SUMMER IN THE INNSBRUCK REGION: THIS IS HOW FREEDOM FEELS
What does your perfect summer's day look like? Some are drawn up into the mountains, others into the forest and some straight to the water. Thank goodness the Innsbruck region is a real "natural" when it comes to variety. From gentle activities to relaxing excursions, the selection is as colourful as the flowering alpine meadows encircling the many rustic alpine farms and mountain huts. While enjoying a refreshing sip of crystal clear Tyrolean drinking water, you can check out the wide variety of plants and herbs in the area or observe animals in their natural habitat. Enjoy a wonderful summer holiday in the flowering garden of the Innsbruck region.
UP THE MOUNTAIN BY LIFT
Full of energy, climb onto the funicular in the centre of the city and leave the valley floor behind. The lifts whisk you up to over 2,000 metres above sea level, effortlessly and without any sporting requirement, so you can enjoy the endless views and breathtaking mountain backdrops from up on the Nordkette mountain range. Just a few minutes after being down in the city, you can lie back on a sun lounger high up in the mountains and let your gaze wander down over the rooftops below. If you are wearing sturdy footwear, you can enjoy a short hike to get even closer to nature and then treat yourself to a traditional snack platter or enticing coffee and cake as a reward for your efforts. The Nordkette mountain range is also home to one of the highest zoos in Europe, Innsbruck's Alpine Zoo. This is the perfect opportunity to swing by and wonder at the many wild animals and diverse plant life on display.
TWO SUGGESTIONS FOR ANIMAL LOVERS
After another panoramic ride, you can get off the funicular at the stop for the Alpine Zoo and rub shoulders with ibex, lynx and wood grouse. A trip to Innsbruck's Alpine Zoo doesn't just wow children, it is well worth a visit for people of all ages. And by the way, there are also plenty of stunning views to admire while strolling around this high altitude animal kingdom.
If you share our weakness for shaggy llamas, you can take part in a llama hike – surrounded by unique panoramic views and adorable llama sounds.
FOR HERBALISTS
... AND ANYONE WHO ASPIRES TO BECOME ONE.
Next, you set out on a path to healing and flavourful meadow herbs: many plants ranging from stinging nettles to mountain violets often grow unnoticed in this alpine environment. Take part in the Alpine Herb Days on the Mieming Plateau and get to know nature better with a herbalist before transforming the treasures you find into delicious herbal dishes.
Or discover the unique flora and fauna in Axamer Lizum by joining an exciting nature tour. Accompanied by experts, you learn about the flowers growing in alpine meadows – from medicinal to poisonous or simply just beautiful – and discover interesting facts about butterflies, grasshoppers and co. And the best part: the nature tours are free of charge for guests with a free Welcome Card.
HIKING MADE EASY
Discover a whole new side to hiking holidays in the Innsbruck region: follow one of the many easy, well-marked routes through forests and meadows – either alone or with a guide. Exhausting tours are a thing of the past, because after all, it's all about enjoyment really. True to the motto "The journey is the goal", you will pass many idyllic benches where you can sit back and relax. If you want to really take in the fragrant mountain air, you should be sure to make a few stops along the way to give you the chance to enjoy nature to the full.
Have you ever experienced how fascinating a glacier is up close? If not, this is the perfect opportunity: in the pristine Lüsens Valley – a small tributary valley leading off the Sellrain Valley – you can hike along a 2.2-kilometre-long educational glacier trail and learn interesting facts about the glacier from the 19 display boards located along the way. The route runs along a wide forest road and is mostly flat with a very slight uphill trend. The Lüsens Valley is characterised by its glacial landscape but is also known for its gentle alpine meadows, fragrant mountain forests and high peaks.
WATER, THE SOURCE OF LIFE
To ensure you greet the new day with plenty of energy, why not start your excursion from one of the many energising water sources in the area? After all, water is both calming and invigorating at the same time. Meditation on a river bank, rejuvenation by a natural lake, a Kneipp session in a mountain stream or quenching your thirst at a drinking water fountain can benefit your body both inside and out.
A TRAM RIDE THROUGH THE FOREST
From the city to green alpine nature in just a few minutes – one great way to experience this is by taking a romantic ride on the historic "forest tram": Simply sit back and enjoy the ride on the 120-year-old tram line, passing wonderful views and enchanting stops that resemble a treasure map along the way. During the trip, you can hop off in the places that most take your fancy. The route leads from the tram stop for the famous Bergisel Ski Jump, past the Bretterkeller restaurant, the Tummelplatz and Schönruh. How about stopping off at the Tantegert forest moorlands along the way? There you can enjoy a circular hike through diverse flora and fauna and there is a wooden walkway with a small lookout point where you can get wonderful views of the area. There are also various playgrounds along the way and the nature trail is wheelchair accessible, making this an ideal excursion. Afterwards, you can continue on the tram to Aldrans and the Mühlsee lake and then onwards past the stop "Lans-Sistrans" and via Lanser See lake to the tram stop in Igls.
ABOVE THE CLOUDS
… summer must be limitless! Does your perfect summer day include doing something a little crazy? Nothing could be easier! Tandem flights, paragliding, gliders and helicopter flights are ideal for daredevils. These high altitude experiences will stay with you long after your holiday is over.
