Cycling in Innsbruck – City between the mountains

After the 2018 cycling world championships, he stood Innsbruck Suddenly at the top of many lists for a cycling holiday. Who wouldn’t be excited about the beautiful surroundings? Highway to Höll suddenly appeared on the ‘bucketlists’ of amazing climbs you had to do. On Zwift, Innsbruck was also suddenly available, and that did something for the city and cycling. Yet you see that many people still leave Innsbruck and the surrounding area behind when choosing a cool cycling tour. And that’s very unjustifiably. Here are some reasons why you might want to cycle in Innsbruck.

1. Variation

You wouldn’t say it, but Innsbruck is, by its very location, an ideal location where you can find a lot of variety. Not only in the different cycling routes, but also in the type of bike you use. On the one hand, you can cycle along the river, on the other hand you can explore the mountains. For the cycling enthusiasts, you can choose between an MTB, gravel bike or race bike adventure. Enjoying two wheels in the Austrian mountains near Innsbruck.

The mountains in

Want to get out into the mountains? Fantastic. You can choose from beautiful cycling routes. For example, you can choose a leisurely climb towards Lüsens or Praxmar; you can go all the way if you take a tour around the famous Kühtai whether you choose a long runner towards the Brennerpass, You can also choose to take along a few side arms. The choice is plentiful. The Kühtai bike is a must-do, but be sure to bring the right climbing legs with you!

But variety also lies in the choice of bike. Are you going on the race bike? Or would you rather take the gravel bike and ride under the Europabrücke, for example? Tip: At Gravel Innsbruck That piece is automatically included! But don't forget the variation that you can find in the Bike park near Mutters, Just 10 minutes outside the city. Challenging trails, technical training courses, you name it, it’s all there.

Then there’s the route over the famous Nordkette, where you can both ride up and down. It’s advisable to use an MTB or Gravelbike here, otherwise you’ll end up going down really hard. But it’s a real treat! The singletrack downhill trails are definitely worth trying (if you like that, of course ;))

By the way, did we mention the Höttinger Höll? This final climb of the World Championships is absolutely a must if you’re in the area. You’ll be climbing up with a maximum of 28% people, so that really hurts your legs.

It doesn't have to go up

What we meant by variety is, indeed, variety. You can also just ride a nice flat route along the banks of the Inn. The famous Innradweg The cycling route goes all the way through to Kufstein and is actually as flat as the Dutch polder. Another cycling route is that to the Mieminger plateau. To the west of the station, you’ll find a cycling route that passes by all kinds of culinary stops. You can also take the aforementioned Brennerpass cycling route. It’s long, at 2% and not necessarily steep at any time. So it’s great, because you’ll get to measure altitude, but you won’t get lost.

2. The city itself

Innsbruck is a very young city. The University of Innsbruck attracts a large influx of young residents. Especially in the evenings and in the summer, it becomes clear that Innsbruck is more than just the Hofburg and the Golden Roof. It’s also nice, but just a little different. There are countless restaurants where you can eat for a good price in the evening. Or nice coffee shops and all-day breakfast bars like ’Breakfast Club’. That’s always nice after a nice bike ride, to have another breakfast.

One of the other tips: have a stylish cocktail in the evening at the 360-degree bar. It could really be less. And that’s an understatement.

In addition, the location next to the Nordkette (on the north side) and the Patscherkofl on the south side is quite unique. Take one of the cable cars up and you have a beautiful view of the city. In several places you can have a drink with a beautiful view.

3. Accessibility

If you weren’t already drawn to the location and the cycling opportunities, then the accessibility point is also something to take into account. Because you have several options.

• Plane: Innsbruck Airport is relatively small, but it does have a direct connection to the Netherlands. Especially at the fringes of the cycling season (when winter also arrives), there is a good connection.
• Train: the Nightjet It’s the new asset for this city. You can hop on the train in the Netherlands at 8 p.m. and smell the fresh alpine air in the morning at 9 a.m. Not bad, and the prices are more than reasonable too.
• By car: it’s about a 10-hour drive. That’s comparable to most popular destinations.

Routes

In our Komoot collection you’ll find a number of beautiful routes. We’ve also ridden a few ourselves and they’re definitely worth a try! The classic route to Kühtai is actually a must-do for everyone. The Brenner Pass with its five fingers is a great way to add variety to your ride.

When to go

Innsbruck is at its best as a cycling destination between May and October. In May you can still encounter some late winter snow, although the valley usually remains snow-free. In summer it is often wonderfully warm and you really need to apply plenty of sun protection.

There are several good hotels nearby, but if we have to recommend one, we would recommend Hotel Seppl A must-try in Mutters. The rooms are spacious and comfortable. The breakfast is more than extensive, and the natural swimming pool and the wellness area are of the highest standard. In addition, Bernhard is a true cycling enthusiast, which is a plus if you also want to find beautiful places to ride.

More information about the city and cycling? Check the site here. Here you will also find all the information about the cable cars, the Innsbruck Card and more.