Keep the bigger kids happy

Here are our tips for family excursions with older children and teenagers.

Does your child keep telling you, “I’m not a kid anymore!” and think that traditional family activities are “boring”? They are sure to like our exciting, action-packed excursion ideas. From the Mystery Hunt game to rafting and mountain cart riding, the following activities are perfect for cool kids and teens.

Mountain, cycling and watery adventures

Have you ever dashed down the Gemeindealpe on a Mountain carts? Or whizzed down a mountain on a monster roller or a mountain cart in Mönichkirchen? Or flown through the air on a Zipline in Annaberg? No? The mountains of Lower Austria are the place to be if you want all of these thrilling experiences and more. If you feel comfortable riding a mountain bike, you should not miss the Wexl Trails. Younger children (aged 3+ years) can head to the Mini Bike Park for their first experience of mountain biking. There is also plenty of action on the water, such as rafting and canyoning on the Salza. If you are not really looking for an adrenaline rush, why not go kayaking on the river - for example on the Thaya, the March or in the Donau-Auen National Park? Angling is also very peaceful. The Waldviertel is a true paradise for anglers of all ages. Or why not try your hand at diving in the open-air pool in Mitterbach (Mostviertel)?

Escape games in the castle ruins, and a Mystery Hunt in the garden

Lower Austria has some very special adventure games on offer for puzzle fans. For example, why not try an escape room-style game at the Ruins of Aggstein Castle? Budding sleuths can choose from three games that lead through the entire castle: “Anna and the Healing Potion”, “Hademar and the Missing Link in the Chain”, and “Jörg Scheck and His Dark Legacy”.

The Mystery Hunt game in the Kittenberger Erlebnisgärten botanical garden is a bit trickier, and is recommended for players aged 16+. Use the mysterious letter that you receive at the ticket office to find and solve the clues in the garden. Your aim is to crack the case of “the lost children and the fangorn roots”.

For inquisitive children, teenagers and adults

Fascinating craft workshops are on the programme at MAMUZ Castle in Asparn and der Zaya. This is a great opportunity to have a go at blacksmithing, try your hand at making a bow or a catapult, or let your creativity run wild on the potter’s wheel. The Jauerling-Wachau Nature Park is an excellent spot for experiencing pure, unspoiled nature and learning all about it. The nature guides will lead you to the most beautiful places in the nature park, and share their knowledge about the wild outdoors. The “in the dark” night hike along the “Dach der Welt” (“Roof of the World”) route in Hochneukirchen is another way of experiencing nature. You can still hear all of the sounds of the forest after dark, because the forest never sleeps.

Even more cool things to do

What do toddlers, older children and teenagers have in common? They all really love climbing. Our top tips: In the Vienna Woods, there is the Purkersdorf climbing park. The Weinviertel offers indoor climbing options such as the Nordwandklettern climbing gym, as well as outdoor climbing parks such as OCHYS Waldfreizeitpark Kreuzstetten. There is also a great excursion destination for keen climbers in the Vienna Alps: the Hamari Kletterpark (climbing park), Mönichkirchen.

If climbing is too “mainstream” for you, then you might want to try your hand at archery. In Mostviertel, the Lackenhof am Ötscher 3D archery course and Salzatal Archery are ideal for this, and there are also opportunities in the Waldviertel. In the Erlebnispark Gänserndorf activity park, you can try both archery and climbing.

Or how about walking through the countryside with alpacas, donkeys and other farmyard friends? This can only be described as a beastly cool hike.