Gondola lifts and chairlifts with easy entry and exit, an extra area for ski beginners with flat slopes, a varied ski school and supervision offer for children and free ski pass for children under 10 years accompanied by a paying parent - not without reason the Stubai Glacier has been awarded several times by the ADAC Skiguide as the "most family-friendly ski area in the Alps".
Thanks to its snow reliability, family- and children-friendly infrastructure and its central location in the Tyrol, the Stubai Glacier is an ideal destination for skiing holidays with children.
Practice makes perfect
Since the youngest children are particularly quick learners, it is worthwhile to start skiing at an early age. All the better that the exercise in the fresh air is also great fun for the children. But not only that: skiing trains coordination, body awareness and focus, which can also have a positive effect on everyday life. According to experts, the ideal age to start skiing is around four years old - depending on the child's individual development.
Once the interest and curiosity are present in the child you can head for to the slopes! We have collected 10 reasons why the Stubai Glacier is ideal for skiing for children and families.
Thanks to its central location near Innsbruck, the Stubai Glacier is perfectly situated to avoid long journeys. Not only getting there by car is simple and comfortable, also by train it is convenient to travel into the Stubai Valley. You take the train to Innsbruck main station, from there you either take a hotel shuttle or continue by public transport. In the Stubai Valley itself, there is a free ski bus that brings guests to the valley station of the Stubai Glacier.
As the largest glacier ski area in Austria, the Stubai Glacier offers varied pistes at all levels of difficulty. A separate area of beginners with flat slopes as well as many blue (=simple) slopes make the ski area particularly family-friendly. Moreover, gondolas and chairlifts with easy access and exit contribute to skiing fun that is safe and manageable for children.
To make it as easy as possible for children to start skiing, we recommend attending a children’s ski course with professional ski instructors. They know the right techniques and how to motivate your tired off-spring again. In addition, learning to ski in a group with children of the same age is twice as much fun.
The youngest skiers can make their first experiences in the snow in the BIG Family Kinderland featuring magic carpets, the mascots Zottel, Bommel and Wollie and a ski merry-go-round. About two hours a day are absolutely enough, afterwards the kids are supervised in the BIG Family kindergarten upon request. When they are four years of age, it is the ideal age to start skiing – then the little one’s dare to head for the slopes after their first attempts in the beginners’ area and spend up to four hours a day in the snow.
Tip: In the Miniland on the Stubai Glacier, children from 4 years of age can try skiing and pass a taster day.
Painting, making handicrafts, playing, singing and dancing – and all that in the middle of the ski area. The BIG Family Kindergarten for children from the age of 3 is located directly at the Gamsgarten mountain station. Here, there little ones are professionally looked after for half or full days, have lunch and can even take a nap while their parents carve carefree down the slopes.
Ride a pistenbully once? Take a spin on the snow merry-go-round? Or romp around in a snow castle? In addition to the first attempts on skis in a ski course for children or downhill rides with the whole family, the Stubai Glacier also offers plenty of fun off the pistes. Every Tuesday, children have the opportunity to ride the BIG Family pistenbully - by appointment and for a small fee. A break is also offered by the snow carousel, where children do rounds in a rubber tire. And from February, a snow mammoth offers a great opportunity for the little ones to play and romp.
A rest stop is an essential part of a successful day in the snow, also with children. Children who attend a ski course at the Stubai Glacier have lunch at the BIG Family children's restaurant and are also professionally looked after during this time. Children, who ski together with their parents, have a break in one of the numerous huts and mountain restaurants, such as the serviced “Zur Goldenen Gams”, which also offers a playing corner for children.
In addition to a children-friendly infrastructure in the ski area, family-friendly accommodations complete skiing holidays with children in the Tyrol. The BIG Family accommodations in the Stubai Valley offer a great variety of accommodations that are especially children-friendly. They score, for example with child-friendly furniture, meals tailored to the needs of children or playrooms with great indoor games.
Before you put your child in the hands of experienced ski instructors specialised in children on a skiing vacation on the Stubai Glacier, no special preparation is needed at home. However, it requires the right equipment for the hours in the snow. Warm underwear and functional winter sports clothing are a must, because nothing spoils the skiing fun more than when the little ones are cold. Ski goggles and a helmet are also indispensable. But the ski boots should also fit exactly. The pros have tips for the right ski equipment. And there are enough of them on the Stubai Glacier. It is recommended to rent the appropriate ski equipment directly on site. The sports shops on the Stubai Glacier are top equipped and offer the perfect equipment for every child.
Jumping over jumps, skiing steep turns or measuring their speed on the speed track: Even children who have been on their skis for a while, will have plenty of fun during their skiing holidays on the Stubai Glacier. With the BIG Family Fun Slope, a course featuring waves, jumps, steep bends and more wants to be conquered by the young skiers. In the BIG Family Boardercross plenty of fun and action are guaranteed, whereas the BIG Family Slalom serves the practising of bends. The young freestyle stars of tomorrow slide across little obstacles and jump across kickers almost like the real pros..
To make the skiing holidays with children at the Stubai Glacier as attractive as possible, children up to the age of 10 ski for free if accompanied by a paying parent. And also older children and teenagers receive - depending on their age - a discount on the ski pass. The special ”BIG Family Ski-Camp on the Stubai Glacier" has been tailored to the needs of families and covers 7 nights, a 6-day ski pass and 5 days BIG Family Ski Camp as well as other services for a successful skiing holiday with children on the Stubai Glacier at a price starting from €1,780 depending on accommodation category and booking period.
What do children need for skiing?
This should be in your luggage:
Rent in the sports shop on site:
Don’t forget the joy & curiosity – and off you head for the slopes! 😉