Our first family adventure in Austria was supposed to be an easy half-day outing. A scenic chairlift, mountain playgrounds, homemade apple strudel and plenty of time to make our way back down before the weather changed.

Instead, it ended with four adults and three young children racing through pouring rain, ankle-deep water and the sound of distant thunder, desperately trying to catch the very last chairlift before it stopped running.

Looking back, it’s one of those experiences we’ll probably laugh about for years. At the time, though, with our three children under the age of eight and their grandparents beside us, it was one of the most stressful moments we’ve had on a family adventure.

Here’s what happened…

Trip Duration: Half a Day ⛰️ Difficulty Level: Easy – Moderate 🚸 Trip Date: August 2026

Quick Overview

• Location: St. Jakob i. D., Osttirol, Austria
• Parking: is free of charge
  St. Jakob Mountain Lifts,
  9963 St. Jakob in der Donau, Austria
• Getting there:
  Cable Car – Chairlift (3-seater open)
• Pushchair: foldable on the cable car, the chairlift is fully open, although it is possible to ask the operator to put the carrier on the consecutive chairlift, so there is more space to hold onto the kids
• Facilities: available on the top of the cable car station, and in the Mooseralm 2350 m

Our Adventure

The Journey Begins

The cable car and chairlift from St. Jakob carry you gently into the mountains, revealing more breathtaking views with every passing minute. Even before we reached the top, however, our holiday had already given us its first funny family memory.

Halfway up, the chairlift suddenly came to a stop.

Everyone looked at me in disbelief.

I confidently announced that the operators must have started their lunch break a little early and that we’d probably be hanging there for well over an hour.

A few seconds later the chairlift quietly started moving again.

It was funny to watch the penny drop. Once everyone understood what had happened, we couldn’t stop laughing. It became one of those wonderfully silly moments that somehow finds its way into every family holiday.

Meeting the Mystical Water Creatures

From the top station, it’s an easy walk to the Mystical Water Creatures adventure area. The wide paths made it manageable even for our youngest, while our daughter proudly took the lead, guiding us towards the giant wooden climbing structures.

The playground is beautifully designed and blends naturally into the mountain landscape. Around each climbing frame we noticed large circular wooden platforms built into the ground. They turned out to be perfect picnic spots, giving us somewhere flat to sit while the children climbed, explored and let their imaginations run wild.

From there, we wandered towards the lookout, soaking in the incredible views across the surrounding mountains before slowly making our way to the Mooseralm.

The viewing platform was a shape of an arch. Indeed it represents a stranded boat balancing on the ridge with the guardians of the mystical water creatures.

Caffee, Cake… and an Unexpected Storm

After all that exploring, we rewarded ourselves with two Austrian classics: a warm Apfelstrudel and a delicious Bauernkrapfen filled with cranberry jam.

While we enjoyed our treats, a friendly little dog wandered between the tables, happily accepting tummy scratches from anyone willing to oblige. Our children were completely smitten, and before long we found ourselves chatting with the dog’s owner, one of the Mooseralm staff.

Those unexpected conversations are some of our favourite parts of travelling. There’s something special about hearing stories from people who live and work in the places we visit. You learn far more than any guidebook can tell you, and for a little while, you feel less like a tourist and more like a welcomed guest.

Between the delicious cakes, the children’s newest four-legged friend and our conversation, we completely lost track of time.

Meanwhile, outside, the mountains had quietly made other plans.

A Dash for the Last Chairlift

At first, the rain didn’t seem too concerning. We encouraged the children to start walking back towards the chairlift, but little legs suddenly became very reluctant. Every parent knows that feeling when time is slipping away while you’re trying to persuade tired children to keep moving.

Then the thunder arrived.

Within minutes, the gentle rain turned into a full mountain downpour. Water rushed along the paths around our ankles as we picked up the younger children and hurried uphill. There was no time to think.

With one child on each shoulder, we ran through the rain towards the chairlift station, hoping we hadn’t left it too late. We reached the station just five minutes before the final departure.

Relieved, soaked and completely out of breath, we thought the hardest part was behind us. It wasn’t. The operator asked us to wait until the very last minute before boarding while the rain continued to pour around us.

One Last Heart-Stopping Moment

When it was finally our turn, the operator signalled for us to come forward.

My husband stepped towards the arriving chairlift holding our daughter by the hand. In the confusion of the moment, he lost his footing and slipped off the edge of the boarding platform onto the large yellow safety mat below, instinctively lifting our daughter up as he fell so she wouldn’t hit the ground with him.

For a split second my heart stopped.

Standing behind them holding our youngest son, there was nothing I could do except watch.

Thankfully, before I even had time to react, a member of staff from the Mooseralm, who happened to be waiting to travel down himself, immediately rushed over and helped them safely back onto the platform.

Within moments they were back on their feet.

Thankfully, neither of them was hurt.

A Ride We’ll Never Forget

A few moments later we were finally all seated on the chairlift for the long ride back down the mountain.

Unlike some modern chairlifts, this one doesn’t have protective weather bubbles— hence we received a large umbrella usually sticked into round plastic tables in pop up coffee shops to provide some shade in the sun.

As the storm continued around us, our two youngest refused to sit beside us. Instead, they clung to us like little monkeys for the entire journey down, looking for comfort while the rain fell all around.

By the time we reached the bottom, we were soaked through, exhausted and incredibly relieved.

Looking back now, I don’t think we’ll remember this as the day we got caught in a thunderstorm.

We’ll remember it as the day our very first Austrian family adventure became one of those stories that will be told around the dinner table for years to come.

If there’s one lesson we’ll take away from this experience, it’s this: never underestimate mountain weather. Even if every weather app promises sunshine, waterproof clothing belongs in your backpack—not in the car waiting at the bottom of the mountain.

Why Each Child …

Why our youngest loved it…

• Cable car ride – even in the evening at dinner time he asking to go back to ride the cable car
• Exploring the climbing frames one at the time
• Throwing tiny stones at the bottom of the climbing frames

Why our daughter loved it…

• Large path leading from the cable car towards the Mysterious Lake Creatures climbing frame – once again she took the lead and guided us
• Picnic with a view
• Dancing to the music in Mooseralm

Why our eldest loved it…

• Ridge Walk
• Look Out Boat on the edge of the ridge
• Gems in Mooseralm

Practical Tips for Parents

Don’t Skip the Local Treats

If you’re stopping at the Mooseralm, treat yourself to a slice of warm Apfelstrudel or a traditional Bauernkrapfen filled with cranberry jam. After a morning of exploring, they taste even better with a mountain view.

Never Trust Mountain Weather

If this adventure taught us one thing, it’s this: always pack waterproof clothing in your backpack, even when every weather app promises sunshine. Mountain weather can change in minutes, and your jackets won’t be much help if they’re waiting in the car at the bottom of the cable car.

Bring Plenty of Water

There are lots of lovely picnic spots along the trail, making it easy to stop for lunch whenever the children need a break. Before leaving the lower cable car station, make sure everyone’s water bottles are full. Apart from the Mooseralm, we didn’t come across any drinking fountains near the upper station or along the trail.Would We Visit Again?

Would We Visit Again?

Absolutely.

Although our children are still too young to fully enjoy the ridge hike, we never felt that we’d missed out. Right now, they are curious little explorers who would much rather investigate every rock, flower and puddle than walk in a straight line—especially anywhere near steep mountain edges where holding hands is non-negotiable.

I can already picture us coming back in a few years’ time, when little legs are stronger and longer hikes become part of the adventure.

Until then, we’re happy to follow their pace rather than our own, seeing as much—or as little—as they feel ready for on the day.

A Moment to Remember

As the chairlift carried us back down through the pouring rain, our two youngest clung to us like little monkeys, refusing to sit beside us. The small canopy above our heads did little to keep us dry, but somehow none of that mattered anymore.

Everyone was safely on their way down the mountain.

We were soaked, exhausted and more than a little shaken, yet I already had the feeling this would become one of those family stories we’d tell over and over again.

Not because everything went perfectly…

But because it didn’t.

Sometimes the adventures that stay with you the longest are the ones you never could have planned.