Sunset over Innsbruck’s mountains

Feel the last rays of sunshine on your face, look up at the mountain peaks and enjoy the summer at over 2,246 meters - an experience not far from the alpine-urban city of Innsbruck. The classic sunset hike at Patscherkofel takes just under 60 minutes from the city to the summit. You can always return by gondola on Thursday evenings until 23:00. The Patscherkofelbahn is the perfect starting point for an exciting sunset hike.

The tour and its stops

The three of us decided to go on an extended sunset tour and set Viggarspitze as our destination. The individual destinations were: Patscherkofelbahn mountain station - Viggarspitze - Patscherkofel summit - Patscherkofelbahn valley station.

We started at around 15:00 at the Patscherkofelbahn valley station. From there, we first took the Patscherkofelbahn and then the footpath via the Zirbenweg to the summit cross.

From the afternoon sun to the sunset

The approach to the summit in the afternoon sun is varied. We set off between mountain pine fields, stony paths and trails. First, the view sweeps from Innsbruck through the Inntal valley to Jenbach in the Tyrolean lowlands. You can clearly see the peaks opposite, such as the Hafelekar, the Rumerspitze or even the Halltal further to the east. After a while, you pass the Boscheben hut and continue along a trail along the tree line to the junction of Viggarspitze. There we decided to take a short break to admire the view of the rugged hinterland as far as the mountains Habicht, the Zuckerhüttl and the striking Serles to marvel at the view.

It's not far to Viggarspitze and once we reach the top we write an entry in the summit book. We head back the same way towards Patscherkofel. The sun is already lower and the evening atmosphere makes us fall silent and reflect. We trudge along the clear path until we reach the transmission mast. At the top, the last paragliders are still preparing for take-off.

Before we look for a windless spot, we fortify ourselves in the summit restaurant. With a thick jacket and camera equipment in hand, we enjoy every minute until the sun says goodbye. A few moments of silence follow and the satisfaction is written all over our faces.

We then hike back along the gravel path to the Patscherkofelbahn mountain station to take the cable car back down. This hike is a tour that is definitely worthwhile and a sunset that is a thousand times more beautiful live than in the pictures.

All data and the GPX file for the tour can be found here.

Walking time: 2.5 hours

Difference in altitude: 620 meters

Distance: 6.7 km

Arrival and departure

If you would like to travel comfortably by public transport, you can easily do so by taking the J bus service from Innsbruck. The bus goes directly to the Patscherkofelbahn valley station and then takes you safely back to the city. You can find an overview of the bus route Jhere.

By car, you can drive directly to the Patscherkofelbahn parking lot via Patsch or Igls. Here you can find the directions by car and the parking prices.

Refreshment stops around the Patscherkofel

The Patscherkofel is a popular tour destination in Innsbruck. Not only because of the breathtaking views, but also because of the numerous refreshment stops and culinary options offered by the hiking and touring area. Some of the huts and mountain pastures that offer refreshments are

Boscheben Hütte open daily from 10:00 to 16:00

Schutzhaus Patscherkofel open daily from 08:30 to 16:45 (Thursdays until 23:00)

Das Kofel open daily from 09:00 to 17:00 (Thursdays until 22:45)

Meissner Haus open daily from 11:00 to 17:00

Gipfelstube open daily from 10:00 to 16:00 (Thursdays in good weather until 22:00)