At last, we’re off! My daughter Maria snuggles up close to me and looks up with great excitement. The ride in the gondola takes just a few minutes. The comfortable panoramic cable car whisks us up to the mountain station of the Ratschings-Jaufen hiking and skiing area at 1,800 metres above sea level. Today we want to visit the marmot world and the giant slide.
Maria’s eyes light up. She has been looking forward to this day for so long. My gaze sweeps across the impressive mountain landscape of Ratschings. What a wonderful panorama, and the pleasant fresh air! It feels good! While I’m still in my thoughts, Maria is already waving to me from the giant penguin climbing structure. Just behind her, she spots the marmots. A huge burrow invites us into the underground world of the shy Alpine dwellers. When we emerge into daylight again, we first have to blink for a moment to adjust our eyes, and then we’re off racing. We marvel at fascinating tree sculptures and pictures of nature made of roots, moss, and brushwood, learn about the origin of water, and explore the world of hard-working ants. We can hardly tear ourselves away from the petting zoo with its woolly sheep and bleating goats. “I wish I could take a donkey home with me,” Maria gushes.