The Nordkettenbahnen to the Top of Innsbruck

The weather felt ideal for this trip when I visited Innsbruck at the end of October 2024. It was sunny, the sight was great at a clear view. Time to get close to one of the highest hills around the Austrian city. The way up is done by the Nordkettenbahnen (sometimes also as a singular, Nordkettenbahn), which is in fact a series of three cable car rides. I take you on this iconic trip in my review. By the way, the name of the ride does not relate as it is a chain (“Kette”) of different kinds of transport, but as the Nordkette is the Southernmost mountain chain of the Karwendel mountains.

 

 

Nordkettenbahnen – Network & Tariff

As said, the Nordkettenbahnen is a series of three rides. The Hungerburgbahn takes you from Altstadt (Old Town) station to the Hungerburg at 860 meters height above sea level and thus climbs up 300 meters. The longest elevation is taken by the Seegrubenbahn to the Seegrube at 1,905 meters. The Hafelkarbahn to Hafelkar (2,256 meters) is thereafter taking you to what is branded as Top of Innsbruck. Fun fact: the highest elevation in the Nordkette is in fact the Kleine Solstein (2,637 meters), which cannot be reached by this ride, though. There is a parking lot at the Altstadt lower terminus, but I recommend going there by public transport.

I recommend to check out the website for exact riding times. Typically, the Hungerburgbahn has the longest operating times. At the time of writing, it runs from 7:15 to 19:15 on weekdays and from 8:00 on weekends. Typically, the other cable cars operate slightly later accordingly. The scheduled frequency is a trip any 15 minutes in each direction. However, it is increased on high demand. The nominal price for the entire trip for adults is 56 Euro. However, you can safe 10 per cent by booking online beforehand. The Innsbruck Card is  accepted and also includes the Alpenzoo (zoo), which is along the way. You can interrupt your trip at any station, including the ones alongside the Hungerburgbahn, but never ride the same section twice. There are of course also tickets for individual sections or traveling one-way if you want to hike uphill or downhill. You can take a bike with you on all rides apart from the Hafelkarbahn. Fees do apply.

 

Nordkettenbahnen – The Rides

Here are the three rides of the Nordkettenbahnen, handled separately.

 

Hungerburgbahn

The 1,800 meter long Hungerburgbahn is the most iconic ride on your Nordkettenbahnen trip. One reason for that is that it is the only funicular on your ride, coming with a very futuristic design by Zaha Hadid. There has been a 1906 version of this section beforehand. However, the Hungerburgbahn as you ride it now is dated as of 2007, with a different routing.

 

The Ride

There are two cars at the HungerburgbahnIn fact the cars have five sections connected by a “frame”. This allows the funicular to climb the different kinds of elevation easily. They have a total capacity of 130 persons each. Another special feature about this first stage of the trip is that there are two stops en route. The lower one is ORF Tirol (named after the TV and radio station), the second one is Alpenzoo. Your trip starts in the Rennwegtunnel (“Rennweg Tunnel”) underneath the Old Town ground, which also leads to a special atmosphere. The ride time is roughly six minutes. This means that up to 1,200 people per hour can travel into each direction. The stations all have a modern and iconic design. This section of the Nordkettenbahnen is also used as public transport by the locals, as the Hungerburg borough is a residential area as well.

 

Views & Services

Once you left the lower terminus, you cross the River Inn, which is one of the highlights of your journey. Apart from that, the modern stations are interesting views alongside your route. On the upper section of the Hungerburgbahn, you already have some really nice view over Innsbruck.

Hungerburg is a borough of Innsbruck. It is a residential area, but also features some cafes and hotels. There is also a parking lot close to the two train stations. The transfer between the stations of the Hungerburgbahn and Seegrubenbahn is just majorly covered, but overall just takes some two to three minutes. You can also use a bus (line J) to get there. the lower station of the Seegrubenbahn also offers a small museum, which I did not manage to visit.

 

Seegrubenbahn

With 2,885 meters length, the Seegrubenbahn is the longest trip on the Nordkettenbahnen. As mentioned, it also features

 

The Ride

The remaining rides on the Nordkettenbahnen are cable cars. It has a capacity of 800 riders per direction and hour. Per ride, there is just one cabin. In winter, there are also some cable car alternatives in the area, if you want to do winter sports. The routing of the cable car is in line with the historic one built in the late 1920’s. However, the cabins feel modern. The maximum speed is about 10 meters / second, so that this ride also just takes some six and a half minutes.

Views & Services

Also due to the steep elevation, the Seegrubenbahn offers the most beautiful in-cabin views of Innsbruck. Almost during the entire ride you can explore the city in the Inn valley and the surrounding mountains. On a clear day like the one I had during my visit, you can even explore the opposite mountain range with attractions like the Bergisel ski jumping hill. Furthermore, you can explore the traffic at the iconic Innsbruck Airport (INN).

The Seegrube features a wide range of services. They include stores, lockers, a restaurant, but also large benches which allow you to enjoy the magnificient views from there. It is also the starting point for paragliding and downhill mountain bike tours. I absolutely loved to hang ou tthere and enjoy the sun.

 

Hafelekarbahn

The Hafelekarbahn is a relatively short ride. The distance traveled is just 363 meters. A very special feature is that there is just one cabin, which prolongs waiting times. There is just a counter-weight on the rope of the cable car. The rides depart at the same house as the Seegrube.

 

The Ride

You already see the hill terminus of the Hafelekarbahn from the lower station. The ride is significantly slower, but still just take about four minutes. Nonetheless, the maximum capacity is just less than 500 riders per hour.

Views & Services

There are two key attractions close to the Hafelakar station. One is the Top of Innsbruck restaurant. The other one is the short very popular hike to Hafelekarspitze, which takes you to an elevation of 2,334 meters above sea level. The views are similar to the ones at the lower station. Some areas, e.g. the airport, are a bit easier to see from there. On this highest point of the trip, you do have toilets and necessary facilities as well. There are also several hikes from that point. A special view is looking over the Northern edge of the Nordkette, which I absolutely recommend doing. If you have physical limitations, you may feel the significant elevation, though.

 

Nordkettenbahnen – My View

On a sunny day, this is a must-do in Innsbruck. The experience is amazing, the views are great and there is a chance for great hikes around as well. Especially on weekends, you should kick off rather early – the trip is very popular, indeed. I can fully relate to that – I simply loved it. My favorite was – of course – the iconic Hungerburgbahn, while the views were obviously the best from the upper two stations.

 

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