Cable Cars, Snow-Dusted Ridges, and Panoramic Alpine Views in Innsbruck, Austria
After just one early morning class on Thursday, a friend of mine from school and I caught a bus to the Metz train station around 9:30 am to begin our weekend trip to Innsbruck, Austria. Unfortunately, when we arrived at the station, we were met with a major surprise that immediately made our journey more interesting: an SNCF national rail strike. The train we had planned to take, along with pretty much every other train out of Metz, were all canceled for the entire rest of the day.
Although the strikes weren’t something we were expecting to have to deal with, we were still determined to get over to Innsbruck that night. We sat down on a bench inside the train station and started brainstorming alternative ways to make it to Austria. After a few minutes of research, we discovered a potential backup plan. We decided to buy tickets on a FlixBus from Metz to Strasbourg, hoping that we could catch a train into Switzerland from there. The bus station was just a short walk away, so we bought our tickets, crossed our fingers, and boarded the bus, not entirely sure what our next move would be but hoping for the best.
FlixBus to the Rescue – At First
Once the bus pulled out of Metz and started making its way south toward Nancy, we began working through the next legs of our journey to Innsbruck. The bus ride to Strasbourg would take about three hours, and a train from Strasbourg to Basel was scheduled to leave roughly twenty minutes after we arrived – assuming it was still running despite the strikes. There was just one problem: the Strasbourg bus station is located on the opposite side of town from the train station. We found a tram that could take us from the bus station across the city, but it was scheduled to leave only two minutes after our bus arrived. The timing was tight, but without any viable backup plans, we agreed to go for it.
A Race Against Time in Strasbourg
A few hours later, after a quick stop in Nancy, the bus pulled into Strasbourg. Miraculously, we arrived five minutes ahead of schedule, which meant we had enough time to catch the tram. We laughed nervously as we rode through Strasbourg, as anticipation grew while we began the final phase of our unexpected French transportation puzzle: finding out whether the train we needed would even be running. As we took the escalator up from the tram platform toward the train tracks, our eyes immediately locked onto the departure board: Strasbourg to Basel, Track 6. It was running.
Strasbourg to Switzerland
Amazed and relieved at the same time, we walked to the platform, boarded the train, and officially set our sights on Switzerland. When we arrived in Basel, we made a quick stop at a Migros grocery store to pick up some Swiss chocolate (because no trip through Switzerland is complete without it) and then found our next train, a Swiss TGV bound for Zurich. However, on the way to Zurich, we ran into another unexpected challenge – our train got delayed due to a medical emergency. As a result, we missed our connection to Innsbruck, but luckily, there was one last train heading east that night. We grabbed some dinner at the station and waited for our last connection of the day to arrive.
Zurich to Innsbruck
Eventually, we boarded the final train of the day and pulled out of Zurich, following the western edge of Lake Zurich as the sun began to set. The lake shimmered in the evening light, and the mountains rising behind it created an absolutely breathtaking backdrop for the final leg of our long travel day. As night fell, we crossed into Austria and finally arrived in Innsbruck – much later than originally planned, but thankful we even made it. After connecting on a tram to our hostel we checked in and called it a night, eager to rest up before the rest of the weekend’s adventures.
Nordkette Incline Railway
After a good night’s rest, we caught a tram back across Innsbruck to Museumstraße, then walked down the street past the Hofkirche to the Altstadt station at the base of the Nordkette funicular. The ride along the inclined railway itself was worth the trip, and it climbed up steeply from the city center onto the mountainside. After we reached Hungerburg station we took in the view and transferred to a cable car to take us up further into the Alps.
Cable Car to Hafelekar Station
As we climbed higher, the landscape transformed dramatically. The city slowly disappeared beneath a sea of clouds blanketing the valley below, and the scenery kept getting better as we got closer to the summit. After exploring Seegrube station briefly, we transferred to one final cable car to climb up to Hafelekar Station – the Top of Innsbruck – gliding above pine forests and rocky slopes that gradually gave way to a winter wonderland.
Exploring the Top of Innsbruck
At the summit, everything was completely covered in snow, and the views of the surrounding peaks were incredible. We hiked a bit farther up along the ridge to Hafelekarspitze, carefully hiking through the snow as the crisp mountain air filled our lungs. From the top, Innsbruck lay far below, nestled in the valley, while the mountains stretched out endlessly into the distance.
Nordkette Perspectives Trail
After enjoying the snow for a while we caught a cable car back down to Seegrube and began hiking west along a trail that wove along the edge of the mountain. Leaving the station behind us, we passed a closed ski lift and began walking along the Perspektivenweg, or Nordkette Perspectives Trail, which included a stunning viewing platform that seemed to extend right out of the mountain itself.
Hiking High Above Innsbruck
We continued walking west along the mountainside and, at one point, we were even lucky enough to spot an ibex and a few chamois roaming the rocky slopes nearby. There was one very narrow section with a long drop below that felt a bit precarious, but we were able to successfully navigate past and continue down the trail. We felt like we had the entire mountain to ourselves, high above the clouds and in awe of the panoramic views surrounding us.
Mountainside Views in the Austrian Alps
Later, after passing a mountain hut and hiking through a peaceful forest for a while, we arrived at a small mountainside chapel at Alpengasthof Rauschbrunnenas. There, as the fog began to rise from the valley floor, it slowly revealed the full panorama of Innsbruck, including the airport almost directly beneath us, the Inn river cutting through the valley, and the mountains that surround it – easily one of the most breathtaking moments of the entire weekend. The only unexpected surprise was an electric fence along part of the trail, which I accidentally made contact with and it gave me quite the jolt.
Back in Innsbruck
Eventually, we made our way back down the ridge into Innsbruck, and walked along the Inn through the city center to return to the hostel, met up with another friend who had arrived from Metz, grabbed dinner, and turned in for the night. In total, we walked a little over 10 miles – check out the map below to see the route we took along the mountain back down to the city!
Nestled between dramatic alpine peaks and the winding Inn River, Innsbruck felt like a city made for adventurers. Back down at street level, we wandered through Innsbruck’s old town, feeling that post-hike satisfaction that only comes after a day spent above the clouds. It’s amazing how accessible the mountains are from the city, and it made me excited to go hiking again the next day.