Braunwald is a beautiful mountain area in the Glarnerland alps southeast of Zurich.

They have a fun theme trail for children called the "Zwerg-Bartli-Erlebnisweg" (aka Bartli the Dwarf trail), with several playful activities along the way.

Trail: moderate • 3h30 • 7.6 km • 20m up, 660m down
Trail map / can easily shorten to 3.5 km

What to expect on the trail

Hidden in a rock “castle” cave, kids discover a throne lit with glowing gems. While wandering the "magic forest," children search for seven dwarfs hidden along the path.

Our kids favorite was the large water play area, fed by a waterfall, with streams to divert and rocks to rearrange.

Most families picnic at one of the many grill stations along the path. Or you can eat the restaurant in the middle of the trail, which has a playground with a fantastic view.

The full trail is not difficult, but it can be long for smaller children and not suitable for strollers. But you can do just half the trail, starting or ending at the halfway point - Grötzenbüel gondola station.

• More info about this trail on SwissFamilyFun.com

How to get there

Location: Linthal-Braunwald funicular - Stachelbergstrasse 2, 8783 Glarus Süd Switzerland / Linthal Braunwaldbahn train station.

From Zurich: 1h15 by car, 1h30 by train

Open: summer season late June to mid October. Lifts usually 9:00 - 16:30, often closed over lunch

Braunwald website (German only)