Trip Duration: Half Day / Full Day ⛰️ Difficulty Level: Moderate to Hard (with a toddler) 🚸 Trip Date: August 2026
I had just bitten into my well-deserved apple when something moved in front of me.
I froze.
Sitting on a bench beside one of the Three Lakes, I suddenly found myself on an impromptu alpine safari. A little furry head appeared from one of the holes in the ground and looked straight at me.
Could it be?
My very first Alpine marmot.
And somehow, I had the feeling my apple might have had something to do with it…
Quick Overview
- Location: Thurntaler, Sillian, Osttirol, Austria
- Starting point: Upper cable car station at approximately 2,100 m
- Summit: Thurntaler, 2,407 m
- Our highest point: Approximately 2,360 m
- Parking: Free parking at the cable car station
- Getting there: Cable car from Sillian
- Hike: Trail No. 10 towards the Three Lakes and Thurntaler summit
- Pushchair: Pushchairs can be taken on the lift, but I would not recommend using one for the hike. The trail is steep and uneven in places.
- Facilities: Toilets and other facilities are available at the upper cable car station
- Family note: The combination of altitude, uneven terrain and uphill hiking makes this a more challenging family adventure, particularly with toddlers.
Our Adventure
To be completely honest, we almost skipped this one.
Last year we had visited a mountain not far from here with a very similar name. When I saw this mountain listed on the Osttirol Card, I simply put it aside, convinced we had already been there.
Luckily, the day before, we visited Wichtelpark in the same village. As we drove past the mountain, something suddenly clicked. I had mixed up the two places.
And that was a very lucky mistake.
There was another reason I was particularly happy we hadn’t skipped it. A few days earlier, on our visit to the Grossglockner, we had caught a very brief glimpse of an Alpine marmot disappearing into its underground hole. It happened so quickly that we barely had time to realise what we had seen.
I was disappointed that we had missed our chance to see one properly.
Little did I know that a few days later, I would be sitting beside one of the Three Lakes with an apple in my hand — and an Alpine marmot would come looking for me.
Arrival / Cable Car Journey
There was plenty of parking when we arrived. Although more than 50 cars were already there, the car park could easily accommodate several times that number. Thurntaler is a popular ski destination, and the impressive number of chairlifts at the top of the mountain gives you a good idea of how busy it can get in winter. During our summer visit, however, most of them were out of operation.
The cable car took us up to approximately 2,100 m above sea level. As soon as we arrived, our three kids ran in three different directions.
One quickly kicked off her shoes and headed for the trampoline. The youngest discovered the toddler climbing frame and slide, while our eldest explored the games set up for visitors on the terrace of the hut.
It was a very good start to the hike — especially because it gave everyone a chance to play before we set off.
In front of the cable car station, a large map showed several hiking options. Our plan was to reach the Three Lakes and, if possible, have a swim. According to the map, we still had a fair amount of uphill walking ahead of us, so we weren’t entirely sure whether we would make it.
Uphill
Once everyone was ready to move on, we followed Trail No. 10, marked as an “easy hike” on the map.
The trail zigzagged between the towers of the chairlifts before taking us through alpine pastures. Every now and then we had to open a pasture gate, pass through and carefully close it behind us before continuing.
It didn’t take long before we needed our first break.
Our younger two were quite happy to take turns in the carrier or on our shoulders, but keeping our own breath at this altitude was a different story. The uphill climb was already proving more challenging than the word “easy” on the map had suggested.
Between two chairlift towers, we spread out our picnic blanket and took a well-deserved rest.
Meanwhile, hikers and a few families were coming back down from the mountain. We stopped one of the hikers to ask how much longer we had to go to reach the Three Lakes.
“About an hour,” he said.
I think our collective look of horror must have been quite something, because he quickly reconsidered.
“Maybe 45 minutes.”
That didn’t exactly make us feel better.
At that point, we were mentally prepared for another family hike where the promised destination simply wasn’t going to happen. But then, to our surprise, we spotted the first lake only about 20 minutes later.
Suddenly, the whole climb felt much more worthwhile.
We had made it to the Three Lakes.
The Three Lakes
Before taking the cable car, we had asked whether it was possible to swim in the Three Lakes. The man at the ticket office kindly called the upper station to check and came back with an answer: swimming was possible in the lower lake, but after the warm summer days there was barely any water left.
When we reached the first lake, we understood exactly what he meant.
It looked more like a swamp than a swimming lake, with just a little water remaining in the middle. Two boys were crossing it on a small wooden raft, pulling themselves along a rope from one side to the other.
The water level was so low that the raft got stuck among the rocks a few metres from the bank. Getting our three children on and off became an adventure of its own. Luckily, Daddy took charge, walking ankle-deep into the mud while I stayed safely on the bank and took a well-deserved bite from my apple.
And that’s when the highlight of my day appeared.
A few feet away, a little furry head suddenly popped out of one of the holes in the ground.
An Alpine marmot.
It looked at me for a moment before quickly disappearing again.
I called the others over and, convinced that the smell of my apple might have attracted it, my first instinct was to leave a small piece near the hole. Thinking about it afterwards, simply setting up the camera and waiting would have been the better choice. Even something as harmless-looking as a piece of apple doesn’t belong there.
So we waited.
For a few long minutes, nothing happened…
About five minutes later, the marmot appeared again.
This time, it didn’t run away. It sat there staring straight at the camera, which happened to be almost exactly at its eye level. For what felt like several minutes, it remained almost completely still, seemingly fascinated by the camera — or perhaps simply unimpressed by all of us.
Meanwhile, the kids had noticed what was happening and excitedly came over to join me.
Try explaining to a two-and-a-half-year-old that he needs to stay quiet when an Alpine marmot is sitting just a few feet away…
But somehow, the excitement and noise didn’t seem to bother our little visitor at all.
It was magical. The marmot sat there as if it had deliberately posed for its portrait.
Eventually, another family arrived with equally excited children, ready to try the raft. That was enough attention for our furry friend, and it disappeared underground again. It came out a few more times while we were there, before we eventually decided it was time to move on.
The largest of the Three Lakes, tucked behind the rock wall, was completely dried out during our visit. The images we had seen of the lakes looked very different, so I can only imagine how beautiful this area must be when the water levels are higher.
The rock wall around the dried-out lake is walkable and gave us another opportunity to explore before continuing a little higher.
There we reached a large storage pond. This one is definitely not another swimming opportunity. A prominent warning sign states that the pond is 10 metres deep and that entering and bathing are prohibited. With young children, this is an area where we kept them particularly close.
Nearby, large wooden loungers offered the perfect place to rest our tired feet and take in the mountain views before beginning our journey back down.
Descend
Interestingly, when it comes to walking downhill, our youngsters suddenly seem to remember what their feet are for.
They happily walked much of the way back, although the terrain was rough in places, with larger loose stones moving under our feet. At one point, we considered cutting across one of the ski slopes as a shortcut, but our eldest was having none of it. He insisted that we stick to the same path we had followed on the way up.
So we did.
On the way down, I kept thinking about our earlier conversation with the hiker who had told us it would take another 45 minutes to an hour to reach the Three Lakes. Considering how quickly we had actually reached them, I think we may simply have misunderstood each other.
Perhaps he thought I was asking how long it would take us to reach the Thurntaler summit at 2,407 m.
According to the compass app on my husband’s phone, we had reached approximately 2,360 m near the large lake. The summit was tantalisingly close.
For a moment, it was tempting to keep going.
But with three young children and the last cable car down at 16:30, this wasn’t the time to push our luck. The summit would have to wait for another adventure.
Why Each Child Loved Thurntaler…
Why our youngest loved it…
- The playground at the top of the cable car
- Walking along the rocky ridge beside one of the lakes
- Riding the cable car up and down the mountain
Why our daughter loved it…
- Watching the Alpine flowers dancing in the wind
- Meeting our Alpine marmot
- Relaxing on the large wooden lounger beside the storage pond
Why our eldest loved it…
- Hiking up the mountain with his walking sticks
- Pulling himself and his siblings across the lower lake on the wooden raft
- Opening and closing the pasture gates along the trail
Practical Tips for Parents
Cable Car Ticket Deposit
When we presented our Osttirol Cards at the ticket office, they were scanned and we were given ski lift passes to use for the return journey after leaving a €5 deposit per pass.
We were able to pay the deposit by card, but it was returned to us in cash when we handed the passes back after our descent.
Wear Shoes with Good Grip
The trail towards the lakes follows a winding gravel path uphill. Going up didn’t feel particularly difficult underfoot, but coming back down was a different story. Loose gravel and larger moving stones made some sections surprisingly slippery.
Shoes with good grip made a real difference.
Many of the mountain destinations we visited during this trip had a sports shop near the lower station, which could be useful if you suddenly realise someone’s footwear isn’t quite mountain-ready.
Take your time
The hiking trails start at around 2,100 m above sea level, and with little children we never treat the suggested hiking times as something we have to achieve.
We stop often, take breaks when somebody needs one and usually allow ourselves double — sometimes even triple — the recommended time.
We hardly ever reach the top of the mountains we visit, and that’s okay. We watch the youngest members of our group and let them determine how far we go.
After all, we want our children to grow up loving hiking and exploring the mountains — not remembering it as something they were forced to finish.
Pack an Extra Layer
As we started our hike, we smiled at the people coming back down dressed in jackets and jumpers while we were still enjoying the sunshine.
Not long afterwards, we understood why.
As we climbed higher, the long sleeves came out of our bags. Eventually they stayed on even when the sun reappeared from behind the clouds.
The weather and temperature can feel very different higher up the mountain, so an extra layer is well worth carrying.
Would We Visit Again?
Absolutely. I cannot wait to return and, next time, hopefully make it all the way to the Thurntaler summit.
We were so close during this visit, but with three young children and the last cable car down at 16:30, reaching the top simply wasn’t worth the risk of being late.
And that’s okay. The summit will still be there next time.
Besides, considering what we found when we stopped beside the lakes, I don’t think we missed out at all.
A Moment to Remember
Sitting beside the lake with my apple in hand, watching the little marmot appear from its underground home, I realised that we were the visitors here.
This was its mountain. Its home. We were simply guests passing through.
For those few minutes, it felt as though our little Alpine host had come out to inspect the family who had settled beside its doorstep. It watched us, disappeared when it wanted to, and returned again when it felt safe enough to do so.
The children didn’t need to touch it or get any closer. Just watching a wild animal going about its life, right there in front of us, was exciting enough.
We hadn’t reached the summit. We hadn’t managed the swim we had planned. But sitting quietly beside that almost-dry lake gave us something much better than either of those things.
It reminded me that up here, we are the visitors. The mountains may be our playground for the day, but they are home to the wildlife that lives here long after we have taken the cable car back down.
And sometimes, if we are lucky, one of the locals might just come out to say hello.
