A Family Outing in the Name of the Dragon

Many, many years ago, a mighty dragon lived in a huge cave in the Churfirsten mountain range. One day, the dragon flew over Lake Walen – so fast that he crashed headlong into the Mürtschenstock massif. The mountain has had a hole in its side known as the Mürtschenloch ever since. According to legend, the only trace that remained of the dragon was a tooth, but he apparently still lives somewhere on the Kerenzerberg.

This is the very dragon that we and our three dragon hunters (8, 6, and 4 years old) set out to track down today. From Filzbach, we followed part of the DenkWeg trail, solving several brainteasers along the short walk to Reuteggwald. After all, there was no chance of finding the dragon without having our wits about us.

Shady forest playground, fantastic view

Lo and behold, the monster really did await by the slides, wobbly bridges, and tunnels in the dragon-themed playground – but it was only a model version made of wood. “Only” is a bit of an understatement, however! Our boys had a great time climbing all over it and enjoying some energetic play. The wonderfully shady forest playground also has various campfire sites, but we wanted to carry on after a lengthy break – maybe we would even find the real dragon!

On the way to the chairlift station, we took another slight detour. We made the longer walk more acceptable to the children with the thought of a possible view of the dragon’s cave. I can attest that although we didn’t spot the cave, the view over Lake Walen from the Reutegg observation platform is spectacular.

On the chairlift, we needed to exercise a little bit of patience for the first time – it might just be one of the slowest in Switzerland! But as a local resident pointed out, it’s so beautiful here that you need plenty of time to enjoy it.

At the top, we were doubly rewarded: the sun terrace at the Habergschwänd mountain inn offered lunch with a panoramic view, while the children were able to let off steam again at the little dragon-themed playground.

Cooling off in the mountain lake

Since exercise helps with digestion, we then walked to the Talalpsee, a gem of a lake surrounded by magnificent mountain scenery that offered a perfect way to cool down after the hike. Various campfire points invite visitors to enjoy a meal cooked over flames. We would highly recommend bringing swimming costumes. Depending on the water level, small rocks protrude from the water or form shallow areas – ideal for a short rest after swimming to reach them.

But let’s not forget that we were still hunting for the dragon! Perhaps he was hiding in the dragon’s cave that we spotted on the other side – so we walked around the lake and climbed a few meters up to the cave in the karstic rock. On reaching the top, we realized it was only about 15 meters deeps – no dragon could possibly live there. Or had we just been too slow?

A wild ride back down on scooters

To find out the answer, we next embarked on the most challenging part of the adventure for our three dragon hunters: we walked back to the Habergschwänd mountain inn and procured ourselves some “dragonmobiles”. The 40-minute uphill walk is very strenuous for younger children, however. It might help to have a bit of “dragon medicine” with you for along the way. Those with restricted mobility can get straight back on the lift at the mountain station and skip the hike.

The “dragonmobiles” are scooters with big wheels. As well as children’s scooters (suitable from approx. 6 years), younger children can ride with adults on a little board at the front. The asphalt track is seven kilometers long (approx. 4.5 miles) and is loads of fun. The hire period is unfortunately only one hour, so there isn’t enough time for a detour to the lake with the scooters.

For us, the dragon hunt began once again with the scooters. We careered down the mountain, took a couple of breathers, and enjoyed the views and the shady forested sections.

Close to the end, we really did spot a creature with big horns. Was it a dragon? No, just a highland cow. I can now reveal that despite many clues, we didn’t find the dragon. But we did enjoy a wonderful day full of fun, games, and action on the Kerenzerberg.