Innsbruck Surroundings
The capital Innsbruck, together with its surrounding area, is the most popular tourist region in Tirol. The town itself attracts visitors and tempts them to stay, with its backdrop of mountains, its charming old streets and the treasures of art and architecture to be found in its churches, museums and palaces. In addition there are many excursions to be made.
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Must-see attractions nearby:
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The rail trip from Mittenwald in Germany via Seefeld (one of the most important tourist attractions in Tirol) to Innsbruck opens up magnificent prospects of mountain scenery. In the Wipptal - busier than the other side valleys of the Inn with the heavy traffic to the Brenner and Italy - there are such popular summer resorts as Matrei, Steinach, St Jodok and Gries. Proximity to Innsbruck and good walking country are advantages offered by many resorts on the upland terraces - the popular health and winter sports resort of Igls taking pride of place, together with Natters, Mutters and Schönberg and, at the mouth of the Sellraintal, Axams, Grinzens and Oberperfuss.
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Hungerburg and Hafelekar
To the north of Innsbruck, on a terrace (900m/2,950ft; extensive views), is the site of the outlying villa suburb of Hungerburg, which can be reached either by the Hungerburgbahn, a funicular which runs up from the Mühlauer Brücke (at a circular building with the Bergisel Panorama, depicting the battle of 1809), or on the Höttinger Höhenstrasse. From Hungerburg the Nordkettenbahn, a cableway 3.5km/2mi long, ascends via the intermediate station of Seegrube (1,905m/6,250ft) to Hafelekar (2,334m/7,658ft), from which there are superb views.
Igls, Austria
(Near Innsbruck)
South of Innsbruck will be found the health and winter sports resort of Igls (870-900m/2,850-2,950ft). From here a cableway ascends the Patscherkofel (2,247m/7,372ft). From the upper station (1,951m/6,400ft) the summit can be reached in an hour's climb or by chairlift. There are splendid panoramic views of Innsbruck and the surrounding mountains. This is a good skiing area, with long downhill runs.
Lüsenstal (Alm Kühtai)
From Gries (1,238m/4,062ft) a road leads southwards into the Lüsenstal. The Sellraintal Road continues westwards from Gries via the Kühtaisattel (2,016m/6,641ft) to Alm Kühtai (1,967m/6,454ft), a health and winter sports resort with cableways and ski lifts. It is the starting point for good climbs and walks, and there are many small mountain lakes in the vicinity.
Sellrain Valley
To the west of Innsbruck, at Kematen, is the mouth of the beautiful Sellrain Valley, which attracts many visitors both in summer and for winter sports. From the chief place in the valley, Sellrain (909m/2,982ft), there are a number of attractive walks and climbs - for example, to the west by way of the little Late Gothic mountain church of St Quirin (1,243m/4,078ft) to the Rosskogel (2,649m/8,691ft; five hours, not difficult), or south to the Potsdamer Hütte (2,020m/6,628ft; good skiing), above which, to the west, towers the peak of Sömen (2,797m/9,177ft).
Zell-am-See - Rail Trip
This circular rail trip from Innsbruck features beautiful views of Austria's mountains, lakes and rivers.
