Watching marmots in Switzerland: Off to the Spielbodenalp

Visiting the cute little guys at 2284 meters above sea level. A trip for children of all ages to the Spielbodenalp above Saas Fee in the Valais.

There is hardly any place in Switzerland where it is as easy to observe marmots and get close to them as on the Spielbodenalp. Since the marmots can be fed, they have become accustomed to the presence of humans and have largely lost their natural shyness. This is both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, you get very close to the animals. At the same time, however, this attracts many visitors, especially families with children. Accordingly, there is a lot of hustle and bustle on busy days. If you are looking for wilderness and untouched mountains, this is definitely not the place for you. And there are better places to observe the natural behavior of marmots.

.

Watching marmots - a highlight for children

But it is a special experience, especially for children who otherwise only know animals from the zoo, to get so close to wild animals. This tip is therefore primarily intended for families. But admittedly, even we older children find it hard to resist the charm of marmots. You just have to like them.

Watching marmots in Switzerland: Ten things you may never have wanted to know about marmots

1. Marmots are climate refugees

Marmots are originally steppe animals. At the end of the last ice age, they gradually retreated to higher elevations. They followed the cold-resistant plants. Today, they mostly live in the zone between the tree line and the ice. They need a grassy landscape as their habitat.

2. Marmots have summer and winter residences

Marmots dig summer and winter residences. In summer they stay in burrows that are about 1.5 meters below the surface . In winter, marmots prefer deeper areas that can be up to seven meters underground. The reason for this is protection from frost; it often happens that marmots freeze to death during hibernation. A marmot burrow can be used for centuries. In addition to the actual burrow, there are escape tunnels into which they can retreat in case of danger.

3. Marmots hate summer

When marmots sit on rocks in the sun, it is not because they are sunbathing. Rather, they do this to cool off. Marmots do not like heat and like to retreat into their burrows on hot days.

4. Marmots build air conditioners

Marmots are very good builders. Like other animals, marmots build their underground burrows in such a way that they are naturally ventilated and do not become stuffy inside.

5. Marmots like it cuddly - and go to the toilet

To survive the cold winter, marmots huddle together during hibernation to keep each other warm. From time to time they wake up together and seek out a place in the burrow that serves as a latrine.

6. Marmots switch to economy mode in winter

In winter, the marmots' body temperature drops to as low as five degrees Celsius and their breathing slows to two breaths per minute. Their heart rate drops from 200 to 20 beats per minute. Despite this energy-saving program, they lose 30 to 50 percent of their body weight during hibernation.

7. Marmots are creatures of the underworld

Marmots spend between 80 and 90 percent of their lives in their underground burrows. Hibernation alone lasts about 7 months.

8. Marmots are on their last legs

A shrill whistle means "Be careful, there is an immediate danger", for example if an eagle is approaching. A series of whistles means something like "Be careful, but there is no immediate danger", for example if people have been spotted in the distance.

9. Yellow teeth - not very attractive, but useful

The yellow color is caused by tooth enamel. This protects the teeth of the Alpine marmot . The tooth enamel hardens the teeth, which is necessary because the teeth are also used for digging.

Practical information

Best time to visit May to October is the best time to see marmots on the Spielbodenalp. You should avoid hot summer days. On such days, marmots prefer to retreat into their burrows. On days with many visitors, for example during the summer holidays, it is advisable to visit at off-peak times in the early morning or evening. Arrival

Take the post bus from Visp to Saas Fee (bus 511). Then take the gondola up to Spielbodenalp at 2,488 meters above sea level. Alternatively, you can hike up to the marmots from Saas Fee, covering 3.9 kilometers and around 600 meters in altitude. You should expect the hike to take around two hours - and parents may have to expect loud protests from their youngsters. Feeding the marmots The marmots can be fed, but only with carrots and (unsalted and unroasted) peanuts. It is very important not to offer the animals any other food, otherwise they could become ill. Nuts can be bought at the Saas-Fee tourist office and at the Spielboden restaurant.£

Food As always in the mountains, a picnic - or a snack in the Spielboden mountain restaurant More information about the marmots on the Spielbodenalp at: https://www.saas-fee.ch/de/erlebniswelten/spielboden-sommer is

The Wild Moments Rating ⭐ to ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ stars How wild was it? ⭐ Although these are wild animals, if you are looking for untouched nature and wilderness, you have come to the wrong place. The animals can be fed and we are more in the middle of a tourist attraction that is visited by many families. You can't really talk about "Keep it wild" here. How good are the chances of success? ⭐⭐⭐⭐ From May to October, the chances of seeing the marmots are very good. You should avoid hot summer days, marmots don't like heat and then spend most of their time in their burrows. How sustainable was it? ⭐⭐ It is easy to get there by public transport. You can go up the mountain on foot or by cable car. Feeding the animals is allowed, but this has little to do with the natural behavior of the marmots. There are also visitors who give the animals food that harms them. How family-friendly is the activity? ⭐⭐⭐⭐ This is an activity that is well suited to families. The excursion is a highlight especially for children, who otherwise do not have many opportunities to experience wild animals. On the short marmot trail, the children also learn a lot about the small mammals. How suitable is the activity for wildlife photography? ⭐⭐⭐⭐ The marmots are used to people and so it is very easy to take attractive pictures here, even without large camera equipment. However, those who want to observe and record natural behavior will not be happy here, the interaction between humans and animals is too intense.