14-Day Luxury Alpine Family Itinerary: Dolomites, Austrian Alps & Lake Garda
Planning an Alpine Family Odyssey
While on vacation with a group of friends the summer before, there was one destination that kept coming up in conversation: the Dolomites.
Italy is always on my radar, and I’m always looking for another reason to convince my husband we should go back (something in which I’ve proven fairly successful at least once a year for the past decade!). But this felt different. The Dolomites seemed to be consistently asserting itself in both my personal and professional “feeds”.
As a travel designer, I'm frequently introduced to new hotels through emails, industry events, partner presentations and insider chatter. There was no denying that over the past few years, the Dolomites had shifted from a fairly niche alpine destination to one of Europe’s most compelling regions, increasingly synonymous with a sense of mass tourism escapism. And what equally intrigued me was that so many attractive properties in the Dolomites appeared to cater to families without compromising on design, experience or sense of place.
It didn't take much convincing. We decided we'd all go the following summer.
Once that was set, I started thinking, “ if we're already flying all the way to Europe, where else have I been wanting to go?” There was a property in the Austrian Alps I'd been eager to experience for quite a while, along with a storybook town I had always imagined exploring with my daughters, Lily and Ella. This felt like the perfect opportunity to extend our Alpine adventure and do a little "market research."
I was also excited to see how these destinations would pair together. And since my husband Marcus is a race car driver at heart, with dreams of driving some of Europe's most iconic mountain roads like the Grossglockner High Alpine Road and Stelvio Pass, this seemed like the perfect excuse to spend a little longer exploring this spectacular corner of Europe. From Austria, we'd make our way south to Lake Garda for a little R&R before flying home.
As I began narrowing down the many family-friendly luxury hotels in the Dolomites, two properties quickly rose to the top of my list: AKI Family Resort Plose and San Sonnea Family Dolomites (formerly known as Sonnwies Family Resort). Planning for a group of eight adults and nine children, ranging in ages two to ten, meant finding a resort that could genuinely cater to both toddlers and older kids. Both properties had excellent reputations and an impressive focus on families, but after comparing the two, for this large group, I ultimately chose AKI.
I should probably pause and admit something: I'm usually skeptical whenever I hear the words all-inclusive; especially in Italy! "Family resort?" What does that even mean? Would we be trapped in a schedule of cruise-like activities and mediocre buffet food? My version of Italy is getting lost on cobblestone alleyways, wandering into family-run trattorias, lingering over long lunches and enjoying great wine. The good news with AKI was that you didn’t have to give any of that up. We could still experience the Italy we love while enjoying the convenience of an upscale all-inclusive resort. And when you're traveling with children, convenience quickly becomes your greatest luxury.
First Stop: AKI Family Resort (Dolomites)
We flew nonstop from Miami to Milan Malpensa, where we picked up our rental cars for the roughly four-hour drive to AKI Family Resort PLOSE, about 225 miles northeast of the airport. We chose SIXT for this trip because they offered a stronger selection of premium SUVs, which was important with kids, luggage, and a lot of road tripping ahead of us. Marcus wanted something speedy for the mountain roads; I preferred comfort. Thankfully, we found both. Sixt gave us a good selection of what we were looking for.
When planning a trip to the Dolomites, it’s worth looking beyond Italy for your arrival airport. Depending on your flight options and itinerary, Venice and Munich can both be convenient gateways, with Munich surprisingly less than a 3.5-hour drive from AKI. For us, the nonstop flight from Miami made Milan worth the longer drive.
For some families, spending a night in your arrival city can be a great way to adjust to the time change and recover after an overnight flight. From Milan, you could also break up the drive with a night or two in Verona before continuing into the mountains. We opted to hit the ground running, picking up our cars in Milan and heading straight for the Dolomites.
Before making our way north, we stopped at a great little restaurant just outside Milan that I had found during some research, called Ostella della Pista. It checked all the boxes for an arrival-day lunch: easy parking with two rental cars full of people and luggage, a convenient stop before getting on the road and, most importantly, the chance to fuel up on Italian carbs before the drive into the Dolomites.
We arrived at the hotel by late afternoon, exhausted from our overnight flight - but pumped on adrenaline to finally be at our location, and seeing our full group. The kids immediately were in awe.
Arrival & First Impressions at AKI
One of the first things you'll notice about AKI is that it understands families on another level. Right when you enter, the lobby check-in has a play center that draws your children in like a moth to a flame. Its two-level jungle gym is not to be confused with Chuck E. Cheese. Think of this as its impeccably dressed European cousin, Charles Émile Fromage; complete with natural wood, thoughtful design, and an atmosphere that eschews the low-brow overstimulation you’d generally associate with any indoor play center. It's joyful rather than chaotic.
The check-in staff was warm and friendly, and after we arrived, they gave us a tour of the property so we could get the lay of the land for the next few days. From the moment we walked into our room, it was obvious how intentionally everything at AKI has been designed with families in mind. Even the bathroom has both adult-height sinks and a smaller sink lowered perfectly to a child’s level. The mirror above it cleverly serves double duty and can be pulled down to create a diaper-changing station for babies. There are thoughtful little details everywhere, from separate toiletries for adults and children to robes hanging on the wall in both adult and kid sizes.
The spacious family rooms are a highlight in themselves, particularly when traveling in Europe, where finding hotel rooms that comfortably accommodate a family of four can be a challenge. Unlike in the U.S., where two queen beds are fairly standard even at the base room level, many European hotels, particularly those in historic buildings, simply weren’t designed around that kind of family setup. At AKI, it feels like the opposite: the rooms were designed around families from the start.
And yet, it never feels like what we often think of as a “family hotel” in the U.S. There’s no sense that the property has been through the wringer from years of kids, strollers and oversized family luggage. Most importantly, nothing about it feels cheesy (giant owl mascot aside). Everything feels unfussy and designed with intention, with a sense of calm that feels almost ironic for a hotel filled with families and young children.
For me, the real winner was the separate kids’ sleeping area. “Room” might be generous, it’s almost more like a very cozy little bed closet, tucked away from the main sleeping space with two bunk beds and an additional twin bed. It gives the kids their own little nook while still allowing the adults to actually enjoy the room after bedtime rather than sitting silently in the dark. Overall, the room felt incredibly spacious and functional, especially considering this is a standard room at AKI.
Exploring Seceda & Ortisei
With five days and six nights to explore the Dolomites, we spent our early afternoons out discovering the beauty of our destination.
On our first full day, we drove to Ortisei and took the gondola to the top of Seceda, the dramatic mountain ridge in Val Gardena you’ve likely seen in countless photographs of the Dolomites. We had booked our gondola tickets online the morning before, selecting a timed window, which is important to know as this is part of their new operating system.
With such a large group, and everyone still getting their bearings after a long travel day, we had no real intention of tackling any long hikes. Instead, we wandered around, took in the views, stopped to admire the wildflowers, and after a solid minute of appreciating where they were, the children spent the rest of their time playing on the mountaintop playground.
It turns out kids don't care that they're standing on one of the most photographed mountains in Europe, and that's okay. While they happily played nearby, the adults had time to relax, perhaps enjoy a glass of wine. And the views were stunning. Seceda is one place I wouldn't miss.
I had been recommended to take a short “walk” (though maybe I’d more aptly describe it as a hike), to Baita Sofie Hütte, an iconic mountain hut and restaurant on the top of Seceda. However, the urge to wander into Ortisei pulled at us all, and we decided to head back down and enjoy lunch in the village and enjoy a slow paced introduction to our first day in the Dolomites.
Ortisei is a quaint and adorable mountain village, reminding me of a handcrafted wooden cuckoo clock, with its carved balconies, overflowing flower boxes, and charming alpine buildings. We lingered over a wonderful lunch with delicious wine at Ustaria Da Checco, and walked flower lined cobblestone streets before heading back to the hotel.
Here is where AKI really shows up as the MVP. Picture this: it is now mid-afternoon. The adults are all looking a little exhausted and the jet lag is starting to hit. While it was a lovely early morning and afternoon together; we are tired. Meanwhile Lily, Ella and their group of friends have all hit their second wind.
It was at this moment that AKI came to save the day. Literally. A large eagle mascot appeared to shepherd the children, and off they went to play. Instead of trying to entertain nine children through the afternoon slump, they all happily disappeared into a gemstone jewelry workshop while the adults finally had a chance to sit quietly by the infinity pool. This is vacation.
And as the days went on, we realized that this little bit of independence wasn't limited to the kids' club. Every morning, we'd open the door to our patio, and within seconds our girls would disappear. Sometimes to find the friends we'd traveled with, but just as often to meet up with the new ones they'd made the day before. This property gave them a kind of independence they rarely experience at home. Our group of friends were all in agreement: we normally wouldn't feel so comfortable to let our children roam so freely around a large resort, but here it felt completely natural. The resort's thoughtful layout meant they were never far away which helped give them the freedom to explore while giving us something equally valuable: the peace of mind that they were always within reach.
That same philosophy is carried throughout the resort. You can spend your days exploring the Dolomites and return to a property that has everything your children need to unwind and enjoy themselves. Whether they're racing down water slides, exploring the farm, taking an art class, tackling the ropes course, or riding mountain bikes, there's always something to keep them entertained. Meanwhile, parents can enjoy the family spa or escape to the adults-only spa. Even the outdoor playground feels like an extension of the Alps. AKI never sacrifices the beauty of the mountains to become a children's amusement resort.
As both a parent and a traveler, I realized this was the sweet spot for us. We weren't choosing between experiencing the Dolomites and keeping our children entertained; we were able to do both. For me, that's exactly what the right European family resort should do. One of the things I came to appreciate the most about this property was that it never felt like a destination in itself, but more the perfect home base for exploring our destination.
Guided Hiking & Mountain Hütte Lunch
The next morning, I arranged to set out with a local hiking guide, one we’ve used for many Craft clients and always with impeccable feedback. Whether you're traveling with a large group or on your own, I'd highly recommend hiring a guide. They can take you beyond the busiest trails and offer a much more local perspective on the region. For our group, having a guide was invaluable. Coordinating seven young children and six adults along mountain trails is no small task, and sometimes it helps to have someone outside your own group gently moving everyone along. She knew exactly which trails would be the most enjoyable for a group with children ranging in age, so we never had to worry about the terrain.
Eventually, we reached a secluded mountain hütte. It wasn't empty by any means, but it also didn't feel overly touristy. Instead, it felt like we'd all been let in on a local secret. Families, cyclists and hikers lingered over long lunches on the sunny terrace while children ran freely through the meadows. The waitresses dressed in traditional Dirndl’s, moved effortlessly between tables carrying giant plates of alpine food, local beer, and Aperol & Hugo Spritzes, and no one seemed to be in any hurry to leave.
We spread out into two large tables, overlooking the river that softly babbled to us in the distance. Our group loves to eat, so we filled the table with as many local dishes as possible so everyone can sample a little of everything: dumplings, schnitzel, frankfurters, käsespätzle, and other hearty South Tyrolean specialties.
Nearby, our children fed the goats, bounced on a trampoline and ultimately joined forces with their free-range local counterparts as they roamed the grounds while the sharp peaks of the Dolomites stood out on the horizon behind them. It was one of those rare places where the adults could linger over lunch just a little longer, knowing our children were having just as much fun as we were. We savored another round of drinks, soaking in the slower pace that seems to define the Dolomites.
Lago di Braies & Wine Tasting in South Tyrol
Over the next few days, we explored different corners of the Dolomites, but one destination had been on my list from the very beginning: Lago di Braies. Was it the only breathtaking alpine lake in the region? Of course not. I'm sure there are countless others just as beautiful. But in this case, as with so many other travelers, I must admit that social media influenced me. I didn't want to leave the Dolomites without seeing this lake for myself.
We certainly weren't the only ones with that idea. Like everyone else who arrived early that morning, I too had seen the photographs of emerald-green water reflecting the rustic wooden boathouse, perfectly framed by the dramatic mountain peaks behind it. My thinking was simple: if a place is recognized as part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it's probably worth seeing for yourself. As it turns out... it absolutely was. With a caveat.
My plan had been to get our family up, dressed, fed, and out the door early enough to enjoy the lake before the crowds arrived. In hindsight, I wildly underestimated the power of Instagram. As we rounded the corner, there was already a steady stream of people making their way toward the lake, and the line for the iconic wooden rowboats snaked along the shoreline.
I asked a couple standing somewhere in the middle how long they'd been waiting.
"About 45 minutes," they smiled. "But it's moving fast!"
Forty-five minutes was approximately forty minutes longer than I was willing to wait with two little girls. I reluctantly let go of my dream of those perfectly picturesque family photos in a rowboat. Merrily, merrily, merrily... life is but a dream.
Instead, we wandered the shoreline, hiked the trail around the lake, made our own walking sticks, skipped rocks across the water, and still came away with some wonderful memories. Even with the social media hype and the crowds, and without my dream of rowing a boat there realized, I am so glad we went.
By now, the children had more than gotten their fill of adventure. They had hiked, raced down waterslides, climbed rope courses, picked berries at the farm to make homemade marmalade, and visited the hotel's unlimited gelato station more times than I care to admit. It only seemed fair that the adults claimed one afternoon of our own, so we set off to explore South Tyrol's wine country, while the children enjoyed all the activities the hotel had to offer at the kids club.
Enter: Franz! An incredible sommelier turned wine guide in South Tyrol. As it turns out, South Tyrol is one of Italy's most distinctive wine regions. Its cool Alpine climate and dramatic changes in elevation produce wonderfully crisp, refreshing white wines. Which also happens to be just the way I like 'em!
Franz was incredibly knowledgeable and took us to three winery visits, each completely different from the last and progressed in a way that made the afternoon feel thoughtfully curated. One of my favorite stops included a leisurely wine tasting and lunch at a family-owned winery. Their own children played in their vineyard while the owners cooked for us from their own kitchen as we dined beneath beautiful vines draping in grapes overhead. It felt like the real deal; the kind of authentic, intimate wine experience so many vineyards try to recreate but rarely quite capture.
After lunch, we wandered through the village of Magré, a quiet little wine village tucked beneath dramatic limestone cliffs, to visit historic Alois Lageder Winery. It was exactly how you'd imagine a Tyrol wine village to be: quiet cobblestone streets, flower boxes spilling over old stone buildings, and locals lingering over a glass of wine long after lunch had ended.
Plose Mountain & The WoodyWalk
On our final day in the Dolomites, we took the gondola up Plose Mountain, just above where we were staying, to hike the WoodyWalk. Of all the hikes we did on this trip, this is one I would especially recommend for families or multigenerational groups where not everyone may be up for a more challenging mountain hike.
The trail was designed with families in mind and felt incredibly manageable. Along the way, wooden climbing structures, playgrounds, marble runs, water features and interactive activities are built right into the trail, giving the kids something new to discover around every corner and making the roughly 3.5 miles pass surprisingly quickly. The trail is wide and easy to navigate, and much of it can even be done with a sturdy stroller. Many of the family resorts in the area, including AKI, have hiking strollers available for guests to borrow, which makes it an especially good option for families traveling with younger children. There’s also the Plosebob, an alpine coaster near the top of the mountain, which was naturally a hit with the kids and added a little more excitement to the day.
But what I loved most was that even with the trail’s family-forward features, it still felt like a proper day out in the mountains. We stopped along the way to listen to the cowbells softly ringing across the landscape and take in our last views of the jagged peaks we had all come to love.
Final Thoughts on AKI
AKI ended up being exactly what we needed for this particular trip. We were traveling with a large group and a lot of children, but we also hadn't come all the way to the Dolomites just to stay at a resort. We wanted to hike, explore, visit the surrounding towns and really experience this part of Italy. AKI gave us an incredibly easy home base from which to do all of that.
And I think that's an important distinction. I wouldn't necessarily choose AKI for a trip where the plan was to come to the Dolomites and spend most of our days at the hotel. There are other properties in the region where the setting, hotel experience and sense of place might be more of the destination itself. But for families who want to actually explore the Dolomites, particularly those traveling with younger children, AKI deserves serious consideration.
It simply takes so much of the load off. The rooms work for families. Meals are easy. There is always something for the kids to do. And after a full day of hiking or sightseeing, you don't have to figure out how you're going to entertain everyone until dinner. The kids can run off to an activity, the adults can have a little R&R, and everyone gets a little bit of what they need.
Would AKI be the right Dolomites hotel for every family? Maybe Not. But for our group, and for the way we wanted to experience the Dolomites, it served its purpose incredibly well. It allowed us to be adventurous during the day without making the trip feel exhausting, and with nine children in tow, that might have been the greatest luxury of all.
Second Stop: Naturhotel Forsthofgut (Austrian Alps)
The next morning, we packed up the car, said goodbye to all our friends we had traveled with and headed for Austria as a family of four.
Now, if you remember, one of the reasons Austria had made its way onto our itinerary was a hotel I had been wanting to experience for quite some time. Marcus, on the other hand, had his sights set on the drive. And when your husband enjoys amateur racecar driving in his spare time, a winding Alpine road means excitement for him and mild nausea for everyone else in the car.
I admittedly was more interested in getting to the hotel, with maybe a stop in a cute village along the way. I had heard about a charming medieval town called Vipiteno, or perhaps a stop in Zell am See, but Marcus had other plans. The Grossglockner High Alpine Road would take us slightly out of the way, but as far as he was concerned, this was one detour we weren’t skipping. He had even upgraded our rental car for the occasion, and let’s just say he intended to make the most of it.
As much as I hate to admit it, he was right. The road twists its way high into the Austrian Alps, where seemingly every hairpin turn reveals another glacier, waterfall, or gorgeous mountain view. The landscape was so dramatic it felt straight out of a George R.R. Martin novel. I half expected the Mother of Dragons to come flying over the next mountain to reclaim the Seven Kingdoms. It was stunning.
We wound our way through the Alps, music playing, taking in the scenery, interrupted only by the occasional “WATCH OUT!” from the front seat.
As we continued up the mountain, we started to notice a pattern: sports car after sports car, some traveling alone, others in groups, all seemingly headed in the same direction. Eventually, we realized they were all going where we were going: F.A.T. Mankei.
F.A.T. Mankei is part restaurant, part automotive clubhouse. Created by Ferdi Porsche, it has become a place for car enthusiasts making the drive, which then explained the parade of Porsches and other beautiful cars we'd been following up the mountain. It was the perfect stop for my car enthusiast, and an ideal place for lunch. The food was simple but delicious, the views were incredible, and Marcus was very much in his element.
Arriving in Leogang: Naturhotel Forsthofgut
With Marcus’s bucket-list drive officially checked off, we headed to Leogang, Austria, home to our next hotel: Naturhotel Forsthofgut. Taking the Grossglockner route made the drive from AKI about four hours, while the more direct route would have taken closer to three. Forsthofgut is also quite accessible if you’re arriving independently, with Salzburg Airport about an hour and 15 minutes away and Munich roughly two and a half hours by car. As this was a property I had been curious about for quite some time, I was excited to see whether its reputation for pairing sleek design with thoughtful family hospitality held true on the ground, particularly after our time at AKI.
We rolled in and were escorted to the veranda for what seemed to be a customary welcome drink. The setting couldn't have been more impressive: the hotel's iconic pool sitting within a pond, with a sharp mountain peak rising behind it. I had looked at pictures of this very frame many times, and here it was. The welcome itself, however, felt a little less warm than I had expected. The receptionist showed us around the property, but something about the interaction felt a bit impersonal. I didn't think much of it at the time and was far more interested in taking in the hotel I had been waiting so long to see.
The property itself is impressive. It has many of the same family amenities we'd enjoyed at AKI: a kids' club, water slides, an art room, separate family and adults-only spas, a farm, and a playground, along with a few additions, including a parkour room and horse stables that my daughters were especially excited about. There are also three restaurants on property, giving guests the option to dine outside of the included dining program, which I appreciated.
Forsthofgut felt different to our last stay. It caters to families without catering only to families. I could just as easily see a couple enjoying a stay here, and thought it was perhaps most especially well-suited for a multigenerational family, where everyone may want something a little different from the same vacation.
Our room was nicely designed and, like AKI, came with a separate bunk room for the girls. After getting spoiled by this setup at our first stop, I was happy to find it again at Forsthofgut. It gave the girls their own space and, equally important, meant our room didn’t have to shut down when they went to bed.
While the room itself was beautiful, the view was lacking. I had hoped to look out over the scenery I knew the property was known for, but instead, our room overlooked the parking lot. We couldn't change rooms that night, but they were able to move us for the remaining four nights of our stay, and that was good enough for me. I made a mental note for next time: this is one hotel where it’s worth booking the room category with a view.
As we got acquainted with the hotel that first day, we somehow found ourselves surrounded by familiar faces and new friends. We bumped into friends from home, met a lovely Canadian family, and ran into two other families who recognized us from our time at AKI. I guess great minds think alike, because apparently we all saw how well Dolomites and Austria paired together.
After a busy few days in the Dolomites and traveling with such a large group, my initial Austrian plans suddenly seemed overly ambitious: we needed to relax a bit. Another long day in the car wasn't in the cards for me, so instead of heading to Salzburg, we changed course to spend the next day just enjoying the property.
We parked ourselves on two perfectly situated lawn chairs overlooking the pond and vegetated. I logged into the hotel app, signed the girls up for all the activities that interested them, and spent the day reading and lounging with Marcus.
We eventually wandered over to MIZŪMI, the hotel's Japanese restaurant, for lunch, which was a welcome break from our steady diet of schnitzel and hearty alpine food.
Meanwhile, Lily and Ella ping-ponged with their new friends between paddleboarding, water slides, parkour, the animals on the farm, and countless other hotel-planned activities.
Was I a little disappointed not to see Salzburg? Absolutely. I had my heart set on my own self-guided Sound of Music tour, but Julie Andrews would have to forgive me. Sometimes on vacation, you just need to vegetate.
Hallstatt & Dinner at Huwi’s Alm
The days in Austria and the Dolomites were hotter than I had imagined they would be. We were in a European heatwave, and the cool mountain temperatures I had envisioned were replaced with afternoons that rivaled summer days in Miami. Unfortunately for my family however, this was not going to force a pivot from any of my remaining Austrian plans.
We set out for Hallstatt, a tiny lakeside village that looks like a real-life version of the town of Arendelle from Frozen. Even the drive there was exceptionally sensational, winding through narrow mountain valleys, alongside streams and past waterfalls spilling down the mountainsides. We parked outside the city center and walked toward town along the lake. The sun was beating down, and both Lily and Ella sluggishly put one foot in front of the other.
“Isn’t this beautiful?!” I tried to coax them into some excitement over a new place, but their sweaty, red faces stared back at me, followed by something that sounded a lot like whining. Apparently, Hallstatt’s resemblance to Arendelle was lost on them in 90-degree heat. We headed to lunch at a hotel restaurant called Grüner Baum, with tables set out on a floating dock overlooking the lake. I hoped a shady table, cold drinks, and something to eat might be exactly what my family needed to perk up. The food wasn’t particularly memorable, but the front-row views of the calm, glassy lake made it well worth the stop.
After lunch, we wandered the streets of Hallstatt, and even in the 90 minutes we’d spent at lunch, the busloads of visitors seemed to have thinned out quite a bit. So if you arrive and immediately wonder whether every tourist in Austria had the same idea you did, give it a little time. There’s a good chance a few of those buses are already getting ready to pull away.
With the lakeside promenade a little more to ourselves, we wandered quietly, taking in the fairytale homes. I’d had big plans to ride the funicular up to the Skywalk and visit the Salt Mines or maybe go to the Bone House in St. Michael’s Chapel where I had heard there were hundreds of painted skulls, but the heat still seemed unbearable and I knew I wasn’t going to be able to rally the troops into much more. We cut our losses and made our way back to the car. Hallstatt was definitely worth the stop, but next time, I’m packing swimsuits. On a day that hot, getting into the lake sounded a whole lot better than just looking at it.
Of all the dining reservations I’d made for this trip, Huwi’s Alm was the one I was most looking forward to. They offer two dinner seatings, and when in my planning I realized just how late the sun would be setting in Austria this time of year, I immediately opted for the later one. If we were going to have dinner outside in the mountains, the backdrop of a beautiful sunset felt all but mandatory.
Even getting there was an experience. The road winds its way up the mountain toward PRIESTEREGG Resort, where Huwi’s Alm is tucked away, with the scenery getting better as you climb. By the time we arrived, it already felt like we were somewhere special.
And Huwi’s didn’t disappoint. It has all the warmth and coziness you’d expect from an Austrian mountain hut, but with a touch of refinement that makes it feel special. Outside, candlelit wooden tables overlooked the forest and mountains, their heavy wood looking as though it had been carved straight from the landscape around us. We sat at a beautiful table tucked among the flowers beneath a wooden pergola, sharing a delicious bottle of Austrian red. The tables were spread throughout the outdoor restaurant, giving everyone their own space. It felt perfect for families, but somehow just as romantic for two. It was one of those dinners where the setting was every bit as memorable as the meal, and an experience I wouldn’t miss if you find yourself in Leogang.
One of Huwi’s specialties, which needs to be ordered in advance, is the Hut-Essen: a wonderfully social dinner where a large heated iron “hat” is placed in the center of the table and everyone cooks their own meat around it while broth and vegetables simmer below. It’s exactly the kind of cozy, communal meal that feels made for an evening in the Austrian mountains.
The Austrian Grand Prix
The Austrian Grand Prix was never part of our itinerary. In fact, it wasn’t even on our radar until we started spotting Formula 1 team trucks along the road during one of our daily excursions in Italy the week before. My husband quickly put the pieces together: the race was happening the very weekend we’d be in Austria, and somehow, completely by chance, we were going to be in exactly the right place at exactly the right time.
And just like that, our carefully planned Austrian itinerary had a very spontaneous new addition.
We traded our quiet mountain surroundings for the crowds and energy of the Red Bull Ring. Even if you aren’t someone who follows Formula 1, it’s hard not to get caught up in it once you’re there. The sound of the cars, the fans arriving from seemingly everywhere, and the sheer scale of it all made it feel like much more than simply going to watch a race. In fact, it felt more like a massive family festival than a racetrack.
My only qualm? The Red Bull Ring was definitely not designed with a heat wave in mind. So, if I can offer one piece of advice to anyone planning to attend (2027’s Austrian Grand Prix is slated for July 9 - 11): DO NOT listen to your husband. Seats at a really “cool” turn three miles around the other side of the track might sound exciting when you’re buying them. But when it’s unbearably hot and you realize the only shaded seats are back in the front grandstand, suddenly that cool turn doesn’t seem quite so cool.
Heat and questionable seating decisions aside, we had an incredible time. It was completely unplanned, totally different from anything else on our itinerary, and I’m so glad we happened to be there for it, especially to see my husband's huge grin.
Leaving Austria & Comparing Hotel Styles
Our arrival at Forsthofgut may have started off a little chilly, and service was probably the one area where I felt there was room for improvement, mostly around reception. There were a few standout staff members who went above and beyond to make our stay memorable, but overall, I would have liked to see a little more consistency in the warmth and guest interaction across the property. It certainly wouldn’t keep me from returning or recommending the hotel, but at this level, it’s an area I think could be stronger.
Because ultimately, I would absolutely recommend Forsthofgut. The setting is spectacular, I like that it has several different ala’carte restaurants, and the property manages to strike a balance that is surprisingly hard to find: sophisticated without feeling formal, and genuinely family-friendly without feeling like a family resort.
Inevitably, I found myself comparing it to AKI, but by the end of the trip I realized they really aren’t trying to be the same thing. AKI is a family resort through and through. Everything has been designed around traveling with children, and it does that exceptionally well. Forsthofgut feels more like an exceptional mountain hotel that also happens to be very good for families.
For younger children, or for parents who want the hotel itself to do a lot of the heavy lifting, I would probably choose AKI. Forsthofgut, on the other hand, is somewhere I would just as happily send a couple or a group of friends as I would a family. There is plenty for children, but they don’t define the experience.
AKI impressed me with how thoughtfully it understands families; Forsthofgut is the one I could picture myself returning to long after my girls have outgrown the bunk beds.
Third Stop: Lake Garda (Northern Italy)
I had visited Lake Como with Marcus before, so somewhere in my mind I expected Garda to feel somewhat familiar. Instead, I was surprised by just how different everything seemed, and how immediately I loved it. As we made our way toward the northern end of the lake, the mountains rose dramatically around the water, making everything feel bigger, steeper and a little wilder than I remembered from Como. The road seemed to squeeze between the mountains and the lake, and I spent most of the drive staring out the window, already wishing we had given ourselves more than two days here.
Part of the reason we added Lake Garda was logistical. We needed to start making our way back toward Milan for our flight home, but I didn’t necessarily want to spend our final days in the city. Garda gave us the best of both worlds. It was roughly a five-hour drive from Forsthofgut in Austria, where we were coming from, and about three hours from AKI if pairing just the Dolomites and the lake. From Garda, we would have only about a two-hour drive to Milan Malpensa for our flight home.
It’s a routing I would absolutely recommend for clients, particularly when pairing Garda with the Dolomites or Venice. I would give the lake at least three nights, though. Our two went by too quickly. It’s an easy change of pace after several days in the mountains, trading hiking boots and alpine villages for boats, long lunches and days spent exploring the towns along the lake.
We pulled into Grand Hotel Fasano, a beautifully preserved Italian hotel sitting right on the lake. The hotel graciously upgraded us to a lake-view suite with a large bedroom, separate living room and a spacious glass balcony designed so that nothing obstructed the view of the lake, even while lying in bed.
Exploring Limone & Grand Hotel Fasano
Not that there was much time for lying in bed. Our daughters immediately put on their swimsuits and had us heading straight for the pool.
With only one full day to explore Lake Garda, deciding how to spend it was surprisingly difficult. We considered spending the day out on the water with a private boat, but with iffy weather on the horizon for that afternoon, we decided we’d have to save our Lake Garda boat day for another trip.
There are so many towns scattered around the lake, and each seemed to offer something completely different. Riva del Garda had the dramatic mountain backdrop and a more active feel; Malcesine had its medieval castle and a cable car up Monte Baldo for incredible views over the lake; and farther south, Sirmione offered Roman ruins, another beautiful castle and an entirely different landscape.
Then there was Limone. Built into the steep mountainside along the shore, Limone felt smaller and a little more intimate with narrow streets, a tiny harbor and the old lemon houses that have become such a part of the town’s identity. But honestly, after all that research, it was one photograph that sold me. It showed a simple fork in the road between old buildings, with cobblestone streets leading off in either direction, and for whatever reason, I immediately wanted to wander down them.
With only a day, I wasn’t looking to fit in a long list of sights. I wanted somewhere we could wander, have lunch, stop for a gelato and simply enjoy being on Lake Garda. Limone felt like the right choice.
We followed the lakeside path into the center of town, with beautiful views of the lake beside us the entire way. Limone was packed with people, much like our first arrival in Hallstatt, and yes, lemon tchotchkes filled plenty of storefronts for tourists to pick through. At one point, a woman holding a pennant flag and an umbrella charged passed me, leading a group that seemed to move like cattle through the narrow walkways. But somehow, none of it took away from Limone’s charm.
Little wooden boats belonging to locals were packed into the cove, clacking against one another like a tap dance, and it turns out the long line for lemon gelato was actually worth the wait. We found a bench by the water, ate our gelato, and watched the boats bob in the harbor as people wandered past.
Later, we stopped for lunch at a pizzeria overlooking the water, where I had my last Hugo Spritz of the trip. With the lake stretched out in front of us and our vacation nearly over, it felt like a pretty perfect place to have one before heading home. We spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying the beautiful property, while I watched my daughters happily loop their way in and out of the lake, climbing onto the dock only to jump right back in again.
Grand Hotel Fasano was easily the least family-centric of all the hotels on our trip, but I didn’t find that to be a negative. Our large family suite was ideal for us, giving us plenty of space to spread out, and the girls were completely comfortable and welcome throughout the hotel. It simply felt first and foremost like a beautiful Italian lake hotel rather than a family resort.
And after AKI and Forsthofgut, I actually appreciated that change of pace. We didn’t need another full lineup of kids’ programming. The lake became the entertainment, and we spent time out exploring before coming back to a hotel that felt calm and grown-up without ever making us feel out of place with children.
I would recommend Fasano just as readily to a couple as I would to a family, particularly one looking for a more traditional hotel experience rather than a resort centered around kids.
The Takeaway
Looking back on our trip, we covered a lot of ground, the Dolomites, Austria and Lake Garda, but it all felt surprisingly seamless together. In its entirety, it probably wouldn’t be the ideal route for someone who doesn’t enjoy a road trip. But wow, what incredible road trips there were. The scenic drives on this trip were outstanding and ended up being some of my favorite parts of the journey.
The ease and accessibility of family-friendly hikes at all levels is another remarkable USP for this part of the world, particularly in the Dolomites and Austria. You do not need to be an avid hiking family to enjoy these experiences, and as native Miamians who essentially live below sea level, this was something we really appreciated. I loved watching my daughters experience the mountains through their eyes. Throughout this trip, they stopped often to point out different alpine flowers, plants, and wildlife, comparing them to familiar things they already knew. It turned ordinary hikes into something far more interactive and before long, the children were searching for new discoveries on their own.
If you don’t have the time or don’t want to spend as much time in transit, I think you could easily pair the Dolomites with Austria, or the Dolomites with Lake Garda, and have a fantastic trip. And if you’re like my family and genuinely enjoy the drive and see it as part of the experience rather than simply a way to get from one place to another, all three work beautifully together.
If I were planning the trip again, I think five nights in the Dolomites, five nights in Austria and at least three - four nights on Lake Garda would be ideal. Two nights on Garda was simply not enough, and it is probably the one place where I most wished we had given ourselves another day. There are also plenty of ways I could see extending this itinerary. Salzburg would be an easy addition on the Austrian side, while Verona could fit beautifully before or after Lake Garda. But I wouldn’t add stops simply for the sake of adding them. Part of what made this trip work was having enough time in each place to actually enjoy it.
As a travel advisor, I can research a hotel, map out a route and study a destination endlessly, but there are things you only understand once you’re actually there: how long a drive really feels, whether a town is worth the detour, what works with children, and which places make you immediately start thinking about coming back.
One of my biggest takeaways was also just how exceptionally well this region of Europe does family hotels and how much steam they are picking up in luxury travel. These weren’t simply beautiful hotels that happened to welcome children. Some were designed around the idea that parents and children should both get to have a vacation, with incredible kids’ spaces and activities alongside beautiful spas, great food and places that adults genuinely want to spend time. It opened my eyes to an entire category of family travel that I want to continue exploring, because there are so many more of these properties throughout Europe that understand that secret sauce when it comes to family travel.
The Dolomites are certainly not undiscovered. Instagram and TikTok have made sure of that, and some of the more famous lakes, trails and viewpoints can get very busy. But one of the things I loved about this trip was that there still seemed to be plenty of nature to go around. Unlike a more traditional Italian itinerary, where visitors can end up concentrated around the same historic centers, landmarks and restaurants, here the landscape itself is the destination. You might encounter crowds at a popular trailhead or lake, but a short while later find yourself on a mountain path with hardly anyone around. The experience felt less about checking off famous sights and more about being outside, driving through the landscape, stopping at mountain huts and discovering places along the way. With kids especially, that gave the trip a freedom and ease that I really loved.
I also came away feeling that there was tremendous value here. That doesn’t mean inexpensive, but the experience often felt generous for what we were spending. The quality of the hotels, the included activities and kids’ programming at some of them, and the fact that so many of our favorite days involved hiking, swimming in a lake or simply exploring made it feel like we were getting a lot out of the trip without every great experience requiring another major expense.
The Dolomites were every bit as spectacular as I had hoped. Austria outdid itself in beauty, and surprised me with how much there was to explore, and Lake Garda turned out to be the perfect place to slow everything down at the end.
Fourteen days, two countries, eight adults, nine kids, countless mountain roads and one too many suitcases. Somehow, not only did we all still like each other by the end of it, but we knew we’d be planning a return sooner rather than later.
I’d call that a successful trip.
About Craft & This Review
This piece was developed following a 14-day, multi-destination field inspection across Northern Italy and the Austrian Alps by Craft’s design team. Our analysis is based on first-hand, unassisted testing of group logistics for 17 travelers, on-site property evaluations of three distinct hotel categories, private trail vetting with local guides, and direct regional routing via the Grossglockner and Dolomite passes. We conduct these site visits independently to ensure our clients receive precise, unvarnished advice on European luxury family travel