Austria - west - fun outings please

[pointydog]

Austria ha s never struck me as a country that can provide a top notch family holiday but I think that is due to my own narrow-mindedness.

What things should visitors to western Austria do on hol? We could stray into la suisse and deutschland too.

Spring time. We don;t ski.

NOt a favourite tousrist destination then?

When in Spring ? Could be tricky for non skiers until end May when the lifts reopen for walkers and many attractions and accommodations remain closed for staff breaks from mid April to June (usually reopen around Ascension Day/Whitsun). However there are some all year resorts if you look at kinderhotels and kidshotels.ch. We went to St Anton mid June one year and there was still snow in places even at low levels ! Innsbruck is interesting to visit, Lake Constance is good if you are into cycling, maybe pop down to Liechtenstein out of curiosity.

April, towards the middle. We'll be staying with a friend but she doesn't have children so might not be down with the kids when it comes to good days out.

So lots of attractions are shut in April? Is that what you mean?

Would like to go on a good walk. I have heard about frisbee golf in Austria but am unsure of our collective stamina.

What's in Lichtenstein?

Whereabouts are you staying and will you have access to a car ? Ski resorts will wind down from early April with only the few highest remaining open until Easter(3rd week April) if snow conditions are worth it and the mountain passes still shut. So from mid April until June they will become ghost town-like and summer attractions reopening from Acension weekend which starts 2nd June. The Montafon valley might be worth looking into. You would still be able to do walks, biking etc and some may already have a summer toboggan run, petting farm etc open by then but you'd have to check locally. Liechtenstein is just across the border, briefly in Switzerland and along the valley. Not much there really but it would make an excursion.

Staying in vorarlberg. No car. Gosh, you make it sound a bit grim, liz.

The bigger resorts do stay open (like St Anton) but smaller ones do close down for a while - for mnaintenance, staff/hotelier holidays and so on. Funny time of year tbh as neither winter nor spring ! You should be able to get around by train and post bus but it will be trickier than using a car.