Little adventures in the Grassau alpine world

Family hike to the Grassau and Rottau mountain pastures

Things aren't quite running smoothly for little Toni just yet. The view of picturesque Lake Chiemsee stretching out in the distance, rock faces illuminated by the sun, alpine meadows full of flowers: the four-year-old is still a little tired and not quite convinced why he should cheerfully set off on a family tour to the Grassau alpine pastures early in the morning. "Look, there's a pond up ahead, maybe we can spot some fish there," his older brother Theo coaxes and sets off. After a few steps, the seven-year-old passes a wooden sign with a carved carp. Theo carefully ventures onto the wooden footbridge by the water. He searches the dark water intensively with his eyes and then kneels down. "I think there's one swimming by down there right now," he sounds as he looks back searchingly at his parents and brother Toni.

"It'll all work out," comments mum Gudrun with humour about the younger summiteer's teething troubles. "So far, the two boys have always had a lot of fun on our tours to the Grassau mountain pastures," says the 42-year-old. Father Christoph adds: " With its short, varied and well-signposted routes, the area is easy to navigate and ideal for us to discover new things, take a relaxing stroll along a stream or recharge our batteries with a good snack."

The 43-year-old should know. As a passionate paraglider pilot , he knows the Alpine pasture area and its insider tips from an eagle's perspective. This early in the morning, you can still feel the peaceful calm of the night, which is slowly giving way to the hustle and bustle and heat of the fresh summer day. The dew still glistens on the grass. The bells of the cows on the high pasture can be heard sporadically. Then a new sound is heard: Määääh! Now Toni really wakes up. What is that? A flock of sheep is curiously scrutinising the hikers and coming closer. The four-year-old also finds this exciting. With mum and dad behind him, you can take the risk of luring the bleating balls of wool with fresh grass to feed them. This also noticeably brightens up their facial expressions.

Time flies by with ever new little adventures along the way. On a path that slowly winds its way upwards through a forest, the boys listen to the voices of the birds. Who will discover the animals of the forest first? A lizard warms itself in the sun on a stone before disappearing into the grass in a flash as the hikers walk past. "I've already seen you," says Theo.

Elsewhere, a gurgling stream in the shade invites you to dam up the water with stones. Small wooden boats are quickly made and sent on their way. On a meadow passage, Toni delights mum with a few freshly picked flowers as a souvenir from the tour. A few steps further on, ants have piled up a huge heap of spruce needles, which is a huge hive of activity. The family watches the hustle and bustle with fascination. "Ouch," shouts Toni, scratching his leg frantically. A few ants must have been angry with the giant troublemakers.

So much to discover

Along the way, Christoph explains why the family appreciates the alpine pastures in Chiemgau so much. In addition to the panoramic views of other peaks, the gently rolling mountain slopes and the unobstructed views of the lakes, the family is delighted by the easy accessibility. Well-equipped car parks with information boards offer ideal starting and orientation points. The paths on the mountain are generally well developed and secured, so that the risk of injury is minimised even for childlike "mountain goats" full of exuberance.

Another great destination is the mountain forest adventure trail around the Staffen, which is easy to reach with the Hochplattenbahn cable car. On the four-kilometre tour with 20 stations, children can let off steam, fit into the silhouette wall, try out play huts, sound boards or the "buzzing stone" or even gently lift off the ground in the hang-glider swing.

Delicious alpine snack

Hiking and romping around make you hungry and thirsty, and our little summiteers Toni and Theo leave no doubt about that. The stopover for fruit and savoury snacks was some time ago. "When will we finally reach the mountain pasture?" they both ask almost as a duet. It's just a few metres to the Weissenalm, where the dairymaid welcomes the new arrivals with a cool lemonade and a fresh snack to keep them going. From here, the view glides to the nearby Gedererwand, Rottau's local mountain, towering over 500 metres high. An uplifting panorama!

A snack on one of Grassau's mountain pastures is traditionally one of the highlights of the mountain excursion. In addition to homemade cheese, bacon, gherkins, butter, herb quark and fresh bread , you are also treated to homemade Kaiserschmarrn and other specialities. "We can get Theo up any mountain with this," grins Gudrun, looking humorously at her junior, who is enjoying a salami sandwich.

"Here on the mountain pastures, it's simply cosy, relatively quiet and stress-free for everyone," comments Christoph. At the Hefteralm near Grassau, which is easily and quickly accessible from the hiking car park even for the little ones, animals such as kids, rabbits and small ponies are a source of amazement and wide-eyed wonder. Several mountain huts, such as the Staffn-Alm, also have their own children's playground. If the hike takes longer, guests can hire a baby carrier for their little ones from the tourist information centre in Grassau by prior arrangement.

After the return journey, the family finally arrived back at the starting point at the Berghotel Adersberg. A look at Toni's happy, beaming face shows: This adventurous day in Grassau's alpine world was definitely worth it!

Here are more hikes in Grassau for families with children!