Innsbruck: summer activities around the Austrian Tyrolean capital

With easy access and a wide range of facilities, stunning alpine scenery and a wonderful range of activities on offer, InnsbruckThe capital of the Austrian region of Tyrol is an ideal base for a holiday in the great outdoors.

Very popular as a winter sports destination, Innsbruck also has a lot to offer the summer visitor, with many kilometres of trails and paths, sport climbing walls, via ferrata routes and attractive activity trails for children. Add to this the cosy huts serving refreshing drinks and succulent meals, plus the breathtaking views of the Karwendel and Stubai Alps, Patscherkofel and Serles, and you have all the ingredients for a fantastic outdoor adventure!

This guide presents 60 routes covering some of the best day hikes, scrambles, hut-to-hut walks, alpine mountaineering, sport climbing, via ferratas, mountain biking routes, road walks, city and trail tours and family activities that the Innsbruck area has to offer. Ideal for a multi-activity holiday or for the enthusiast looking for an overview of local attractions, it includes suggestions to suit most abilities and ambitions, from gentle strolls to adrenaline-filled mountain adventures, suitable only for those with the right equipment and experience. Almost all activities are accessible by public transport from Innsbruck and many take advantage of the region's fantastic network of alpine huts.

Practical guide

When to go?

July and August can be very hot and some routes can be snow-covered in early spring. Autumn is a wonderful time of year in the Alps, with September and October being the best months. Please note, however, that routes requiring access to the cable cars will depend on their operating dates.

Cities & Services

All activities take place around the city of Innsbruck, with numerous routes starting from the city itself. Other valleys and towns covered include the Stubaital, the Öztal, Kühtai, Seefeld and Achensee.

Not to be missed

• The Zirbenweg and Wilderwasserweg hiking trails.
• The Nordkette downhill mountain bike trail.
• Innsbrucker klettersteig via ferrata.
• Sections Adlerweg (Eagle Trail) and the Tirol cycle path.
• Ascents of Wildspitze (the highest peak in Tyrol) and Wilder Freiger.
• The rugged and wild wilderness of the Kar Mountain Wilderness Area
• Climbing the Brandjochspitze ridge.
• Numerous magnificent mountain huts with unbeatable views.

Hiking

• Excursions // Innsbrucker Almenweg / Zirbenweg / Grawa waterfall / Dreiseen hiking trail / Elferhütte / Three lakes, Seefeld Plateau / Arzler Alm / Aldranser Alm / Bodenstein Alm / Kreither Alm /

• Trekking and climbing // Wildewasserweg / Südlicher and Nordlicher Polleskogel / Glungezer klettersteig / Brandjochspitze / Nordgrat-Vordere Sommerwand / Nordgrat Zwölferkogel /

• Hut-to-hut hikes // Halltal Hike / Nordkette Hike / Karwendel Hike / Rofan Range Hike /

Mountaineering

• Habicht
• Wilder Freiger
• Zuckerhütl
• Wildspitze

Sport climbing

• Arzbergklamm
• OeAV klettergarten
• Engelswand
• Rofan cragging, Achensee
• Klettergarten Oetz
• Emmentaler multi-pitch

Via ferratas

• Innsbrucker klettersteig
• Achensee 5 Gipfel
• Crazy Eddy klettersteig
• Peter Kofler klettersteig
• Ochsenwand/Schlicker klettersteig
• Geierwand klettersteig
• Kühtai Panorama klettersteig
• Absamer klettersteig (plus Westgrat and Eisengattergrat klettersteig)

Mountain bike

• Nordkette singletrail
• Karwendel Tour
• Rinn to Rinner Alm
• Aldrans to Aldranser Alm
• Maria Waldrast tour
• Return Mutters

Cycle touring

• Gnadenwald Plateau
• Return to Innsbruck
• Turn Igls
• Innsbruck to the Mieminger Plateau
• Innsbruck - Telfs - Innsbruck

Trail running and city

• 5 Brücken Runde
• Bergisel-Lauf, racing through the city
• Sill-Inn-Schleife
• Wolfele-Wilde-weg
• Mühlau Runde

Family activities

• Wusel lake trail, Achensee
• Ghost trail, Oberperfuss
• Scheibenweg trail
• Kugelwald Adventure World, Glungezer
• Patscherkofel summit trail
• Piburgersee