Spending the Day Above the Clouds
Glorious mountains are what the Tirol is all about, and it is to this Zirbenweg Mountain Walk that you should head for a wonderful odyssey into a remarkable land. This day trip from Innsbruck is a relatively easy ramble across a fantastic landscape far above the cares of the ordinary world, winding up in the splendid old town of Hall.
Along the way you will pass some sites of the 1964 and 1976 Winter Olympics, ride a cable car to the top of a mountain, walk for over two hours along a gentle path with spectacular vistas, have lunch at a rustic alpine inn, descend on a chairlift, stroll through unspoiled countryside, cross the Inn river on a covered wooden bridge and, finally, explore one of the most charming little towns that Austria has to offer.
If you love the out-of-doors but have been a bit hesitant about just marching off into the Alps by yourself, this pleasant excursion may well be the most memorable highlight of your visit to the Tirol.
For a DIAGRAM MAP of this trip's routes, touch the photo at the top left of the screen. It will momentarily fill the screen, then the first part of the DIAGRAM will appear. Quickly touch that and it will remain on screen for you to examine. Move your finger from right to left on the screen to see more of the map. NUMBERS on the map correspond to numbers in the text.
From Innsbruck, take either tram 6 or bus J to the suburb of Igls and walk a short distance to the base station of the cable car, marked Patscherkofel Seilbahn. It is also possible to take a taxi there. You will be returning to Innsbruck by a completely different route, so do not drive to Igls unless you want to skip Hall and take a bus from Tulfes back to Igls.
A clear, warm day between May and late September is essential for enjoyment of this trip. Since you will be walking at an altitude of nearly 7,000 feet, you can expect it to be a great deal cooler along the trail than it was in Innsbruck. You may, in fact, encounter a little leftover snow, even in August. The trip may be taken any dayt of the week, although the cable cars can be a bit crowded on Sundays.
A jacket or sweater is absolutely necessary on this trip, even if it is 90°F in the shade in town. You won't be sorry if you bring both. A folding umbrella could be helpful should the weather change. Comfortable walking shoes are also required, although mountain boots are not necessary as the trail is well surfaced.
The total hiking distance is about 8 miles (13 km), level all the way. Nearly half of this can be eliminated by taking a bus on the last leg.
Names in BOLD FACE CAPITAL LETTERS are actually links to separate entries for those attractions. Those links are internal on the app and do not function on this blog.
Places to eat include:
PANORAMA RESTAURANT
GLUNGEZERHÜTTE
ALPENGASTHOF HALSMARTER
TULFERHÜTTE
TOUR:
From the front of Innsbruck's main train station (Hauptbahnhof) (1) take the #6 tram, which departs hourly; OR from Innsbruck's Marktplatz or Lanjdesmuseum take the J bus. Either will take you to the resort village of Igls. Although this route may seem short on the map, it is very steep and not really suitable for walking. You will pass various Olympic installations along the way, notably the ice stadium and ski jumps.
Once in Igls, walk uphill to the lower station of the Patscherkofel Cable Car (2), purchase a one-way ticket (Bergfahrt) to the top and board the large cable car. As it ascends the mountain, keep a lookout on the left for the spectacular Olympic bobsled run. Just beyond this, at Heiligwasser, you disembark and change to another cable car that takes you to the Panorama Restaurant (3) at Patscherkofel, the starting point of the walk.
You are now at an altitude of 6,435 feet. Follow the footpath marked Zirbenweg to the left in the direction of Tulfeinalm and Glungezer Witte. This section of the trail is identified as path #32, although the number changes later.
The total walk to the first destination, Tulfeinalm (4), will take a little over two hours. Distances on alpine trails are commonly marked in terms of time rather than linear measurement; thus 2½ Std. (stunde) refers to hours, not kilometers. A good walker will probably do betterr than the indicated time.
The relatively level trail continues along the ridge of a high mountain with glorious panoramic views up and down the Inn Valley. Cows and goasts, their clanging bells filling the air with music, can be seen grazing along the path.
Presently you will reach a fork at which path #32 is marked for Meissner Haus. Rather than take this, remain on the Zirbenweg, which bears left and is shown as path #48. Gradually the trail enters a lovely pine forest still sheltering — in shaded spots — some patches of last winter's snow, even in the height of summer.
All along the walk you will meet other hikers who, if they are Austrian (as most are), will greet you with a friendly Grüss Gott, meaning "good day" in the local dialect. Just smile and try to repeat the phrase back to them.
Still in the forest, a branch trail leads off to both sides. Avoid the one marked to Glungezer Hütte and stay on the Zirbenweg, following the signs to Tulfeinalm.
From here the trail no longer has a number, path #48 having turned down the mountain. Soon it crosses the tiny Lavierenbach brook. The first leg of your trip is almost over now.
In only a few yards you will come to the Tulfeinalm (4) where a rustic climbers' hut offers heart food at reasonable prices. You can either eat here or at another similar place halfway down the mountain.
On a small mound a few yards from the hut is the upper station of the Glungezer Sesselbahn. Buy a one-way ticket to Tulfes, seat yourself as gracefully as possible on the moving chairlift, and descend to the midway station, Halsmarter.
The ride is surprisingly enjoyable and not in the least bit scary. Still, if you don't care for chairlifts, there is a dirt road paralleling it all the way down which can easily be walked.
Getting off at Halsmarter (5), you will find another hut with good food and, delightfully, an outdoor café at which to relax and enjoy the sun-filled view.
Continue on the second stahe of the chairlift all the way to Tulfes (6). In the center of that village there is a bus stop (Haltstelle) from which you can get a ride to Hall-in-Tirol. A schedule is posted at thge chairlift stations. It is, however, far more interesting to walk the few miles.
Follow the road downhill and, just before the first big bend to the left, turn right onto a path marked Fussweg noch Hall. This trail will again cross the main road. If you are really worn out by now take the paved road to the right. Otherwise, continue on the path, which goes a bit uphill, then down to the river.
Along the way the trail sometimes becomes a dirt road, even paved at points, goes through farms, forests, and crosses a fence. The first tiny settlement is called Gasteig. At the next one, Taschenlehen, be on the lookout for a path with a well-hidden sign marked for Hall. This is just before a short row of houses. It will lead you down under the Autobahn and onto a covered wooden pedestrian bridge (7) crossing the Inn River.
Emerging from the far end of this unusual span, you are now in Hall-in-Tirol, sometimes known as Solbad Hall, the final destination and one of the loveliest towns in Austria. Continue straight ahead on Münzergasse to BURG HASEGG (8), an old castle from the Middle Ages. (Touch for link to separate entry).
In former days Hall was a very wealthy place, its prosperity derived from the salt mines and river navigation. It was also a notorious pleasure center for those wishing to escape the rigid life of Innsbruck. A short stroll will take you to Unterer Stadtplatz. From here the Scheighofstiege steps lead to Eugenstrasse, at which you turn right to the Damenstift (9), a ladies' abbey founded in 1567. Walk through the Stiftsplatz and make a left onto Rodengasse.
Just a few steps farther and you are in the marvelously picturesque Oberer Stadtplatz (10), a scene right out of a child's fairytale. The 13th-century parish church of St. Nikolaus, dominating the square, is a visual fantasy. Opposite it is the 16th-century town hall (Rathaus), in front of which is a convenient outdoor café, the perfect spot at which to end your day's ramblings.
Head down Langer Graben at the rear of the church and return to Unterer Stadtplatz. From here you can take a bus for the short trip back to Innsbruck. If you'd rather take the none-too-frequent local train, the station (Bahnhof) (11) is just a few blocks away.
To see the rest of this and other trips download the entire Innsbruck Travel app onto your iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch at Apple's iTunes app store. Owners of Android devices can download it as Innsbruck & the Alps at Google's app store.
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