A farm holiday is a wonderful experience for children. They can romp around in nature and get up close and personal with animals. For these and many other reasons, we decided on such a farm holiday. We chose the family-run farm Plansol Hof in LĂĽsen near Brixen in South Tyrol.
Farm holidays with children in South Tyrol
The Plansol Hof
We spent our Easter holidays in an apartment on the impressively situated Plansol farm in the Eisack Valley in South Tyrol. The farm has been designated as a 'Erbhof' (hereditary farm) since 2015, which means that the farm has been passed down within the family for at least 200 years and is lived in and managed by the current owner.
Benedikt and Claudia, as well as his parents Maria and Hermann Kaneider and his sisters Angelika, Anna Maria, Brigitte, and Gabriela, take care of the farm and the holiday guests. There are 2 apartments and 1 room available at Plansol.
The farm includes a large cow shed where the dairy cows provide fresh milk daily, chickens that lay many eggs, and cats that enjoy life on the farm. Fresh honey is provided by many bees that are also at home on the farm.
For the children, there is a swing and children's vehicles right next to the house. Our children kept running across the wide meadows, and older children will love the adjacent forest with its branches and sticks. Wonderful things can be built here.
Apartments on the farm
The farm has the apartments Sonnenblick with 65 m² and the apartment Talblick with 50m² and the room Waldheim, all of which are located on the 2nd floor.
We stayed in the apartment Talblick. This apartment is suitable for 2-6 people; there are 2 separate bedrooms available, as well as a fully equipped kitchen-living room, a spacious bathroom with shower and washing machine, and a beautiful large balcony. I was fascinated by the view from the balcony: here you can enjoy a fantastic view of the Plose, the Peitlerkofel, and the LĂĽsen Valley.
In the kitchen, you will find dishes (glasses, plates, pots, cutlery, etc.), a coffee machine, a kettle, an oven, and in the bathroom, towels and bed linen, so you only need to bring food and your clothes. The newly equipped apartments have underfloor heating, which provides cozy warmth. The layout of the apartment is very well designed; the separate rooms for sleeping and children's rooms were ideal for us 4 people. There is a TV and Wi-Fi in the apartments. Furthermore, baby equipment is even available at Plansol Hof.
On the farm
During your holiday at the Plansol Hof in LĂĽsen, you can participate in farm life. You help ensure the animals feel comfortable: The farm has cows of all ages that need to be provided with feed, straw, and hay daily. Furthermore, the cows must be milked, which is done using milking machines, but those who dare can also try milking by hand once. For our children, going to the barn daily and taking care of the cows was a huge highlight. All the children (and even I!) dared to milk them themselves. All the children followed Benedikt attentively and observed what had to be done. For the boys and girls, all the equipment, such as tractors and the hay crane, was interesting. After a tractor ride with Benedikt, the children were over the moon with joy.
Besides the cows, the farm has happy free-range chickens that also need to be cared for and provide fresh eggs daily. There are also many cats on the farm – in our case, there were 10 of them, which kept appearing around us. In summer, there is plenty to do in the fields, and every helping hand is appreciated. Fresh vegetables, herbs, and spices are grown in the large vegetable patch right by the house and harvested for the farm's own dishes.
If you are interested in bees, you will find the perfect contact person at Plansol. Claudia is a passionate beekeeper and supplies the farm with fresh South Tyrolean mountain honey.
Excursions in South Tyrol
If you can tear yourself away from the farm with the family, there is plenty to see:
Excursion to the old town of Brixen
Brixen, or Bressanone in Italian, is one of the oldest cities in the Tyrol region and the main town of the Eisack Valley. The third-largest city in South Tyrol is nestled in a wide valley basin. The Plose to the east and the Königsanger to the west form the local mountains of Brixen.
In the historic old town, you will find the Brixen Cathedral with the adjacent cathedral cloister, the Church of Our Lady and the St. John's Chapel, the Hofburg (the former Prince-Bishop's palace), and the two arcaded streets. Here you will also find market stalls selling South Tyrolean specialties, as well as some shops for shopping.
You will also be spoiled culinarily in Brixen: the Finsterwirt in Domgasse is an insider tip for lovers of good cuisine. If you like good food, you are well advised to visit the Traubenwirt in Brixen, where you can enjoy delicious South Tyrolean and Mediterranean dishes.
Brixen consists of several districts, such as Stufels, Burgfrieden, Kranebitt, Zinggen, and Rosslauf. Stufels is the original core of Brixen, where the first people settled thousands of years ago. Stone Age tools and vessels have repeatedly been found here during excavations. Most of the houses are listed as historical monuments due to their age and architectural characteristics.
We strolled through the old town and had a very good lunch at the "Traubenwirt". You will find a really large selection of pizzas here.
Hike on the LĂĽsner Alm
Close to the Plansol farm is the LĂĽsner Alm, where you can start hiking directly from the farm. We drove with the children to the lower parking lot and then hiked up the mountain. There was still snow at the very top, and the children were able to go sledding down a beautiful slope. High up on the mountain pastures, you have a fantastic panoramic view of the Dolomites, the Sarntal Alps, the Zillertal Alps, the Rieserferner, and the Hohe Tauern.
Nearby, there is a beautiful sledding run down to the parking lot. This is really nice, not steep, and ideal for children. There are beautiful snowy paths and slopes where the children can go sledding. We even saw a deer.
On the LĂĽsner Alm, there are managed huts where you can stop for a cozy break. Eager mountaineers will aim for the LĂĽsner Alm peaks Campill and Astjoch, both 2190 m.
Excursion to LĂĽsen
Just a few minutes from the Plansol farm lies the idyllic municipality of LĂĽsen (Luson in Italian). There are several fractions here, with "Dorf" being the main town of the valley. We found 2 great playgrounds for the children here. One right by the school and one, nearby, in a small forest. The children were able to let off steam here. In the "village," you will also find a supermarket for buying groceries, a tobacco shop, a bank with an ATM, and a restaurant.
Right next to the forest playground is also a great natural swimming pond, where you can go swimming in the summer. The mountain lake with fresh spring water from the LĂĽsner Alm is a popular meeting point in summer after wonderful panoramic or nature park hikes. The children will surely find fun on the slide while the parents can swim laps in the water.
My personal packing list for a holiday with children on a farm
For a farm holiday in winter/spring, you should keep a few things in mind. Pack a pair of rubber boots or shoes for everyone that are allowed to get dirty. These will be used for barn visits. Also, plan for clothing that can get dirty when the children play outside or help out in the barn. A work overall and rubber boots for the children are ideal. As mentioned, there is also a washing machine in the larger apartments. If you want to go out for dinner in the evening, plan for showering and hair washing after a barn visit – the smell can be pungent :-).
We were lucky with the weather and had nothing but sunshine in March, and it was already quite warm. However, it can get quite chilly in the evenings, so we occasionally needed our winter jackets in the evening. During our hike, there was still snow at the very top, so the children could use their snowsuits. Anyone who still has space in the car and is coming in winter should bring a sled – the sledding run was very fun for all of us. For the hikes, pack hiking boots or sturdy shoes for everyone. As mentioned, also plan for warm jackets and hats in March. You only need to bring groceries for the first night; you can get a lot in the supermarket in Lüsen, and you can get fresh milk and eggs from the farm.
Conclusion
We really enjoyed the holiday, and right away: we want to come back. Our children were truly happy when they could move freely around the farm and the meadows. Our children also really enjoyed taking care of the animals – and of course, the many technical devices on a farm were very popular. When we left, our children were very sad and wanted to stay.
We only made a few excursions because our children wanted to be on the farm almost all the time. They were in the barn as often as possible to help with the work and, of course, to marvel at everything. Everyone on the farm was very patient and showed and explained a lot to the children. I can warmly recommend Plansol Hof in LĂĽsen in South Tyrol.
Photos by Sabine, meinhaushalt.at
