Umbrüggler Alm - Tyrol
Mid-November, I went hiking with my sister near the Nordkette. As the cable car is not operating during November to prepare for the winter season, we decided to hike to one of the lodges that are not too far up the mountain and easily reachable from the valley station. There are numerous ones, but we opted for the Umbrüggler Alm, as we've never been there before.
Our starting point was the parking area of the Nordketten cable car, which is reached by car in about 5-10 minutes from the city centre, but there are also busses going there or even the Hungerburgbahn, which you definitely should take once if you are in Innsbruck. The hike to the lodge is more a walk than a hike and lasts about 1 hour, depending on the conditions of the trail and the temperature. As the sun was quite hot, we were dressed way to warm and it was an exhausting way up. At quite a few spots you have a great view over the valley and the city of Innsbruck. The lodge and the trail are open throughout the year (even during the skiing season) and on some point it splits in half and signs tell you to choose the left way if the slopes are open, so you don't cross path with skiers, which can be dangerous. During the winter the lodge is open from Wednesdays to Sundays and if the weather is nice, be prepared to meet many people, since tourists, as well as locals, love exploring the mountains and going on hikes.
The lodge itself is a very modern one, which is not everyone’s cup of tea. One thing, however, that everyone loves about it is the food there. They only have a small menu, but the food is delicious. We opted for typical Tyrolean dumplings with bacon on salad (Speckknödel mit Salat) and fried chicken in breadcrumbs with potato salad. But the absolute highlight for us, and something not to miss out on, is the "Scheiterhaufen", or also the most instagrammable dessert I've ever seen at a lodge. A Scheiterhaufen is a dessert made out of bread, apples, raisins and cinnamon. In one word: delicious.
The hike to the Umbrüggler Alm may not be an extremely exhausting one (if you dress right) but it is definitely a good start for people who do not hike a lot, are new to Innsbruck and want to enjoy their view along the way. Also, it is perfect for families with kids. It will not be the last time that I went there, for sure.
- Natascha