9 Things to Do at Ötzi Village Austria With Kids

You’ll have an amazing time at Ötzi Village with your kids exploring the massive 15,000-square-meter Stone Age settlement. Watch incredible birds of prey shows featuring eagles and hawks, meet ancient animal breeds like woolly pigs and wild horses, and let your children play at the interactive Stone Age playground. They can practice archery with traditional yew bows, learn fire-starting with flint stones, bake prehistoric bread, and create authentic pottery. Discover how these experiences bring Ötzi’s world to life.

Explore the 15,000 Square Meter Neolithic Village

When you step into Austria’s Ötzi Village, you’ll discover an incredible 15,000-square-meter Neolithic village that brings Stone Age life to reality. You’re walking through the largest archaeological open-air attraction in the alpine region, where over 30 fascinating attractions await your family’s exploration.

The village recreates authentic alpine Stone Age settlements from 5,000 years ago, guided by expert reconstructions from Innsbruck’s archaeological institute. You’ll wander through prehistoric buildings that show exactly how people lived during the Neolithic era. You can also observe old domestic animals that represent the breeds kept during ancient times.

Your kids can explore ancient houses, visit working stations like fireplaces and clay pits, and see firsthand how Stone Age families survived in the mountains.

Every structure tells a story about daily life during Ötzi’s time, making history come alive for curious young minds.

Join Free Guided Tours Through Stone Age Life

Since you’re already exploring this massive Stone Age recreation, you’ll want to join one of the free guided tours that’ll transform your visit into an unforgettable time-travel adventure.

These hour-long tours run daily at 10:00, 12:00, 13:00, and 15:30, giving you plenty of scheduling flexibility.

Your guide will bring Neolithic life to life as you discover prehistoric structures, hunting tools, and working implements used 5,000 years ago.

You’ll meet old breeds of domestic animals and learn fascinating survival skills like fire starting, archery, and fur tanning.

The highlight? A full-scale replica of Ötzi’s actual discovery site. The village spans an impressive 10,000 m² of accessible terrain, ensuring there’s plenty of space for families to explore comfortably.

Best of all, these tours are included in your entrance fee, and foreign language group tours are available with advance booking for international families.

Watch Birds of Prey Flight Demonstrations

While exploring Ötzi Village, you’ll discover one of Austria’s most thrilling wildlife experiences at the Birds of Prey Flight Demonstrations. Your family can watch eagles, falcons, hawks, and owls perform incredible aerial stunts twice daily at 11:30 AM and 2:30 PM.

During summer (July-August), there’s an extra 4:00 PM show on Sundays and holidays.

Each 45-minute show features birds diving, gliding, and soaring overhead while expert falconers share fascinating facts about their hunting skills and habitats. You’ll see these magnificent creatures up close as they land on handlers and demonstrate natural behaviors.

The barrier-free venue accommodates 300-400 spectators against stunning mountain backdrops. The park operates as part of conservation efforts focused on reintroducing endangered bird species back into the wild.

Visit the 15 aviaries housing 25-30 rare birds before and after shows.

Admission costs €14.50 for adults, €7.30 for kids, and €39 for families.

Meet Ancient Animal Breeds Along Archaeological Paths

After experiencing the soaring birds overhead, you’ll step back thousands of years in time as you explore the archaeological paths surrounding Ötzi Village. Along these trails, your kids will meet six incredible ancient animal breeds that bring the Stone Age to life.

Watch woolly Mangalica pigs that look like prehistoric swine, and spot primitive Soay sheep grazing just like their Neolithic ancestors did 5,300 years ago. You’ll encounter majestic Przewalski wild horses representing the world’s last truly wild horses, plus sturdy Auerochs cattle and hardy Blobe goats.

These heritage breeds demonstrate how early humans domesticated animals for farming and survival. The open-air museum operates year-round during warmer months, making it accessible for families to explore these ancient breeds in their natural setting. The guided tours happen four times daily, making it easy to plan your visit around these fascinating living history lessons.

Let Kids Play at the Stone Age Adventure Playground

When your kids have worked up an appetite for adventure from meeting those ancient animals, they’ll discover the Stone Age Adventure Playground spans an impressive 2-kilometer trail with six interactive play stations.

Your children can swing on nest swings and rope swings, explore climbing facilities designed for different skill levels, and get creative in the sand playground area. The water playground adds extra excitement with hands-on experiences.

Each station features information boards explaining Stone Age concepts, making learning fun while they play. Audio guides in English, French, Italian, and Dutch help multilingual families understand everything.

The playground combines physical activity with Stone Age education, letting kids burn energy while discovering how prehistoric people lived. Just like Ötzi who lived 5300 years ago, children can experience what life was like during the Copper Age through these interactive activities. It’s the perfect blend of adventure and learning.

Practice Archery at the Ancient Range

Since your kids have already explored the playground, they’ll love testing their aim at the authentic Stone Age archery range.

Your children will learn proper technique using traditional yew tree bows in this Neolithic village setting. It’s perfect for proving their marksmanship skills while experiencing how ancient people hunted.

The archery range operates daily from 9:30-17:30 during May through October.

You can join guided tours at 10:00, 12:00, 13:00, or 15:30, each lasting one hour.

Special children’s courses focus on playful learning of correct archery techniques. For a more comprehensive experience, consider the Stone Age Adventure Day that runs on Wednesdays from 1:00 pm to 3:30 pm, combining archery with fire-making demonstrations and flatbread baking.

Entry costs €6 for kids (6-15 years) and €12 for adults, with family tickets available for €32.

The range is part of Stone Age day programs and children’s afternoon activities, making it an unforgettable hands-on history lesson.

Learn Fire-Starting Techniques With Stones

While your kids might think starting fires is as simple as flicking a lighter, they’ll discover the incredible skill Ötzi needed to create flames using only stones and fungus.

At the village, your children will learn to strike flint against pyrite using short, choppy strokes at shallow angles. They’ll watch as microscopic particles oxidize into sparks—much cooler and sparser than modern methods.

Your family will prepare tinder bundles from dry grass and scraped chaga mushroom, forming “bird’s nests” the size of hen’s eggs. Kids must catch sparks on the fungus, then gently transfer glowing embers to their tinder nests. The prepared touchwood fungus was often soaked in urine containing sodium nitrate to help it catch fire more easily.

With steady blowing and careful technique, they’ll coax flames from materials Ötzi used 5,300 years ago.

Bake Bread Using Prehistoric Recipes

After your children master ancient fire-starting skills, they’ll put those flames to work baking the same type of bread Ötzi ate over 5,000 years ago. Master bakers guide your kids through grinding einkorn wheat, the same grain found in Ötzi’s stomach.

They’ll mix simple dough using Stone Age methods, then watch it transform into flatbread in prehistoric ovens.

Your family can join daily guided tours featuring these authentic recipes, or attend special “Ötzi’s bread baking afternoons” and weekend children’s programs. The village schedules demonstrations every second Thursday using their historical oven. The experience showcases traditional Ötztaler Breatlen bread-baking methods that highlight the cultural significance of ancient farmers’ bread in the local region.

After the baking process, everyone gets to taste the finished Stone Age flatbread. This hands-on experience connects your kids directly to Neolithic life while creating delicious results.

Create Pottery and Crafts at the Clay Pit

As your family explores station 24 in the craft zone, you’ll discover the clay pit where kids can get their hands dirty creating authentic Neolithic pottery. This interactive station lets children experience Stone Age crafting techniques just like Ötzi would’ve used thousands of years ago.

They’ll shape clay using prehistoric methods, forming bowls and simple vessels while learning about ancient pottery skills.

The clay pit sits right next to the ceramic kiln at station 23, so kids can see the complete pottery-making process. It’s designed for children aged 6 and up, making it perfect for family participation. The experience offers interactive learning about how ancient peoples created essential everyday items for their survival.

Your kids will love this messy, educational adventure that brings history to life through hands-on creativity and authentic prehistoric craft demonstrations.

The Sum Up

You’ll create amazing memories at Ötzi Village that’ll last forever! Your kids will love getting their hands dirty making pottery, shooting arrows, and starting fires like real Stone Age people. They’ll run around the huge playground and watch cool birds fly overhead. Pack snacks, wear comfy shoes, and bring your camera – you’re gonna have the best family adventure ever exploring how people lived thousands of years ago!