Long-distance hike Eagle Walk Stage 13: Innsbruck - Zirbenweg Trail - Innsbruck

Real mountain lovers are drawn to the mountains again, but after the high life in the city, this easy stage is just right. You can give your legs a rest as you take the bus (IVB line J or VVT line 530) to Igls, from where you take the Patscherkofelbahn to the mountain station at 1,965 meters. The Zirbenweg is a wide path without steep passages that leads eastwards. It only climbs slightly to the Boschebenhütte. From there either into the Viggartal valley to the Meißnerhaus or to the Tulfeinalm/Glungezerbahn. Descent to Tulfes and back to Igls and Innsbruck. However, we also recommend paying a visit to the beautiful historic town of Hall in Tirol from Tulfes.

Description

Route description: From Innsbruck/main station, take the bus or streetcar to Igls/the Patscherkofelbahn valley station and take the cable car to the Patscherkofel mountain station. At the mountain station (1,964 meters), follow the signs for "Zirbenweg" (No. 350), which leads directly above the "Schutzhaus Patscherkofel" on a wide path to the east. The "Patscherkofel Nature Trail" of the Alpine Club also begins here. The wide path or climb leads just above the tree line in open, but not completely treeless terrain (Swiss stone pines) slightly uphill to the somewhat hidden Boscheben hut (2,035 meters, here you can branch off into the Viggartal valley to the Meißner Haus; the nature trail leads along the Zirbenweg up to here).

From Boscheben, continue in the same direction and stay north below the small peaks (do not descend into the valley anywhere). Follow the path over to the Tulfeinalm and from there a few meters up to the Halsmarter lift. After Boscheben, the Zirbenweg trail ascends and descends slightly but without any significant change in altitude along or just above the 2,000-meter mark - generally slightly above the tree line, but not in a treeless area (Swiss stone pines!).

Take the lift to Tulfes, from there take the bus to Igls and from Igls take the bus or (road) train back to Innsbruck. If you want to walk back to the Patscherkofelbahn valley station, walk from the Glungezerbahn valley station along the Speckbacherweg via Rinn and Sistrans to Igls (walking time approx. 3 hours). From the Patscherkofel/Igls valley station to the main train station, walk from Igls to Vill through the forest to Poltenhütt; Tantegert stop, turn off towards Bretterkeller, cross the freeway over the bridge, walk approx. 200 meters west to Gasthof Bierstindl - Wilten Abbey - Leopoldstraße - turn right to the pedestrian underpass Olympiabrücke - Südbahnstraße to the train station (walking time approx. 1 ½ hours).