Rainy Days Out With Kids

Medieval, renaissance, baroque – a visit to Tirol's town centres is like taking a journey through the region's architectural history. Even if the weather gods aren't smiling there is no reason why that should put you off seeing some of the finest buildings in Austria. Innsbruck, Rattenberg (officially the smallest town in Austria), Kufstein, Hall in Tirol and Lienz all have lots of shops and cafés for a great day out.

Museums are a classic destination for rainy days – and for good reason. Tirol is home to many fascinating museums such as the Ferdinandeum regional museum and Ambras Castle in Innsbruck, the coin museum in Hall, Kufstein Fortress and the Roman ruins of Aguntum in East Tirol. In the village of Galtür in the west of the region the Alpinarium museum is even located inside a 19-metre-high wall built to protect the village from avalanches!

Travel back in time to a period when emperors and dukes ruled over the land and knights in shining armour rescued damsels in distress. Tirol's many castles and palaces are a great place for the young and the young-at-heart to discover the history of this region connecting northern and southern Europe. Highlights include the Imperial Palace in Innsbruck and the medieval Burgenwelt Ehrenberg castle complex near Reutte offering plenty to see and do for all the family.

Why get wet outside – when you can get wet inside? Tirol has lots of indoor pools where children can splash around and have fun while parents lie back and relax. Many feature spa areas with highlights such as saunas, steam baths, underwater massage jets and whirlpools. Ambitious swimmers will also find a number of large pools in the region with lanes.

During the Middle Ages Tirol was one of Europe's most important mining centres. Important mines in the region included the Schwaz Silver Mine, home to a large community of miners and their families during the heyday of mining in Tirol, as well as the gold mine in Hainzenberg. Also well worth a visit are the mining museums in Bad Häring and Jochberg. Though no longer active, many mines in Tirol still invite visitors to travel down into the old tunnels and shafts to experience what life would have been like working underground many centuries ago. The Spannagelhöhle cave and the Natural Ice Palace on the Hintertux Glacier are additional highlights for those who are not afraid of confined spaces.

Rainy days are a great chance to look behind the scenes at some of Tirol's most interesting farms, breweries and workshops. A number of dairy farms in the region offer visitors the chance to see how cheese, butter and other products are made from fresh milk, while beer lovers will enjoy a visit to the working brewery at the Biererlebniswelt Schloss Starkenberg and those with a sweet tooth shouldn't miss out on the chance to see how fine local chocolate is hand-made at the Konditorei Haag in Landeck. The pretty medieval town of Rattenberg is home to the Glasbläserei Kisslinger, a traditional glassblowing workshop that invites visitors in to see how this ancient practice has been passed down through the generations.

When the weather outside is miserable, what better way to lift your spirits than with a little retail therapy? All Tirol's large towns have shopping centres offering everything from the latest fashion trends to state-of-the-art technology. Two of the main shopping centres in Innsbruck, Kaufhaus Tyrol and Rathausgalerien, are also famous for their eye-catching architecture providing a stylish and relaxing shopping experience.

Escape the boredom of a rainy day with a visit to one of Tirol's indoor play areas.  Murmi's Kinderwelt in Kirchdorf, Happyhopp in Vomp and Joy in Völs are just three of the many soft-play centres in the region featuring everything from slides and ballpits to climbing walls, mazes, softball shooters, giant trampolines and electric go-karts.