Alpin Arena Senales with Kids: Glacier Adventures in South Tyrol

What to do at Alpin Arena Senales with kids

At Alpin Arena Senales in South Tyrol, there isn’t just one adventure waiting for you – there are plenty to choose from. An open-air cable car ride, glacier views, hiking, art, a via ferrata or mountain carts? You decide what your family adventure should look like.

One thing that makes exploring the area particularly easy is that all lifts start right in Maso Corto at the end of Val Senales. This means you can easily combine several activities in one day. And whichever adventure you choose, one thing is almost guaranteed: spectacular views of South Tyrol’s high-alpine glacier landscape.

Ride the Cabrio Cable Car to the glacier

One of our absolute highlights was taking the Glacier Cable Car up to the Val Senales Glacier. In just six minutes, it whisks you from Maso Corto at 2,011 metres to the mountain station at 3,212 metres.

And in summer, there’s a very special way to make the journey: up to ten people can ride in the open-air basket on the roof of the cable car. It almost feels as though you’re floating straight into the glacier landscape, with nothing between you and the surrounding mountains.

The Cabrio Adventure costs an additional €10 per person on top of the regular cable car ticket. The Cabrio Adventure is usually available until mid-September, depending on weather conditions. After that, the open-air basket is removed for the winter season.

Glacier views from the Iceman Ötzi Peak

Right next to the mountain station, at an altitude of 3,212 metres, you’ll find the Glacier Hotel Grawand – the highest hotel in Europe. Depending on the time of day, you can stop here for a coffee, lunch or a quick snack. Huge panoramic windows and the terrace offer fantastic views of the surrounding mountains and glaciers.

From here, I definitely recommend making the short climb to the Iceman Ötzi Peak at 3,251 metres. The viewing platform on the Grawand peak is only about a 10- to 15-minute walk from the mountain station. The route leads across rocky terrain and up secured steel steps to the summit. If you’re doing this with children, they should definitely be sure-footed.

And once you reach the top, the views are incredible: a 360-degree panorama takes in 126 peaks above 3,000 metres across three countries. You can also look towards the area where Ötzi the Iceman was discovered in 1991. Even our usually lively kids suddenly went quiet up here. Surrounded by rock, glaciers and countless mountain peaks, you really get a sense of just how vast this landscape is.

Art at over 3,000 metres

Back at the Glacier Hotel Grawand, you can also take a short detour to Our Glacial Perspectives, an art installation by Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson.

If you want to hike further and have the right equipment and mountain experience, there are several other hiking options around the glacier, including routes towards Schöne Aussicht mountain hut and Teufelsegg hut.

Alpin Trail: An adventurous family hike

A completely different adventure awaits around the Roter Kofel Chairlift. If your family enjoys narrow, natural mountain trails rather than wide forest roads, the Alpin Trail is a great option.

We took the chairlift up and then hiked back down to the valley via the Alpin Trail. Allow around 1 to 1.5 hours for the descent, with roughly 400 metres of elevation loss. You can, of course, hike the route in the opposite direction too. The trail is marked with red crosses.

And what a trail it is! Instead of a wide forest road, you’ll be following a proper mountain path across rocks, past little streams and through beautiful alpine scenery. Lower down, the route even crosses a descending suspension bridge with small metal steps.

Our kids loved it and scrambled ahead like little mountain goats. But don’t underestimate the route: sure-footedness is essential, and you’ll need a head for heights in places. The Alpin Trail is not suitable for strollers.

Larix Via Ferrata for active families

Running partly parallel to the Alpin Trail is the Larix Via Ferrata. It starts at the foot of the large Kurzrasbach waterfall and finishes above the Teufelsegg hut.
For the 1.8-kilometre route with around 410 metres of elevation gain, you should allow approximately 3.5 hours. The via ferrata is graded C, moderate difficulty. Along the way, you’ll encounter rope bridges, sky ladders, a rope slide and several climbing sections.

Full via ferrata equipment is essential and can also be rented in Maso Corto.
What makes the combination of the Larix Via Ferrata and Alpin Trail particularly interesting for families is that the two routes partly run alongside each other and cross at several points. Experienced climbers in the family can therefore tackle the via ferrata while other family members take the hiking trail.

Lazaun: Race back down on a mountain cart

Prefer three wheels to two feet? Then your next adventure is waiting at Lazaun.
You can hire the mountain carts near the Lazaun mountain station before racing back down to Maso Corto along a roughly four-kilometre forest road. Children can drive their own cart from the age of 10, provided they are at least 140 centimetres tall. Minors must be accompanied by an adult.

You can reach the Lazaun mountain hut either comfortably by cable car or on foot. From Maso Corto, trail no. 1 leads via the Unterer Berg Waal before continuing along trail no. 11A to Lazaun. For the 4.1 kilometres and approximately 430 metres of elevation gain, allow around 1 hour and 45 minutes.

If you hike up and then take a mountain cart back down, you can turn the whole thing into a fun little round trip – and save your legs on the descent.

Important: The mountain carts do not operate every day throughout the entire summer season. Always check the current Mountaincarts Lazaun opening and rental times before setting off.

Alpin Arena Senales opening times and prices

The summer season usually starts in late June, depending on weather and snow conditions. The Val Senales Glacier Cable Car, Lazaun Cable Car and Roter Kofel Chairlift generally operate between 10:00 am and 4:30 pm during their respective summer operating periods. However, individual lifts may have rest days or shorter seasonal opening periods, and operating times can change at short notice due to weather conditions.

For current opening hours, summer tickets and prices, check the official Alpin Arena Senales website before your visit.

My tips for visiting Alpin Arena Senales with kids

• Pack warm clothes: Even if it’s the middle of summer down in the valley, you’ll be exploring the glacier at over 3,000 metres. A warm jacket definitely belongs in your backpack. That said, this is exactly why I love Alpin Arena Senales on really hot summer days – it’s a brilliant way to escape the heat in the valley.
• Don’t forget sun protection: UV radiation is particularly strong at high altitude, so pack sunscreen, sunglasses and a sun hat. During the Cabrio Adventure, make sure hats and caps are securely fastened – or simply pop them into your backpack for the ride.
• Help little ears adjust to the altitude: The Glacier Cable Car climbs more than 1,000 metres in just a few minutes. For younger children, swallowing, drinking or using a dummy/pacifier can help their ears adjust to the change in pressure.
• Strollers: The hikes and alpine trails described here are not suitable for strollers. If you’re travelling with a baby, a baby carrier is the much better option.
• My restaurant tip in the valley: Right next to the valley station, you’ll find Bistro Restaurant Alpin. It’s a really convenient place to stop before or after your glacier adventure, with regional cuisine and just a short walk back to the cable car or your car.