Hafelekarspitze — Attraction in Innsbruck

The views from this mountain area are pretty great. Very rocky and austere. For most, you can just walk around up top at Hafelekar Station, the cable car station, and get a good look. However, there are a few hikes that range from moderate to very technical from the station. The Goetheweg Trail is the most popular one that goes toward Pfeishütte.

You can take the cable car from the Innsbruck Altstadt station near the city center all the way up or catch the J bus to Hungerburg station to go to the top. Before 9:30a the gandola ride is around 40€ roundtrip. The gandolas are few and the wait can be a little long at times.

There's plenty of free trails that lead to the top if you wanna save some money or experience the forest part of the mountain. But it is some big elevation to the top. I also saw some take a one way up and hiked down. Guess it depends on your time, money, and hiking abilities how you tackle this mountain range.

At the top, it's a little tricky to follow the Goetheweg Trail at first. That's partly because there's a popular picturesque peak right next to the Hafelekar station. Worth walking up to get started for sure. But the trail actually cuts straight east and follows the south facing side of the mountain range for about an hour before crossing over to the Northside and interior of the range. Great views of the city valley and mountain range.

The hike is easy in some spots, moderate in others, and difficult in others. But no special gear is needed in the summer. Though I would advise not bringing a little dog. I saw a guy struggling to scramble up a steep, rocky part while trying to hold his little dog. Seemed pretty tough and a little sketchy! It's an out and back type trail. Probably takes about 2-3 hours to get to Pfeishütte. There's also a few side hikes up some peaks along the way if you have the time and energy.

Although this is a great hiking area, I'd perhaps recommend the Patscherkofelbahn hiking area instead for most, if you are limited on time or not a serious hiker. The views are still amazing and it's a little cheaper. Plus there are lots of lush-green mountainsides and meadows to see and explore. The hikes are a bit easier and there's more hiking options. Also they have a few restaurants at the top to grab a bite or drink if you want, though many just brought their own picnic which seemed like a good idea. Just take the J bus to the Patscherkofelbahn station. The cable car to the top is about 30€ round trip with a steady flow of cars and on Thursdays it is open until 11 pm, an epic place to catch the sunset!

There is another great hike I recommend in Wolfsklamm gorge. This is an incredible trail through a gorge cut out by a river with wooden walkways. The trail also goes up to a beautiful old monastery that has a cafe. The apple strudel with ice cream and fruit soda was a delightful treat with an amazing view. Just take the S4 train about 30 min to Stans b. Schwaz Bahnhst. It's about a 2 hour roundtrip hike. The gorge trail does have a fee of 6€ and only about half the hike is through the gorge. But the whole hike is scenic and I thought was...

Forget this place.. We had a nightmare of a day today because of the manager who works the tram!

We were at the top station in time to catch the tram down, but due to a helicopter working in the area, the tram was not running. The line for the tram was backed up for over an hour with no warning or explanation from the staff.

We decided to enjoy the views, wait for the tram to start running again and for the line to die down, but unfortunately because of this, we missed the last ride down. The Hafelekarspitze sation manager said there was nothing he could do to get us down. Claiming it was unsafe if he took us down after hours. Which makes zero sense. Instead this jerk said the only way down was to walk. The kicker is, he himself then took the tram down leaving us to walk all the way back to town in the dark and pouring rain. It was so unsafe. We fell multiple times and risked serious injury as we were not prepared with head lamps or rain gear. It was so infuriating to watch him take the tram over our heads while we started our long, trecherous decent and it honestly gave me such a poor taste for the hospitality of this company.

Of course you cant beat the views of the tram, but how do you all strand your fellow human beings who made a honest mistake and paid so much money to ride at the top because you needed to save your own skin. What if we had been seriously injured in the dark and rainy conditions?...

Recently visited Top of Innsbruck - Hafelekarspitze (Nordkette) in Aug 2024 and it was amazing. A one of a kind experience. To reach the summit requires you to take the funicular from the Congress station which is easily accessible just a short walk around the corner from the old town. After the funicular ride, there are two cable cars you have to take in order to reach the top. Both rides are quick and smooth and propel you to the top in a matter of mins.

I would recommend sturdy walking boots/trainers/shoes with grip as the top is not flat and gravelly in places, there are inclines as well so maybe take a walking pole for grip if you need to feel more steady. The views from the top are incredible, forward facing you are overlooking Innsbruck and mountains beyond. Then behind you have dramatic mountains/rock formations.

Little highlight - Brown woolly sheep on the mountain top - Very tame and friendly. They will let you say hello and stroke them.

How long you spend up top depends on how much you want to see and how much walking you would like to do.

The time we finished, we only had an hour for the zoo. We didn't get to see many animals as we found the bears and were in awe of them, they are absolutely beautiful.

Prices to the Top of Innsbruck - Nordkette vary according as to whether you just want to visit the summit or a combination ticket...