Alps, Lakes, and Car Troubles: Our Unforgettable 5-Day Alpine Road Trip

When we packed up the car and set off toward the borderlands of Austria, Italy, and Slovenia, we were bursting with excitement. We honestly had no idea what was really in store for us. We had planned a 5-day road trip through the Alps, centered around Villach, the  lakes, and the Alps, but nothing could have prepared us for just how completely breathtaking this region turned out to be!

What surprised and delighted us the most was how family-friendly every single stop was. From animal parks where donkeys and deer roam freely, to huge outdoor playgrounds and nice lake walks, the entire route felt tailor-made for traveling with a toddler.

We set out with a simple goal: explore crystal-clear lakes, ride cable cars, feed animals, and let Antun play endlessly. 

Day 1 – Saturday, August 1

We set off around 4:30 AM to reach our first destination, Döbriach and Millstätter See, by around 8:00 AM. The drive went smoothly with no delays, except for a few roadwork zones where traffic slowed down a bit. Nothing that prolonged our journey significantly, so we were very pleased when we arrived at our first stop.

We grabbed our picnic blanket and the pre-packed cooler bag with breakfast. Over the next hour and a half, we had breakfast, played at the playground, threw pebbles from the beach into the lake, and enjoyed a cup of coffee. With half an hour left until Eselpark Maltatal opened at 10:00 AM, we leisurely headed over and actually arrived around 10:30 AM.

We were absolutely thrilled! Ticket prices were €8 for adults, and animal feed for the goats, rabbits, and guinea pigs was €2 per bag. What surprised us was that card payments were not accepted. In fact, nothing throughout this entire day could be paid for by card. How is that even possible?! Fortunately, we had brought around €300 in cash with us, but we wondered whether it would be enough. (It was!)

Right at the entrance to the park, there is a children’s playground that serves as the hub of the entire location. Goats, rabbits, and guinea pigs are right there, while peacocks and pigs are situated on the way toward the donkeys. Then you enter the large open area where donkeys roam freely, and visitors walk right alongside them. Not just donkeys, there were also a couple of alpacas and llamas. Additional alpacas, ponies, horses, and camels were in fenced enclosures off to the side.

The donkeys were wonderful, extremely gentle and quite indifferent to people. We had a fantastic time because Antun delighted us with his reactions. He brushed and petted every single donkey, walked up to all of them, and it was truly heartwarming to watch. We found the baby donkeys adorable, and there was even one less than a day old! It was still a bit bloody from birth, and its mother kept pushing it to walk behind her, presumably to strengthen it, not letting it lie down. Another little donkey was running circles around everyone, which was equally cute and hilarious.

As a light drizzle began to fall and we had spent more than half an hour with the donkeys, we headed back toward the entrance. There, we looked around and fed the animals we were allowed to, and then gave Antun half an hour to play in the sandbox. Places that are truly family-oriented with plenty of children’s activities are fantastic. This trip was exactly like that, full of playgrounds and spots where Antun could have fun.

After the park, we headed toward Fallbach Waterfall, which features a large playground right in front. Once again, we had to pay the entrance fee (€7 per person) as well as the food in cash. The food kiosk there is pretty expensive and the selection is uninspiring, but Antun was hungry and we didn’t have room or time to figure out lunch later, so we bought hot dogs and pizza. We knew a sit-down restaurant wouldn’t work out with our timing and that we wouldn’t manage to cook later, so we would have ended up starving otherwise.

The playground was great and we had a lot of fun; the setup is designed so that adults can enjoy it too. We walked through the water with Antun, explored a small underground tunnel, I tried the zipline, walked across wooden logs over a pond, while Antun went down the slide and climbed around… There is so much to do, and it is definitely wise to bring a change of clothes since kids can easily get soaked.

We didn’t mind the refreshing light splash, and we took off our shoes right upon entering so we wouldn’t get our socks and shoes wet. The grass was soft and it was very pleasant to run and walk around barefoot.

After playing and refreshing ourselves, we walked over to the waterfall. We took some photos, threw a few pebbles, and then headed toward our apartment. Antun was very tired and slept through the entire drive to the apartment. It was a shame he didn’t stay asleep once we arrived, for us to rest too.

We settled into the apartment, rested for a bit, and then set off for Alpen Wildpark Feld am See, which was very close to our accommodation. First, we made a quick stop at the Hofer store to buy grapes and bread rolls, and then proceeded to the wildlife park. Once again, admission tickets were cash-only (€11.50 per person).

A walking trail leads uphill through meadows and forest, where red deer and roe deer roam freely, while other animals are in enclosures nearby: goats, cattle, pigs, chamois… The deer were definitely the most interesting to us. They were everywhere, from small groups to quite large herds. We were advised not to get too close to the stags so they wouldn’t charge, and we strictly adhered to that rule. Well, Tin did park Antun’s stroller pretty close at one point, but everything was fine. Those two stags remained seated, just observing us with extra caution to make sure we didn’t come any closer.

Since we arrived around 4:30 PM and the park closed at 6:00 PM, we couldn’t take everything in at the pace we would have preferred. We had to rush slightly through the indoor museum exhibitions (fish, grizzly forest, and safari), but we still managed to see everything and have a great time. An interesting moment happened when we walked into a barn with chickens, sheep, and goats; Antun was intrigued at first, but as soon as a small sheep started bleating, he got scared and burst into tears. We quickly hurried outside to comfort him, and then headed back to the apartment.

Back at the apartment, we prepared food for the next day, showered, played with Antun for a bit, and turned in for a well-deserved rest.

Day 2 – Sunday, August 2

I woke up at 6:00 AM, prepared breakfast and packed our things for the day trip. Only after I had everything packed did I wake Tin up to get ready, while Antun woke up on his own about 15 minutes later. He didn’t eat breakfast with us; instead, he spent 45 minutes in the car eating an apple and a pastry, and then slept for the next hour and a half. Bliss! We departed around 6:50 AM, even though we had planned to leave at 6:30 AM. We knew that leaving by 7:00 AM would still get us to our destination on time, but we intentionally set an earlier target because things can easily take longer than expected.

We headed to Germany, to Antun’s 12th country, to the Konigssee lake, where we had a ticket for the boat ride at 9:45. The drive went smoothly without any issues. There was a highway tunnel toll of €15, which surprised us. It’s interesting how they charge for vignettes but then also add extra tolls for specific tunnels.

We arrived at Königssee around 9:00 AM, parked, and paid €9 for a daily parking ticket. We made our way to the dock where the electric boats were already running. Our tickets were purchased online for 9:45 AM, but we simply boarded the first boat that arrived. The boat goes to the St. Bartholomä church or all the way to the end of the lake (Salet); we chose the latter for €30 per person, and we were so glad we did.

Cruising across the lake was wonderful. The water and surrounding nature are so pristine that we could do nothing but marvel at the scenery. At one point, the guide blew a trumpet toward the mountain wall, and a gorgeous echo resonated across the water. Everyone fell into complete silence, absorbing the beautiful melody amplified by nature.

When we reached Salet, we walked toward the neighboring lake, Obersee, about a 15-minute walk from the dock. There are many longer trails around, taking up to 5 hours, but we opted for a short visit. Everything around us was so breathtaking that we hardly knew how to describe it. We truly don’t realize what beauty exists in the world until we see it firsthand. Absolutely gorgeous. The water in lake Obersee was also crystal clear, almost turquoise in places. Truly awe-inspiring!

We returned after about an hour and headed back. We stopped by the church, noticed walking paths, food stalls, and cafes, and saw people even swimming. However, we decided to head straight back because we were starting to get hungry and Antun was getting sleepy.

Antun fell asleep in the car shortly after, and we drove toward Salzburg. We parked in a parking garage right near the cathedral, which couldn’t have been closer to the city center. We did a little sightseeing around the center and saw Mozart’s birthplace.

We crossed the bridge, sat on a bench in the shade, and ate the tuna salad I had prepared the day before. We chilled there for over an hour. It was so pleasant watching the water and passersby while enjoying the peace and gentle breeze.

Before leaving, we stopped at Café Fürst, the historic confectionery where the original Mozartkugeln were created. We had coffee and cake. We had to rush a bit because Antun was becoming fussy from tiredness. We also bought two Mozartkugeln to try. I personally love both marzipan and the inexpensive red-wrapped Mozartkugeln. Of course, these original ones amazed me. So delicious!

We reached the car, paid for parking (€0.55 per 10 minutes, coming to €8.50 for the time we were there), and started heading toward our accommodation. We refueled along the way since we were already on reserve.

Antun was a bit cranky at first, but with me singing to him, he quickly fell back asleep.

Once we got to the apartment, we unpacked, rested a bit, and then tried heading to the beach. We parked in the lot right next to Fischerpark, only to realize it was actually the parking area for the paid beach nearby. Initially, we planned to pay and go to that beach, but we changed our minds when we saw the clouds in the sky covering the sun.

Since the weather wasn’t ideal for swimming, we decided to sit on a bench in Fischerpark and let Antun play until he got tired. For him, it was absolute heaven on earth: a big sandbox filled with toys (tractors, excavators, trucks, buckets, and shovels). Since there was a small coffee trailer right next to the playground, we grabbed a drink to enjoy on our bench. Antun had a blast, we had a great time, and when it was time for his sleep, we paid for parking and headed home.

Tin paid €3 for parking there, which was a bit more expensive than the lot on our first day (where the first hour was free and each additional hour was 50 cents). If we had actually gone to the beach, parking would have been slightly cheaper, at least that was Tin’s impression when he was paying.

Once we got back to the apartment, we showered, played a little longer, and went to bed completely exhausted and happy.

Day 3 – Monday, August 3

We woke up casually without any rush, prepared breakfast and our gear, and set off for Italy at 8:00 AM. First, we stopped at Billa to buy some pastries for the road.

Shortly before the border, we exited the highway because our navigation flagged an accident ahead.

In total, it took us an hour to reach Laghi di Fusine. We paid a €5 entry/parking fee for the area. We parked, used the restrooms, and set out on a walk around the lakes. I put Antun in the baby carrier, so I carried a lighter backpack. The trail isn’t demanding, it goes slightly up and down through the forest, but nothing too difficult.

Around the upper lake, the path mostly runs through the woods, but around the lower lake, we walked right alongside the shoreline. The view is gorgeous, and we had a great time. After completing the loop around the lower lake, we spread out our blanket and sat on the ground. We ate a pastry and an apple, watched the ducks for a bit, and then continued walking.

Almost at the very end of the trail, on flat ground, I managed to trip and fall while carrying Antun in the carrier. Fortunately, he wasn’t hurt at all because I somehow managed to land on my bottom, but I scraped my knee and shin. At that moment, I couldn’t get up right away, so Tin grabbed Antun while I got up, and cleaned the wound with disinfectant wipes and alcohol. By packing first aid in my backpack today, I practically summoned bad luck! No matter, it will heal.

We reached the end of the trail, back to the parking lot, in about 3 hours total, having walked for about 1.5 hours across the ~5 km path.

Afterward, we drove to Tarvisio, a small mountain town, to take the cable car up to Monte Lussari, a ski resort peak that is also a charming pilgrimage village.

The cable car ride, which cost €18 per person, took about 20 minutes, and the village and views at the top took our breath away.

We strolled down the main street in the village, saw goats walking freely through town, and then found a shady spot further along the trail where we spread our blanket for a lovely little picnic with pre-packed food.

We had a great meal and a nice rest before heading back down. Antun was naturally most thrilled by the gondolas and the cable car mechanism, anything that rotated! That was fantastic for us because he remained in a wonderful mood the entire time. We decided to skip walking through the town of Tarvisio itself, as it mostly consists of hotels, restaurants, and shops along a single busy main street, which didn’t appeal to us.

We were fascinated by the fact that the mountain village sat at an elevation of 1,770 meters, while Tarvisio is at 750 meters. So we had ascended a full vertical kilometer, really cool!

On the drive back to the apartment, Antun was tired and cranky, yet refused to sleep, making the drive a bit less pleasant, but no big deal…

Back at the apartment, Antun and I took a short nap (Tin didn’t), and then we went to Hofer for groceries and over to Döbriach for a walk and a playground visit so Antun could play in the sand. At the end of the day, we watched the sunset at the spot where the stream/river flows into the lake, returning to the apartment feeling completely fulfilled. We had dinner, bathed, cooked lunch for tomorrow, and went to bed.

While showering, I noticed my foot had swollen up a bit, so my fall in the morning wasn’t entirely painless. I’m a bit concerned about whether everything will be fine, but even if it’s sprained, there isn’t much to do other than walk less, which I could start doing after the trip.

Day 4 – Tuesday, August 4

Once again, we were able to wake up leisurely since the first tour at Affenberg (Monkey Mountain) wasn’t until 9:30 AM, meaning we only had to leave around 8:45 AM.

When we reached the hill, we thought we wouldn’t make it into the first tour because quite a crowd had gathered.

However, there was no issue at all; we bought our tickets (€17 per person) and joined the first guided tour. The guide spoke in both German and English, which was great for us. We learned a lot about this monkey species. They live freely within this fenced section of the forest under conditions identical to their natural habitat.

The tour lasted about 45 minutes. It was really cool to see around 40 of the 180 monkeys residing there. The only drawback was that Antun was a bit restless, which made us a bit anxious too.

After the tour, we drove over to Slovenia to visit Zelenci, the natural spring of the Sava Dolinka river. A short forest trail leads to the spring, so we explored it quite quickly.

We then headed over to Lake Jasna, where we laid out our blanket, went for a swim, had a picnic, rested, and enjoyed the surroundings.

After Antun had a nap, we took a short walk with ice creams, used the restrooms, packed up, and drove back to the apartment.

The day ended just like the previous two. We went to Döbriach, parked in the cheaper lot, and walked over to Fischerpark, where Antun played while we sat back and enjoyed the moment. After a little while, we decided to head back to the apartment and get Antun ready for bed.

Day 5 – Wednesday, August 5

The final day of our trip started wonderfully with ambitious plans. We intended to visit three different locations. We ate breakfast, packed our gear, and set out on our final Alpine adventure.

Our first stop was Tierpark Rosegg, a lovely animal park situated around the ruins of a historic castle. Little did we know that we would end up spending the entire day at this very first location!

The first section of the park was an absolute hit: animals in the enclosure area, such as deer and goats, could be petted and hand-fed. Antun was really excited, waving at the deer, feeding the goats, and running across the grass.

However, when we entered the second, more expansive section around the castle ruins where animals roam freely, we failed to spot a single one of the six species there!

Then, as we exited and prepared to head to Faaker See for a swim, an unexpected plot twist occurred. Our car decided to break down. The clutch went out and it would no longer shift into gear. To make matters worse, it was a public holiday in Croatia, tow trucks had at least a 5-hour wait time, and towing fees ranged up to €700! All local mechanics were either on vacation or fully booked, regardless of us explaining that we were traveling, without accommodation, and with a one-year-old baby.

Fortunately, Tin’s dad came to the rescue and drove out to get us with an acquaintance of his who organized a car trailer to transport our vehicle.

With nothing left to do but wait, we made the best possible decision: we went right back into the park! While us adults were recovering from stress, logistics, and phone calls, Antun was living his absolute best life. We were joking it was his “Best day ever!”.

There was more animal feeding, exploring paths around the castle ruins (where on our second loop we finally spotted some animals!), sliding down slides, and of course, a well-deserved ice cream at the end (bought in the local store after the park).

We literally became the park’s biggest visitors, remaining there from opening until closing time.

At the end of the day, tired but smiling, we met our transport and headed home.

The trip might not have gone according to plan, but it turned out to be an incredible adventure and a memory we will cherish for a long time! Faaker See and the Triborder area will have to wait for another time!

Trip Reflections & Conclusion

By the second day, we were already totally captivated by this trip. These Alps and lakes are truly breathtaking. The lush greenery, the water… complete peace and nature. Neither the heat nor anything else bothered us, because everything was simply gorgeous.

Traveling with Antun is completely different from when it was just Tin and me. It’s true that we now have to skip or rush through certain things, like cafes and restaurants, but it is wonderful and truly irreplaceable. We thoroughly enjoy moments with him, showing him new things, watching him explore and experiment, and seeing how he experiences and reacts to everything new.

When people ask, “Why travel with a baby when he won’t remember any of it?!”, I just think back to every single smile of ours at something he did, or every smile of his when he understands something or when we make him laugh. These are memories for us, and for him, an opportunity to learn, absorb, and have an experience that will shape him later in life, even if he doesn’t consciously recall it. Plus, we have heaps of photos and videos that we will gladly show him while recounting our stories.

Expenses