, table tennis, Nintendo, PlayStation. For parents, there’s a spa with Finnish sauna, steam bath, mineral tepidarium, winter garden, relaxation area, beauty treatments and massage.

The Neubichler-Alm Family Hotel (map) in Bavaria, is set amid farmland, and is surrounded by forest and mountains. There’s a horse riding centre, featuring Haflinger horses and Shetland ponies. Kids can enjoy the adventure playground, indoor playground, pottery room, painting, archery, and magic school. In winter there’s tobogganing, igloo building and ski lessons. Parents can use the indoor sports centre, that  features a swimming pool, squash, tennis, badminton, climbing wall, golf and tennis simulators and gym. There’s also a beauty spa with saunas, treatments (using fresh herbs from the meadows), massage, yoga and shiatsu.

If you happen to find yourself in Europe with your kids, Kinderhotels look like an idyllic alternative to your typical Mediterranean vacation, complete with hills that look alive with The Sound Of Music.

For more information, please visit http://www.kinderhotels.com/uk-index.htm

Photos courtesy Stock Xchng and Kinderhotels