Au-Schoppernau (Bethany Walk-Meyer)
My three-year-old nephew is obsessed with vehicles. So, when he got to ride inside a fire truck, take an old steam train and journey up the side of a mountain in a gondola, he was beyond excited. In fact, the whole family was in high spirits, as this was part of an effortless budget family vacation in the mountains around Schoppernau, Austria.
The village of Schoppernau and its nearby sister hamlet of Au are set along the Bregenzer Ache River in a verdant valley in western Austria. Often seen as a byway between the tourism of Lake Constance and the well-known outdoor spots of the higher Alps, the Au-Schoppernau tourist board has gone to great lengths to make this calm alpine valley a haven for family travel. It is roughly a five-hour drive from Kaiserslautern or Grafenwoehr, or three hours from Stuttgart, to Schoppernau.
In the summer, from May to October, there are daily family activities as part of the local children’s program, so you can get to know the area at your pace. The free farm experience at the Moosbrugger family’s farm was a hit with my nephew who thought it was hysterical when the farmer squirted milk at his mom – straight from the cow! He even got to try some rich straight-from-the-cow milk. Other activities like family canyoning, zipline courses and rock climbing are available at greatly reduced rates for people staying in town. The helpful employees at the local Schoppernau or Au tourist office have all the details on local fun and will get your family signed up.
Farm visit in Au-Schoppernau (Bethany Walk-Meyer)
I highly recommend booking lodging via the local tourist board at www.au-schoppernau.at. We found that the website language needed to be set at “DE” (German) to see and book rooms, but the English version is great for research. Not only is it fun to find a cute “ferienwohnung,” or vacation rental apartment in a local farmhouse, but staying locally for at least three nights earns you extra privileges with “The Guest-Card Bregenzerwald & Großes Walsertal.” It’s a long name, sure, but it means you get free local transportation, free gondola rides up the mountains and free use of the local pools. This covers the Bregenz Forest (Bregenzerwald) regional villages like Schoppernau and the biosphere reserve of the Great Walser Valley (Großes Walsertal). The card is digital, too, so it is possible to take advantage of the perks on the day you arrive, even before checking into your hotel.
Variety is the name of the game when it comes to accommodations. Vacation apartments in farmhouses make for quaint self-catering budget options, and often guests are invited to see farm operations. My nephew liked watching the barn cats in the Bauernhöfe (farmhouse). Higher in the hills, there are also vacation houses for rent. Many are small, converted mountain huts (Hütte), which make for great off-the-beaten track experiences. Large upscale hotels are also available, some with their own indoor pools and saunas.
The trip up the Diedamskopf gondola (Bergbahnen Diedamskopf) was super fun. An exhibition in the Bergstation at the top has kid-friendly touch-it-all interactive exhibits about life in the mountains. Kids can pop their heads up into the marmot diorama or learn about the mascot tardigrade named Egon. I learned that microscopic tardigrades, sometimes called water bears, can live frozen in ice for 30 years! In the same building, the Panorama Restaurant has an incredible view from the large outdoor seating area, and great playgrounds for the kids to enjoy while parents have a drink. They offer quick bites and local-style meals, plus special breakfast and sunset dinner buffets on certain weekdays by reservation only. Click here for Bergbahnen Diedamskopf Panorama Restaurant Reservations.
Hiking at the Diedamskopf (Bethany Walk-Meyer)
After taking in the amazing views of the craggy peaks to the north, head out for a hike through the alpine meadows past cows with bells and pretty flowers. A great family trek is downhill along the special 4.2 km “mountain world to see and marvel” (Bergwelt zum Sehen und Staunen) trail. There are nature exhibits and fun rest stops like a massive wooden picture window along the way. The trail is well-signed and makes its way down to the middle station of the gondola for an easy ride down into the valley.
Along the valley, in the nearby town of Bezau, the Wälderbähnle is an old steam train that still chugs up and down its five-kilometer route a few times daily every summer. Riding this historic train is like traveling back in time to the early 1900s. Opened in 1902, the train was built to help carry lumber. Nowadays, it is like a rolling museum, and sticking his head out the window to see the rest of the curving train was a highlight for my nephew.
Visiting the Schoppernau area is slow travel at its best. It’s a place to experience the mountains without the crowds, get to know a little something about farms and enjoy some family time. There is plenty to do, but no lists of must-see attractions to take away from a relaxing family vacation.
Click here for the Au-Schoppernau tourist information website.
Wälderbähnle (Bethany Walk-Meyer)