Das Mühlwald

Das Mühlwald sits on the Natz-Schabs apple plateau above the Isarco Valley, about fifteen minutes from Brixen and in full view of the Dolomites. It calls itself South Tyrol's first quality-time family resort, and the Tauber family have built the place around that claim: 60 rooms finished in apple and willow wood, floor-to-ceiling windows onto the orchards, and a sun terrace that holds the light all day. Accommodation is unusually generous for a mountain property of this size. The Anton, Mio, and Pippi suites give children their own room or bunk alcove while parents keep a separate double; the 51 sqm Lotta suites and penthouses sleep up to six with a kitchenette and panoramic views; and the 82 sqm Kalle premium lodge has two bedrooms and two bathrooms for up to eight. Rooms and suites come with full board, while the lodges come with a kitchenette and let you add meals as you want them. Across family hotels in Italy, that range of configurations is rare.

Childcare is the engine here, and the hours are worth reading twice. Milli and the care team look after children from age two for around 60 hours a week: 09.00 to 17.00 on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays, 13.30 to 17.00 on the other days, and, crucially, 18.00 to 21.00 every single evening. Babies from birth get morning care on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, 11.00 to 13.00. Children eat their own supervised buffet from 18.00 in a dedicated children's dining room, which means the gourmet menu at 18.30 is an adult dinner rather than a negotiation. The kids club territory runs from Milli's hedgehog den, a multi-story climbing tree with slides and a ball pit, to a ride-on racing course, a climbing tower, a playground, and a petting zoo with sheep, rabbits, and chickens. Milli's Wonder Lamp Pool is the family spa: baby pool, indoor pool with a wave slide, steam bath, and foam games, with an outdoor infinity pool looking over the apple meadows. The sauna area, three saunas and a whirlpool, is adults only. Strollers, bike trailers, helmets, and water wings are all available to hire, and the vegetables on the plate come from the field next door.