Panorama of the Zirbenweg hike in Innsbruck, Austria
Panorama of the Zirbenweg hike in Innsbruck, Austria

Zirbenweg Hike

Innsbruck
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View from the trailhead on the Zirbenweg Hike in Innsbruck, AustriaWater on the Zirbenweg Hike in Innsbruck, AustriaOne of the many benches to rest and enjoy the view along the Zirbenweg Hike in Innsbruck, AustriaForest on the Zirbenweg Hike in Innsbruck, AustriaTrail of the Zirbenweg Hike in Innsbruck, AustriaOld arolla pine on the Zirbenweg Hike in Innsbruck, AustriaView of Inntal on the Zirbenweg Hike in Innsbruck, AustriaBeautiful views from the Zirbenweg Hike in Innsbruck, AustriaInntal views from the Zirbenweg Hike in Innsbruck, AustriaOptional peak Viggarspitze on the Zirbenweg Hike in Innsbruck, AustriaInteresting flora on the Zirbenweg Hike in Innsbruck, AustriaLooking through the forest on the Zirbenweg Hike in Innsbruck, AustriaTrail on the Zirbenweg Hike in Innsbruck, AustriaRain over Innsbruck on the Zirbenweg Hike in Innsbruck, AustriaViews from the Zirbenweg Hike in Innsbruck, Austria

Zirbenweg Hike

Distance: 5.2mi
Elevation: 279ft
Time: 1.5-2.5h

Difficulty Rating:

User Ratings:
9.7 Overall Rating
Technical Difficulty
Physical Difficulty

Zirbenweg is a great Austrian hike, famous for its forest of arolla pines. This short, family hike offers amazing panoramas of Innsbruck and the Inntal.

Zirbenweg Hike Map

Getting there

Drive to the chairlift station Talstation Glugenzerbahn in the village of Tulfes. There is a big parking lot that is free to use. There is a special ticket you can buy that includes chairlifts, gondolas and bus back to your car.

I’ve done this 43 people have done this
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About

When to do

June to October

Backcountry Campsites

No

Toilets

Yes, at trailhead

Family friendly

Yes

Route Signage

Average

Crowd Levels

High

Route Type

One Way


Zirbenweg Hike
Elevation Graph


Route Description for Zirbenweg Hike

From the Glugenzerbahn chairlift station, go up the mountain via two sets of chairlifts to Tulfeinalm. Make sure you go all the way up to Tulfeinalm. You have to switch to another chairlift halfway through!

From the chairlift station at the top, follow the broad forest road along the mountain. There is also a wooden sign, saying “Zirbenweg”. After five to ten minutes you will reach Tulfeinalm where you can buy some beverages and enjoy the panorama on some beach chairs.

The actual trail starts as you pass under a wooden arch. The trail will continue on the broad forest road. As you walk across the treeline, you’ll have an amazing panoramic view of the Inntal valley lying below and the Karwendel mountain range. There are some junctions that lead to nearby peaks, but you’ll always continue straight on the trail along the mountain crest. There is not much elevation gain. The trail is broad and easy at all times. It is a very popular family hike.

After approximately 1.5h you will arrive at a junction. You can decide if you want to summit Patscherkofel peak or continue on the Zirbenweg. To continue on the trail, take the path going right. There are multiple signposts that show the directions. Keep in mind that you want to get to the ‘Patscherkofelhaus’ not Patscherkofel.

30-45 minutes later you will finish the hike at the Patscherkofelhaus. Take the cable car down to the village of Igls and go back to your car by bus. Many people retrace their steps and go back the same way they came from.

Insider Hints

  • In the beginning of the trail there are a couple of streams where you can get water. The water is clear, but we still recommend treating any water you come across.

  • The chairlift station is closed for 30 minutes at lunchtime, around noon.

  • Instead of buying all the tickets for transportation separately, there is a special combination ticket for the cable car, chairlift and the bus (around 24€) that saves you some money.

Comments

TutiDulce 4 years ago

Super place with a great view of the valley to Innsbruck.

10.0 Overall Rating
Technical Difficulty
Physical Difficulty
Tom Zugberg 4 years ago

Fantastic view. Pretty popular place

10.0 Overall Rating
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Physical Difficulty
2h 30m Time Taken
Udo Huber 4 years ago

Enjoyable short and easy hike.

9.0 Overall Rating
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2h 00m Time Taken
Cloudhigh 4 years ago

Perfect hiking trail, great views

9.0 Overall Rating
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Physical Difficulty
Kamil Blajak 4 years ago

A wonderful and promising hike! It was a great day

10.0 Overall Rating
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2h 00m Time Taken
Gilberto Fattore 4 years ago

Always worth a visit! We enjoyed the hike

8.0 Overall Rating
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3h 00m Time Taken
Alexis Schweitzer 4 years ago

Beautiful hike with fantastic views of the Inntal valley

10.0 Overall Rating
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Physical Difficulty
2h 30m Time Taken
Francesco D. 4 years ago

This was an incredibly beautiful hike. the hills were covered in wildflowers

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Andrea R 4 years ago

Beautiful gardens well worth a visit

9.0 Overall Rating
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2h 00m Time Taken
Jamie Parker 5 years ago

It was a great place to visit. There are streams along the way where you can get fresh water.

10.0 Overall Rating
Technical Difficulty
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26 Comments Show all

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