Excursions for families - from classics to rare gems

Gigantic and wild

This is the Gantrisch Nature Park in the Bern - Thun - Fribourg triangle. On 400 square kilometres of nature reserve, you can observe wild animals and test your courage in the rope park. The Panorama Trail, the Gürbetaler Höhenweg, the Grasburg nature discovery trail, the Brecca primeval landscape and the Sense-Schwarzwasserschlucht gorge are all worth a visit. And of course the famous Gäggersteg footbridge in the nature reservoir.

Based on the story «Der wilde Türst - das stürmische Spiel am Gägger», there are eight stations where you have to solve puzzles that ultimately result in a solution word. A special highlight is the tree tent camp in a wooded area of the Gantrisch region. The tree tents are set up between trees so that you can spend the night amidst the rustling leaves.

www.gantrisch.ch/gaeggersteg
www.mikroabenteuer.ch/familien

Big and good

In 1980, the second «Swiss Exhibition for Gardening and Landscaping» was held in Münchenstein BL. What remains of this exhibition are several ponds and the name (at least in the vernacular): Grün 80. For many years now, the Park im Grünen (as it is officially called today) has been maintained by Migros and fun and relaxation are guaranteed: there is a miniature golf course, a carousel and the beautiful Merian Gardens.
www.parkimgruenen.ch

Another park in the countryside, the one in Rüschlikon ZH, is almost impossible to avoid in summer: the view of the lake, the romantic pond, the donkey rides, the large playgrounds, the train and, of course, the Punch and Judy show delight children, parents and all other visitors.
www.parkimgruene.ch

... The beautifully situated Roggenhausen AG animal park is located near Aarau. Various species of deer, ibex and marmots can be observed here.
There is a petting zoo, excavators to play on, an old «Ritiseili» to swing on and horse riding opportunities.
www.roggenhausen.ch

... When I was young, I used to go to Bern's local mountain once a year for the Gurten Festival. With children, visits to the «Güsche» are more frequent, because children and parents are happy on the Gurten. In summer, the beautiful paddling pool, the uncomplicated restaurant with a view over the whole city, the «Putschautöli» and the cool playground are all very attractive. There's room for everyone on the spacious meadow and you can barbecue in the forest for all the wood you can get.
www.gurtenpark.ch

Small and fine

If the Gurten is a little too busy for you - which happens at weekends - we recommend the Elfenau in Bern. At the end of bus route 19 there is a beautiful park with the romantic «Orangerie», a lovely café and playground. Brätlistellen can be found on the nearby Aare, and the «Chräbsebach» in particular is a paradise for children to play and splash around in.

In summer, various concerts are also held in the large orangery as part of the Elfenau cultural summer and the popular Bärner Chasperli voucher is available for the little ones (currently only online).
www.parkcafe-elfenau.ch / www.ideebern.ch

See Munot and die! No, of course not quite, but the view of and from the imposing castle in Schaffhausen is impressive. The children play knights, while the adults stroll through the beautiful herb garden and cloisters of the All Saints' Museum. The nearby Rhine Falls also never fail to impress.
www.allerheiligen.ch

Zurich families are spoilt with the many community centres (GZ). Almost every centre has a few animals, a nice playground or some other great offer for families. The Wynegg neighbourhood centre in district 8 is sometimes forgotten. Yet the farm is a wonderful oasis for families in the centre of the city and you can even get involved in various working groups (see the website for more information).
www.quartierhof-wynegg.ch

The Vögeligärtli Park near the railway station in Lucerne is nothing special in itself. Not particularly large or spectacular - but colourful. This is where the hip new town boy meets the immigrant girl and the Arab tourist's son plays along - and people sunbathe and play frisbee on the park lawn next door. Nowhere else in Lucerne is there a greater mix of people.
www.myswitzerland.com > Vögeligärtli Park

The Predigerhof is located in the middle of the green Bruderholz in Basel. Attached to the restaurant is a small farm animal park with shaggy pigs, sheep and chickens, including an educational trail about the animals. The children are in the sand at the Trööle, the parents at the Aperöle.
www.restaurant-predigerhof.ch

A little further on - no less cheerful Pirates? Mysterious dinosaur tracks? Hidden treasures? There's a little bit of everything on the Brissago Islands in Ticino. The treasure hunt for the whole family can begin. Even the crossing by boat is fun, and you get your treasure map at the ticket office on arrival. On the trail of the pirates, the little adventurers follow mysterious clues in the middle of a magnificent botanical garden. One of the most beautiful in Switzerland, by the way. 1700 plant species from the Mediterranean and subtropical regions of all five continents grow here.
www.ticino.ch> Treasure hunt on the Brissago Islands

The ruined village in Tremona on Monte San Giorgio was a flourishing trading centre in the Middle Ages. Today, an archaeological park has been created from the remains of the settlement. With a fascinating augmented reality tour, visitors can immerse themselves virtually in the «everyday life» of the village in the 13th century - where ruins are transformed into houses and alleyways and people stroll through the village.
www.ticino.ch> archaeological park in Tremona Castello

The Sunnehüsli in Güttingen TG on Lake Constance is not really a park, but rather an adventure playground (with an integrated garden pub - extremely rustic and cosy). And while the adults sip white wine spritzers, the children eat fish crispies, slide, climb and ride the merry-go-round. Or stroke the animals from the neighbouring farm.
www.sunnehuesli.ch

Even old-established Lausanne residents don't know the parc with the deer. Des Biches? Des Cerfs? Please quoi? The Parc Guillemin in Pully VD offers a view over the lake, a paddling pool, a playground, a large meadow and, of course, deer: Deer and stags.
www.lausanne.ch > Guillemin

Rare trees, the same impressive mountain backdrop that Segantini enjoyed - that's what you'll find in Soglio GR, the capital of Bergell. The garden of Palazzo Salis is open to the public at certain times and is particularly suitable for older children with a flair for stately homes, art and history.
www.bregaglia.ch/de/palazzo-salis-a-soglio

Tips for outings in the rain: A family trip to the museum is not only a great day out in rainy weather. After all, Swiss museums have so much fun, interesting facts and surprises to offer. The parents' magazine Fritz+Fränzi has put together the best tips for you.