Jewel of the Alps

Hello all!

Innsbruck was wonderful, as you can read in my previous posts (The Austrian big apple Innsbruck(1), (2)), but I firmly feel that I miss out something. I need to write a brand new post about it. Read it with love!

In Innsbruck there is an interesting elevator system which takes tourists from the city centre right to the top of Nordkette, which is part of a national park called Karwendel Natural Park. Hafelekar (2300 m) is the highest (s)top of this journey. The elevator system's name is Nordkettenbahn, Bahn meaning train. Nordkettenbahn is partly a train, but at a certain station you need to make a transfer and change the mean of transportation by getting on a teleferic. The little Bahn goes on rails, but the teleferic is literally a moving hanging unit. I don't recommend it for claustrophobic and those afraid of heights.

The route starts at Congress Hall city centre, where you might enter an underpass. In the subway there's opportunity for taking maps with you, go to the toilet and of course buy a ticket for your journey. Prices and more at their web page. You should keep your bill and ticket, because at certain transfer points they will be necessary. Once you get on the little train, you'll be frightened how steep does it go. The driver told us, it's a 65 degree ramp. I can't imagine how is travelling possible for a train on rails in such conditions, but modern technology seems to confer maximal safety in this case. The train goes in a tunnel for a while, but then stops at Alpenzoo, Europe's highest-lying zoological garden, where you can take a bypass if you're willing. And can anytime get back on the train and continue your way upwards.

The second stop is the transferpoint, where you might change to the teleferic. The station is called Seegrube. You can enjoy a walk, because there are many paths for tourists and Nordic walkers, furthermore, you can go for a ride with your mountain bike, there's plenty of bicycle routes for beginners and advanced as well. Or just simply drink a coffee and eat a pizza in the terrace restaurant. Bonus: there are free hammocks, so you can lie down and just enjoy sunbathing and viewing the panorama of the city, or sky's closeness.

By arriving at Hafelekar the last station (2300 m) you can choose between going hiking, sitting down and chilling in the café, listening to traditional Tirolean horns, visit the small cable railway museum, or challenge yourself by going for a walk on a fixed rope-climbing route. In winter the 70 grade precipitous slope is perfect for ski-lovers. You will definitely find the perfect route and activity for your ability and taste.

There are maps which show the direction of other peaks, and the distance to them, there are detailed descriptions about the history of the cable railways, and the formation of the Alps, so there's a lot to find out on the top. Still, I chose to just sit down and observe the city, the surrounding mountains, the clouds and the silence.

I recommend this place even for partying, because during the semesters every Friday it's given a party at Seegrube station on 2000 m altitude. It rocks!

P. s. : Sorry for the quality of the pictures, I'm not a professional photographer.

Thank you for reading, Bis später, Dóra

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