10 excursions for families

They’re playful little things, these Japanese macaques. And so inquisitive! From the very start of the tour, some of them will accompany the group of visitors through their kingdom. And as soon as they spot something shiny or edible in your bag, they will hardly be able to resist coming closer to pick it out. But don’t worry, the monkeys only eat what the guide offers them. 

150 Japanese macaques live at monkey mountain, where they raise their babies, swim, eat, play, and sometimes also quarrel. It is a must for animal lovers, both big and small. 

Open daily from 9.30am to 5.30pm. More information

Hang on a moment, what’s that rustling? Two chamois moving through the bushes on the slope. And if you look down to the meadow below, you will see a herd of bison grazing peacefully. And a few metres further on, the woolly pigs grunt contently. What a mixture! The approximately half hour long walk through the game enclosure at Rosegg Animal Park is full of animal experiences.

At the end, there is also a petting zoo with mini pigs and dwarf rabbits to cuddle, before any left-over energy is used up at the playground. Parents can enjoy a coffee within sight and earshot of their children. There’s something to make everyone happy!  Open daily from 9am to 6pm. More information

If you haven’t been to the Pyramidenkogel viewing tower yet, you haven’t seen Carinthia. The world’s highest, and we think most beautiful, wooden viewing tower offers breathtaking panoramic views on clear days. From the Karawanken mountains to far into the Nockberge mountains, to the provincial capital Klagenfurt, and to the Drautal and Gailtal valleys.

All this is wonderfully accentuated by the deep turquoise waters of Lake Wörthersee, which lies directly below the Pyramidenkogel. After looking comes the fun: the tower is home to the tallest tunnel slide in continental Europe, with which you can descend the 70 metres in altitude (for everyone taller than 1.30 m) in a flash. Open daily. More information

The thermal springs in Villach-Warmbad: what was once used by the Romans can still be enjoyed by water lovers today, in every way possible. Be it on the slide, in the white water river, the outdoor pool or the baby pool, the 34°C warm water from deep inside the earth under the town of Villach guarantees a perfect swim day. 

In the sports pool, of course, the water is cooler, so that activities can also be fun. Children love the water slides: there’s a slide with disco lights, a wavy slide, and a sightseeing slide. Open daily from 9am to 10pm. More information

Pirates boarding a ship, or adventurers who conquer a mysterious treasure island. Children can let their imaginations run wild on the large climbing net over one of the pools at this indoor swimming pool centre. Often a giant waterfall has to first be overcome and the dark throat of a sea monster swum through in the form of the Black Hole slide. 

Whatever your children enjoy doing: they will remember a wonderful swim day, while mum and dad can leisurely swim up and down the sports pool or simply chill out on a sun bed. They’ve surely earned it! More information

Have you stroked a snake today? At Happ Reptile Zoo in Klagenfurt, once a day you have the opportunity to get up close to these fascinating animals. Of course, only under the expert supervision of a member of the zoo’s staff – and with snakes that are used to human hands. Experiences such as this are especially memorable for children. 

There are also piranhas, marsh crocodiles, tarantulas and scorpions, which can be safely observed up close, but still behind glass. In the outdoor area, the Dino Garden with many life-size dinosaur figures is very popular. Open daily from 9am to 6pm. More information

The forest is, of course, the most natural playground that there is. But this forest is even more brilliant. Where else can you crawl into a fox’s den, stroll across the highest tree tops, or test your skills on the wooden obstacle course? 

The forest adventure world is a huge natural playground where kids can safely run, jump and have fun to their hearts’ content. And they might be able to recognise and name one or two trees the next time they go for a walk in the forest. That will be a fair reward for the forest for all it gives us. More information

There are many old knights’ castles in Carinthia, but none are as imposing as Hochosterwitz Castle. This fascinating castle complex sits on a 150 metre high limestone rock, just like a crow’s nest, in the middle of a valley floor to the east of St. Veit/Glan. The path winds up the rock slope through 14 gates which once made the Osterwitz impregnable.

These days, the former barriers fascinate children and give parents the opportunity to take a walk on historical ground. Alternatively, the funicular can be used to reach the top. The castle itself is home to an exhibition of arms and ancestral items, as well as a restaurant which provides refreshment after the strenuous climb. More information

Little boys already love to think about which car they want to drive when they are older. And it’s not unusual for the dream to be: “A Porsche!” Then it’s a good thing that Carinthia is the birthplace of Porsche. 

More exactly: In the Tauern town of Gmünd, where automobile builder Ferdinand Porsche had an engineering office from 1944 to 1950 – and where the first “Porsches” where assembled. In the Porsche Museum there, car fans will also find many rarities, such as racing and rally models, an amphibious Porsche hunting vehicle, and the first and only police Porsche 911. More information

We are building a castle. In order to answer the question of how such monumental buildings like castles, churches and town walls were built during the Middle Ages, a new castle is being built in Friesach with medieval methods only. Read more