Innsbruck: Europe’s Outdoor Hub

We have been on the hunt for the best outdoor hub in Europe for years. After almost a decade in a small town in the United States at the base of the Colorado Rocky Mountains, filled exclusively with people who love to adventure outdoors, we knew just how rare a place like this was. But when friends of ours from that small town visited Innsbruck for a holiday, they came back raving. Although they spoke no German and had never been to Austria before, they told us it felt like home. We had to check it out.

When we finally visited in May, we were absolutely impressed. We’d decided to stay in Hötting, the neighborhood that sits up in the foothills of the mountains, so we could be close to the trails. And, without our prior knowledge, the lodging we picked ended up being directly in front of three different trailheads! It felt like fate. The house we stayed in, the  Mondholz Urban Inn, is a all-pine wood cabin with one wall made entirely of windows. It’s sits above a stream in the forest, so you fall asleep to the sound of water and can look over to the trees where the trails are. It’s cozy, beautiful, relaxing, and had everything we needed for a full.

Mondholz is also really close to the Botanical Gardens, which we popped into one morning when we were looking for an activity before one of our hikes. They were really expansive and had a massive variety of plants. Plus, it was a good way to get outside without sweating too much since it was 30°+ every day of our trip! Because it was so hot, we watched throughout the week as people flooded the trails, the gelato shops, and the Inn River banks for swimming. It was divine.

As we walked around the city and soaked it all in, we saw that it had something a lot of other European big cities don’t: culture and fun outside of the Altstadt as well. And while there are a lot of hot contenders for the best outdoor hub in Europe, Innsbruck wins in my mind because even as you make your way outside of the traditional small alleyways and busy tourist areas in the center, the city remains vibrant, and maybe even more so the further outside of the center you go. As a university town, there are lots of cozy cafes, cool restaurants, and fun stores to explore. We chatted with people we met there, and learned that the Wilten neighborhood is the place to be in Innsbruck for chill, quieter neighborhoods that still have their own central shops and activities. That’s where we ended up spending most of our time when we weren’t on the trails, and we recommend heading over there for a walk through the tree-lined streets in the evening.

Hiking in Innsbruck

But almost more important than the city culture, the trails in Innsbruck are fantastic. You can climb up to 2000+ meter ridges, balance on the narrow mountain tracks, weave around on forest paths, or take your time and explore the valley’s beautiful trails. There’s even a 332-kilometer-long-distance trail, the Adlerweg, through the region that you can hop on from town as well. The Inn River carves a blue ribbon through the region that you follow, and it’s easy to take public transportation wherever you want to go. There’s never a mess of needing to leave a car at one end and ferry to the trailhead, thank goodness. The city infrastructure is built for convenience in this regard.

While we were there, we spent our days doing our favorite activity, exploring some trails, including the ones that started in our backyard. A few favorites were:

• Hafelekarspitze: You can get to the Hafelekarspitze by taking the Nordkettebahn from the center of the city all the way to the top of Hafelekar (hopping on three different cable cars to get there) and then hiking the switchbacking stone steps to the top. It’s very easy and short, and has some of the best views of the valley!
• Rumer Alm: There are lots of different routes to get to the Rumer Alm, and we decided to start in the town of Rum for a 7-kilometer there-and-back trail. They serve lots of traditional Austrian dishes, and it’s great for lunch or an afternoon snack. Just make sure to bring cash; they don’t accept cards. The trail does get steep near the top, no matter which route you take, so be ready to climb.
• Schlossbachklamm: The Schlossbachklamm tour is a beautiful trail through the forest that opens up to a gorge with the iconic Schlossbach bridge over it. You hike between Seefeld in Tirol and Hochzirl, about 7 kilometers, and can access both towns by train from Innsbruck.
• Zirbenweg: The Zirbenweg is one of the more popular day hikes in the area, and you will take the Patscherkofelbahn cable car all the way up and hike 7 kilometers along the mountainside to the Glungezerbahn, which takes you down to Tulfes. Make sure to check that both of the cable cars are running when you go, as the Patscherkofelbahn starts running earlier in the season than the Glungezerbahn! You can get to both stations easily by bus from the city.

Innsbruck is a city that needs no framing to lure in outdoorspeople worldwide. As a four-time host of the Winter Olympics, Youth Olympics, and Deaflympics (1964, 1976, 2012, 2027), the home of one of the world’s largest indoor climbing centers, and the proud creator of hundreds of hiking trails, the city has made its mark on the outdoor world. And on top of that, the culture in the city itself supports the unfettered, fun, and excited feeling that comes with pushing yourself on the trails.