Family hiking: which walks are genuinely suitable for children

The Whitsun holidays are over, the summer holidays are just around the corner, and with them comes the big question: where should we go walking with the children? The answer is rarely the famous family classic that all your friends rave about. It is a route that suits your pace, your weather and your energy levels on the day.

The Deutscher Alpenverein puts it in a nutshell: suitable for children does not mean "short", but exciting. Children need variety, moments of discovery and small goals along the way. A lake, an alpine pasture with animals or a playground at the end are all better than a long, monotonous forest track with no highlight.

The most important rule is this: always plan the route around the least capable person. Children do not just cover the distance. They take detours, stop to look around and jump from rock to rock. Allow for this instead of seeing it as a delay.

A common guide for route length is the simple formula age × 1.5, measured in kilometres on largely flat terrain. Based on this, a six-year-old can manage around nine kilometres if the path is not too demanding.

But distance is not everything. Elevation gain, trail conditions and breaks are much more important. Going uphill and downhill takes significantly more energy from children than a flat route of the same length. Three kilometres with 400 metres of elevation gain are often more demanding than eight kilometres along a lake.

If you are unsure, you can check the route length with our outdoor weather tool and assess the risk of heat or rain. If the weather is too warm, choose a shorter option and set off early.

The Alpenverein distinguishes between four age groups, each with its own needs. Taking these into account makes planning more relaxed and avoids the familiar feeling of "We should have stayed in the valley".

The following routes in the Alps are tried-and-tested examples. They do not replace your own research in advance, but they give you a useful direction for your search.

It is better to pack a little too much than too little, and share the weight across everyone’s shoulders. A child’s backpack should not weigh more than around ten per cent of their body weight. For a child weighing 20 kg, that means no more than two kilos.

Summer weather can be deceptive: it quickly turns cool in the mountains when the sun disappears behind a cloud. Thunderstorms often build up in the afternoon. That is why a warm layer and a rain jacket belong in the backpack, even in bright sunshine.