Hike Around Each Stop of the Nordkettenbahnen

The Nordkettenbahnen starts in the town center area of Innsbruck and takes you first to Alpenzoo and then to an end stop. These first two stops are on a funicular. Once you get to the end of the funicular, you will then transfer to the actual bahn (lift) which will take you up to the Seegrube stop and then to the Hafelekar stop (the top). The full ride costs 33 euro (that's what it was when we were there), which is pricey however the only other way to get up there is a 10,000 foot hike, and we felt like it was worth it. It's less if you only want to go up to Seegrube or if you only want to take the funicular.

You can get off at each stop and walk around. The bottom of the lift and the Seegrube stop have cafes and outdoor areas where you can eat. The Seegrube and Hafelekar stops have short trails you can hike on.

When you get off at the Hafelekar stop, you can hike to the summit of Hafelekar (marked by a big cross). This is a short 15 minute walk from the bahn station (uphill), but the views of Innsbruck and the surrounding Alps from up here are amazing. It is colder up here than on the ground, so you may want to wear pants and/or bring a sweatshirt.

We were there in mid-May and saw some skiiers and snowboarders on the lift, however it seemed to be the end of winter sports season. I imagine that earlier in the year, these mountains are full of people skiing and snowboarding (although they looked to be only for advanced skiers/snowboarders).