Take a walk on the Nordkette, Innsbruck's mountain range

There are few cities where you can be in the heart of the mountains in just a few minutes. This is certainly the case in Innsbruck. In the city centre, close to the Congress Centre, you'll find the Hungerburgbahn cable car. In less than 20 minutes, it will take you to the summit of the southern flank of the Karwendel massif.

The cable car will first take you to Hungerburg station, designed by the famous architect Zaha Hadid.

You'll have to cross the square to board one of the panoramic Nordkettenbahn gondolas. This will take you even higher up, to the Seegrube station.

From here, the view becomes increasingly breathtaking: the roofs of Innsbruck disappear into the mountain scenery. Finally, if you're not afraid of heights, you can take the second cable car to Hafelekar station. Once you've reached the station, you'll enjoy superb views over the Inntal valley, the Wipptal valley and the Stubai and Zillertal Alps.

Once you've reached the last station, there's a wide range of walks to choose from. We recommend that you opt for the relatively accessible route along Goetheweg, which is rated one of the most beautiful walks around Innsbruck.

You'll be surrounded on one side by mountains, and on the other by large meadows and mountain pines. The path runs along the back of the Nordkette below the Mandlspitze (2,366 metres) and winds its way up to the highest point on the route, the Mannlscharte.

After passing this point, the path descends into the "Pfeis" and continues gently through fields of mountain pines to the Pfeishütte. On your return, simply retrace your steps to the Hafelekar station.

It would be a shame to miss out on a restaurant in the incredible Nordkette landscape. After your day's walking, why not stop off at the Rosshütte Panorama Restaurant, just a few minutes from the Seegrube station. It boasts superb views over the Inn valley and the surrounding Alps.

On top of that, the restaurant has everything to keep you entertained, with an Olympic Games exhibition called "Olympic & Nostalgia", a mine-themedadventure playground for children, and even a trampoline for freestyle tricks! The dishes served, based on Tyrolean cuisine, have a reputation for being extremely hearty. You'll find particularly good schnitzel (the famous Austrian breaded schnitzel).