Hike to the Summit of the Patschekofel in Innsbruck

Take the Patscherkofelbahn cable car up to the top station to start this hike.

From the top station of the lift you'll see a trail sign for the "Zirbenweg". For the first part of this hike you're going to follow this almost completely flat trail that hugs the side of the mountain. 

Stay on this trail until you come to a mountain hut called Boscheben, which is just 100m from the trail.

At this point you turn back away from the Zirbenweg trail and start following a narrower trail up towards the summit of the Patscherkofel.

When you get to the top there's a great little hut at the top for a cold beer and a piece of strudel.

To get back down to the cable car station from here simply follow the gravel road back down on the other side.

This hike is really easy to access, with buses running every 10 minutes to the lift station from Innsbruck city centre and because it's a really short and easy hike, meaning it's great for the whole family. A return lift ticket costs €22 for adults.

During the month of June it's particularly beautiful up on the Patscherkofel, as the hillside turn pink from the beautiful Alpenrose flowers (Rhododendron ferrugineum).

If you want to challenge yourself more, it is possible to disembark the cable car at the middle station and hike up to the summit via the track that leads you past the Patscheralm.