Serfaus- Fiss-Ladis claims to be one of the best places to ski with kids in Tyrol. Let’s experience and review!
In our quest for the best family-friendly ski resort in Tyrol, we decided to take advantage of our Tirol Snow Card and venture out a little bit away from home. I was looking for a relatively large ski area that was high enough to have good quality snow in March. After hours of searching and comparing, I picked Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis, where skiing is possible between altitudes of 1,200 to 2,850 meters.
Naturally, our first question was where can we ski safely with a 4-year-old? From the resort’s website, we found that there are two major areas for kids. One called Berta’s Kinderland between Ladis and Fiss, and another one Kinderschneealm (Children’s Snow Alm) at the middle station of the Kompredell gondola, reachable from the center of Serfaus. Both children’s areas are perfect for a little skiers who are trying their first moves on skis. The areas are safely fenced off and can keep little skiers entertained for a long time with things like carousels and
Austria’s Highest Official Marriage Registry
playgrounds.
First, we decided to check out Berta’s Kinderland named after one of the resort’s mascots, Berta the cow. The area is equipped with 11 conveyor-belt-style lifts for the little ones to comfortably practice their moves. There is also an outdoor playground, tubing run, kids race course, Kids Fun Park with moguls and little jumps as well as Sonnenburg Family Restaurant with an indoor playground. We had some fun on the moguls and jumps for a while but for our 4-year-old daughter, who skied a fair amount of time this season, it was too boring to stay fenced off, so we decided to hit the real slopes.
Every ski lift we went through had a separate entrance for kids through an easily recognizable bright yellow gate. Boarding a ski lift was never a problem because someone from a friendly personnel was always there to literally lift our daughter up and place her on a seat. Some lifts have been equipped with child-safety devices (extra locking mechanism between the legs to keep the child from sliding out from the seat). I was also impressed to see a special parking area for strollers at the bottom of every gondola station.
Kids Entrance at Every Ski Lift
From Berta’s Kinterland, we went all the way up to 2,436 m, to the top of Schonjoch Gondola. Our daughter can ski blue and easy red slopes. The slope number 21, Plazorabfahrt, was steep only in a few spots and was wide enough for her to make larger turns. She also enjoyed a very long run into the valley, number 7, Frommersabfahrt, which was mostly flat and wide with only a few steep portions. But her favorite that day was the blue run number 1, Ladisabfahrt, which took us straight to Ladis, where our hotel was located.
Next day we checked out Kinderschneealm in Serfaus, where Berta’s friend Murmli rules. Murmli is short form german word “Murmeltier” or marmot. The Kinderschneealm was a little bigger than Berta’s Kinderland with a lot of awesome things to experience. Our daughter loved the Bear’s Slope, where you can ski through a mouth or over a belly of a big wooden bear. Next to the Kinderschneealm is Gamper Family ski lift, to where kids can graduate after a few days of lessons.
The village of Serfaus is worth a visit just to take a ride on the Serfaus Dorfbahn. It is a real underground railway which operates within the village and has four stops and a length of 1,280 meters. In Serfaus, there is a driving ban, which gives the town a sense of extra charm and safety. The guests are allowed to drive the their accommodation when arriving. In addition, any trips outside the village are permitted during one’s stay. However, it is prohibited to use the car within the village. Among the three villages, Serfaus definitely has a feel of an upscale ski resorts with fancy designer shops, cozy cafes, and appealing restaurants. We haven’t spend a lot of time in Fiss, but it looked just like a big accommodations’ hub between Ladis and Serfaus. Ladis is a more quiet place for those looking to experience a real Tyrolean atmosphere. It has a rich historical background and a feel of a real alpine village.
Verdict: Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis is an amazing place to visit with kids! We will be back again!
Village of Serfaus
