Patscherkofelbahn Innsbruck
The Patscherkofelbahn in Igls near Innsbruck is a cable car with a rich history. The construction of the cable car caused a lot of controversy, especially among Innsbruck residents. Why is this cable car so important?
The current cable car, a circulation cable car, was festively opened on 22 December 2017. From the valley station at 1,009 metres just outside the village of Igls, you can reach the mountain station at 1,965 metres on the Patscherkofel in just 6 minutes. If you want to get to the top of the Patscherkofel, you'll have to walk a bit more. The summit is at 2,246 metres, but an excellent hiking trail makes it easy to reach.
History of the Patscherkofelbahn
The first version of the Patscherkofelbahn, a commuter cable car, was built in 1928. This is more than 20 years later than originally planned. Initially, they wanted to build a funicular railway, just like the Hungerburgbahn on the other side of Innsbruck. In 1912, they came up with the idea of building a cable car to the top of the Patscherkofel, but that plan failed, despite the fact that they already had the funding in place. So in the end, it was only 1928 when the cable car was built and opened. This was a commuter cable car where passengers had to change trains at the middle station Heiligwasser. The total ride up took 25 minutes back then, quite a difference from today's 6 minutes. The original cabins were made of wood and had a capacity of 24 people.
Once you reached the top, you found the Patscherkofel hotel there. This hotel, which was known for its Tyrolean cable car architecture, was listed as a monument. Unfortunately, the hotel was taken off this list at some point and in 2007 the hotel, with historical value, was even demolished. In 1946, the wooden cabins were replaced by cabins made of metal, and in 1962 capacity was increased, allowing up to 450 people per hour to be transported to the mountain station. This, of course, had everything to do with the 1964 Winter Olympics held in Innsbruck.
Patscherkofelbahn from 2017
The new construction of the Patscherkofelbahn required building on the summit, right next to the Schutzhaus Patscherkofel. There were many protests against this decision. The Austrian Alpine Association demanded that the Patscherkofelhaus would not disappear from the view. Large groups of Innsbrucker signed a petition to move the mountain station even 70 metres. In the end this did not happen, but in compensation the Schutzhaus did get a new terrace and the Alpine Association got the exclusive right to gastronomy for the Patscherkofelhaus. It is a nice place to have a cosy meal and a drink. The mountain restaurant is very clean and gemutlich. The food there is good and the view over the city of Innsbruck is very nice. The end result of the mountain station built is quite something, by the way. A modern building with lots of Tyrolean influences in it.
Patscherkofel
The 2,246-metre-high Patscherkofel is also known as Innsbruck's home mountain. Despite its low height, the mountain is a striking point in the area. The round, bare summit can be seen from far away, not least because of the transmitter masts on top. There are transmitter masts from ORF, Feratel and Innsbruck airport, among others. Various channels are broadcast from the Patscherkofel, as this allows programmes to be heard as far away as Italy and Bayern.
Hiking tips
Of course, from the mountain station you should really walk to the top of the Patscherkofel. Once you reach the top, you'll have a great view of Innsbruck and the impressive Nordkette on the north side of the city. Besides the walk to the summit, the walk from the old valley station to the new valley station is also highly recommended. You start in the village of Igls and then follow the path from the old valley station through green meadows and fragrant forests to the new valley station. The old pylons of the commuter cable car are all still there. Along the way in the forests, you can enjoy the birds chattering merrily here. The route is easy to walk, even for those who are less agile.
Public transport
The Patscherkofelbahn is incredibly easy to reach by public transport. Bus line J runs from the Nordkettebahn via the centre of Innsbruck to the Patscherschofelbahn. So you can choose which cable car you want to go on.
