Are you tired of south summer heat and sleeping with the air-conditioning on, endless sun-lounging, and always fully booked restaurants? Are you dreaming of fresh mountain air, extraordinary landscapes, panoramic views, daylong hikes in the most beautiful valleys, azure lakes, snow-touched mountain peaks, bright green forests, and hills full of alpine flowers, but you are not sure if your young children will fully enjoy the alpine escape? Your private PPM concierge will make sure they do!
First of all, there are fantastic outdoor playgrounds for the youngest ones. One of our favorites is on top of Muottas Muragl: a funicular ride up the mountain alone is a real adventure for the kids! Secondly, there is a great choice of professional kids camps which are being organized in July and August in the Engadin Valley. Children are placed by age into groups and learn according to their age skills new sports or languages, go on hiking trails, enjoy picnics, create memories and make new friends. Playing tennis or golf (or mini-golf!), making first steps in learning the real mountain biking downhill or on pump tracks, a rope park adventure or an easy hike with adorable goats, driving for a day over the border to lake Como for an Italian gelato or jumping on a huge trampoline next to Silvaplana lake – the choice how to keep children busy and entertained is huge. For a bit older ones there is kiting, windsurfing, sailing, paddling, kayaking, and rock climbing to name just a few.
And last but not least, there are hikes. The plan for the day „let’s go on a hike“ might sound pretty boring for children, so here is our selection of “hiking with a target” that will make the little ones super motivated.
Target one: let’s discover the sandy beaches of the mountain lakes and meet the high alpine crayfishes.
Both, Lej Marsch and Lej Staz, are an easy walk away from St. Moritz. Small sandy beaches are perfect for building a castle or playing around in the water. Both lakes are surrounded by BBQ grills: so plan ahead and bring a tasty picnic or just ask our catering department to organize one for you. Our team will set a table and prepare great grilled dishes and while waiting you could keep the kids busy by asking them to collect a dessert. Starting from the end of July the forest hills are full of blueberries, wild strawberries, and raspberries.
Target two: touch the glacier ice and find out how a real alpine cheese is made.
A walk to Morteratsch glacier is a great itinerary for children as it has a target and, if you are lucky, you could even visit an ice cave. Once back to the departure point, a tasty cheese brunch in Alp Schausekerei is to be scheduled where your family could not only taste but also see how different types of cheese are being produced. A rabbit enclosure with super cute animals comes as a bonus.
Target three: spot a chamois or an ibex.
Val Roseg and Val Fex are perfect valleys for family hikes too. If the round trip hike might be too difficult for children, a good idea is to make one way in a horse carriage. Then have a great lunch (the restaurant of Val Roseg is famous for its dessert buffet) and on the way back to the parking search for the alpine animals on the steep slopes of the valley (don’t forget binoculars)!
Target four: this time, spot a smuggler.
At the end of the Engadin valley, in the village of Maloja, a hiking itinerary was specially created for kids and it is called Schmugglerweg. An adventure trail will take your family through the woods to a beautiful mountain lake da Bitabergh. Along the way, numerous posts provide exciting insights into the life and work of the smugglers. On the search for the hidden smuggler’s goods, children learn to locate themselves in nature.
Target five: find out who created the giant pots.
On a sunny day jump on a Bernina Express cabriolet carriage, enjoy a panoramic ride over Bernina Pass to Alp Grüm, and further to Carvaglia high up over Poschiavo valley where a discovery hike in the Glacier Garden, with its large cavities created by vortices, giants’ pots, and steep rock caves, is waiting for you! Once ready, the driver will pick you up for a transfer to the hotel Le Prese for a tasty lunch at the water edge.
Book a luxury apartment or a chalet for your St. Moritz summer escape with our PPM rental department and you will immediately be contacted by your private concierge to start creating memorable holidays for the whole family!
Photo credit: Filip Zuan & Simon Riclin / Engadin St. Moritz Tourismus AG, Parc Alpin
