Things to do in Malbun in summer, from crazy golf to eagles

Plenty of people think of Malbun as a snow place and cross it off in summer. I’d do the opposite. From June to October the skiers disappear, the meadows fill with flowers and you’re left with plans that work just as well with children as without. Here’s what there is and the order I’d tackle it in.

The whole village is the playground

The first thing that strikes you is that the village turns into one big crazy golf course. According to Bergbahnen Malbun, the 18 holes of the Alpen-Minigolf start at the entrance to Malbun and wind through every street, at different levels of difficulty, and take about an hour and a half. You pick up clubs and balls at the Malbun Center, which doubles as the valley’s tourist office.

Close by, above the Schlucher-Treff restaurant, is the Spielpark, a playground at 1,600 metres with a water and mud area, a zip line, swings and a barbecue spot with picnic tables. That’s where the Forscherweg starts, an explorers’ path of ten stations built from local stone. It takes about two hours to reach the Peace Chapel and the little Sass lake, with around 200 metres of climbing, and the Malbun Center lends a backpack with a magnifying glass, tape measure and notebook against a deposit.

Swings and themed paths

The Schaukelpfad is my soft spot. It’s a simple path with ten outdoor swings, each with its own view, and the tourist board rates it among its five best family walks. There are more themed routes. The Alpherzweg explains life on the summer pastures with interactive stations and finishes with a surprise at the Malbun Center, the geology trail tells how these mountains were formed, and the Detektiv-Trail is a treasure hunt of about three hours and five kilometres run from an app. For children aged nine and over, the Magisches Malbunportal is a 90-minute puzzle game played on an iPad.

Is the bird of prey show worth it?

Yes, and it’s the one thing I wouldn’t skip. Falknerei Galina, run by falconer Norman Vögeli, shows golden eagles, goshawks, eagle owls and falcons on a terrace sheltered from the wind. In 2026 the public session costs CHF 12 per person and the season runs from 23 May to 3 October, the date of the last open show of the year. If you’d like something more personal, the same falconry offers a walk down from Sareis with an eagle flying free at your side, from CHF 200 in 2027. It won’t suit every budget, but it’s something you can’t do anywhere else.

Heading up the mountain

The Sareis chairlift is the only lift turning in summer, until 18 October in 2026, and in a few minutes it takes you to 2,000 metres. At the top starts the Princess Gina Trail, the loop that for me justifies the trip, as well as the gentle walk down past the Turna alp, which is part of the Malbun loop of the Liechtenstein Trail. Dogs and bikes ride the chairlift free.

If you’d rather pedal, Bergbahnen Malbun points to the Pfälzerhütte as the classic mountain bike target, and Malbun Sport in the centre hires out bikes and walking boots. Climbers have the Alpine Club’s Eisturm tower, open every day from 8:00 to 21:30 for CHF 10, as long as you bring your own gear.

When to go and what to bear in mind

The tourist board announced a weekly programme from 6 July to 14 August 2026, with pony rides and an alphorn walk, so July and early August are the liveliest weeks. June and July are also when the high pastures flower. In September and October the village is peaceful, but some things close before the chairlift does, the falconry among them.

Two practical points. The bergbahnen.li homepage shows each day whether the Sareis chairlift is running, so it’s worth checking on the day. And up on the mountain there are cows with calves; the tourist board asks walkers to keep their distance and to keep dogs on a short lead. If you’re travelling as a family, you’ll find more in my guide to Liechtenstein with kids, and for the whole country at this time of year, see Liechtenstein in summer.