Follow a trail, solve puzzles, crack codes and even find a treasure at the end – scavenger hunts provide action and fun, kids especially love it. Depending on whether you prefer to seek tips with your family or with a larger group: there are different activities on offer. Parents either prepare such a search for clues themselves, or the little ones take part in scavenger hunt events. In addition, at many providers it is possible to register online all year round for such adventures, which can be mastered with a smartphone or printed maps.
For example, this winter, Switzerland is hosting the following five exciting scavenger hunts, treasure hunts and detective trails suitable for families:
Treasure hunt in Piratenland, Obersaxen GR
Every Tuesday evening in high season, a treasure hunt takes place at the Obersaxen ski and snowboard school if enough participants register in advance. Children over the age of four can join the adventure walk and discover a lot along the way. Additionally, the little ones can expect punch, snacks and a surprise on the trip. You can get precise information about the start and course of the event from the ski and snowboard school.
Record: It is possible until Tuesday noon by post, telephone or at the office of the Obersaxen ski and snowboard school.
When: Every Tuesday from January 31 to March 7, 2023
Duration: about an hour and a half
Suitable age: from four years
Costs: 25 francs per child
Lily’s Winter Treasure Hunt, First BE mountain station
Anyone who finds one of the thirty hidden chests in the snow during Lily’s winter treasure hunt can exchange it for a prize at the awards ceremony. Numerous prizes await participants, young and old, who go on a treasure hunt with starting numbers and shovels in a fenced area at the first mountain station. You don’t need to solve any puzzles here, but you have to be patient and lucky to find the right place to dig where a treasure chest is hidden.
The event takes place in the Grindelwald-First ski area on the last weekend of the winter season and also includes a concert and an end-of-season party with lots of humor. Advance online registration is required. All further information and conditions of participation can be found on the Jungfrau.ch homepage.
Record: Online
When: March 18, 2023
Duration: From 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Lily’s winter treasure hunt takes place. The program begins with the distribution of starting numbers between 08:30 and 11:00, followed by the award ceremony at 17:00 and then a concert at 17:30.
Suitable age: from four years
Costs: Children between the ages of four and nine can join for free, but they still need to register to get a starting number. Adults and children/adolescents over the age of ten pay CHF 15.
Find the code of the outdoor escape games
Adventures for various Swiss cities can be downloaded online from Find-the-code, which you can master as a team on your smartphone. From the age of twelve, teens can solve puzzles and finally decipher the secret code. There are different difficulty levels that vary depending on the game you choose. Some games offer interactive augmented reality puzzles that appear on the smartphone screen while you’re on the go, sometimes even requiring an app download.
All available games, participating cities and detailed instructions can be found on the Find Code home page. Adventures are a mix of scavenger hunt and outdoor escape room and provide good fun. A minimum of two smartphones with internet connection are required per group.
Record: Online
When: Anytime
Duration: Depends on the game chosen, usually two hours or more
Suitable age: from the age of twelve
Costs: 32 CHF per group (up to five people). Adventures with augmented reality cost CHF 40 per group (up to five people).
detective tracks
In addition to Switzerland, the principality of Liechtenstein, Germany and Austria are offered detective routes, where families get to know the region better by solving riddles with on-the-spot clues. Explore the area with Detective Badger. A track contains 12 to 16 posts. If the correct solution code is found in the end, depending on the variant you choose, you will either receive a small gift directly in a treasure chest or a coupon that you can exchange on the next delivery or for a surprise. joint organization.
Adventures are available in both app and print versions on the Detektiv-Trails homepage. All other important information and available routes are also listed here.
Record: Online
When: Anytime. In the case of detective trails with only one treasure chest, the game documents must be checked beforehand to see if the target is open before the gift can be received.
Duration: Depends on the chosen trail, approximately two to four hours
Suitable age: From the age of six, if parents help a little
Costs: 9 francs per person, family ticket for two adults and three children 32 francs, groups of 10 or more pay 8.50 francs per person, groups of 20 or more pay 8 francs.
Treasure hunt in old village, Nendaz VS
At the Nendaz VS tourist office, families can request a puzzle book with maps, which can also be downloaded and printed online. With this booklet, a winter walk in the old village of Haute-Nendaz becomes a highlight for the little ones. An Eringer nerd and the community mascot, Cheesy is there to help with quests and puzzles. On the tour you will discover the characteristics of the mountain village. Finally, children can show the completed puzzle booklet to the tourist office and receive a small surprise in return.
Record: Online or on the Nendaz Tourisme site
When: Anytime online, at Nendaz Tourisme office, during working hours
Duration: about an hour
Suitable age: Between seven and twelve years
Costs: free