Innsbruck is nestled in the Austrian Alps in western Austria. Because of its location there are so many beautiful hikes nearby. The Natter See Hike leaves right from Innsbruck and isn’t too long so it’s easy for anyone to do in a day! Here is our complete guide to the Natter See Hike in Innsbruck, Austria including how to get there and what to expect!
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Where Does the Natter See Hike Start?
While researching hikes around Innsbruck the main problem we ran into was that most of them start in nearby towns that require getting to a different area. We were looking for a hike that started right in the city of Innsbruck but that still gave us nice views of the area. This hike definitely hit both of those!
We walked to the start of the hike but you can also take the bus to the Peterbrünnl bus stop. From the bus stop use Wallfahrtskirche Mentlberg as the starting point.
- It’s actually a really beautiful building. We walked down the driveway to get a closer look before walking back to the trail.
The Natter See Hike
From the Peterbrünnl bus stop walk up until you get to a fork in the road. Down to the right is the driveway to the Wallfahrtskirche Mentlberg and up to the left is the pathway that starts the trail. There are markers there with a big sign indicating the direction to Natter-See-Weg. When in doubt follow signs for trail 6/6A.
- Continue walking past some houses and through the red gate until you get to another fork in the trail. It’s only maybe five minutes down the road.
At this second fork follow the markers for trail 6A Or Natter See / Geroldschtuchtweg using the path on the right. The trail becomes a wide path through the trees. It’s beautiful and to the right you can see the buildings of Innsbruck in the distance.
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After walking for about 15 minutes the right hand side of the trail clears out so you get really pretty views with the mountains in the background.
- You should pass the Justizanstalt Innsbruck (Innsbruck Prison) at this point on your right.
The trail then changes to a thinner path as you start to go uphill. The path will stay like that for the next 15-20 minutes. Shortly after you will get to a bigger hill before it opens up to a large forest area. This forest honestly looks like it came out of a movie. The trees are tall, the ground is covered with greenery and rays of sun stream into the forest. We did not expect the hike to look like this but it was so cool!
- We stopped to take quite a few pictures here hence our slow pace. Make sure to give yourself plenty of time so you can stop as much as you want!
Then the trail becomes a wider path almost as wide as a road. You will hike uphill at this point away from the forest. We didn’t pass any markers at this point but just keep going up. About 15 minutes more of hiking uphill and you should get to the top. In front of you should be a huge green pasture with cows grazing.
To your right is Natter See Lake so follow the path to the right if you’re looking to go down to the lake. You will get to the end of the path and a parking lot. This is where the bus stops if you’re looking to take the bus back to Innsbruck. Follow the road down a sharp left (almost going back in the direction you came from) along the water.
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- You have to pay to enter the lake area.
- Honestly the lake was a little underwhelming compared to the views of the mountains. We turned to each other and said “do you think this is it?” and you know when you have to say ask that it’s not quite the wow you anticipated.
- Camping Innsbruck is near the lake which if you’re looking for a camp site would be a really beautiful spot!
Walk past the Seerestaurant along the road with the lake on your right. Continue walking and take the trail on the left after Edenhauserhof, the only white building that you should pass. There is a bench right at the beginning and a marker pointing to the trail.
It’s pretty uphill but only for a few minutes and it will reward you at the top! About 5 minutes later and you will be looking out over the green pasture you stood in front of a little while ago.
- You will basically just walk around the pasture (the lake is pretty much behind the pasture to the one side) and now you will be standing on the other side.
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The beginning of the hike made the entire hike already worth it because it was beautiful and quiet and so relaxing. But the view at the top of the pasture is unreal. All you hear are the cows grazing in the field and you have views of the Alps all around. This is an amazing photo spot so we made sure to bring our camera and tripod!
After walking away from the pasture the trail goes through a forest similar to the one on the way up. The trail is almost entirely flat at this point so you can slow down and enjoy the views! Continue going for about 20-30 minutes (depending on your pace) until you get to a clearing with a bench looking out to the mountains. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more scenic bench!
- If you brought a snack or even just want to sit down for a few minutes there isn’t a better place than this!
By now you think you’ve seen all that you could see and yet it continues to get better. After walking for another 15-20 minutes the trail will pass a restaurant called Gasthof Eichhof. The terrain changes from a forest to a completely clear pasture. Walk along the road through the pasture past the house on your left and the horses on your right. Don’t forget to take some pictures here!
- At the end of the road you will come to a fork. Follow the yellow marker to the trail on the left.
The next section is pretty steep as you start to hike down. We were glad during this part of the hike to be wearing our hiking shoes as it just made it a little easier. It flattens out again and looks similar to the path at the very beginning.
We hiked for about 30 minutes at which point you get to a big clearing with a really nice view looking over Innsbruck and the Inn River.
Continue hiking down along the path (when in doubt follow the yellow markers for trail 6/6A) until you get to the bottom. This is not where you started the hike so don’t be confused if it looks different. You will see a big map at the bottom so it’s easy to know you’re there.
- Follow the road to the left down the hill and through the underground tunnel. It will let you out near Innsbruck. From there you can walk to the center of Innsbruck or wherever you are staying.
From start to finish we spent 5 and a 1/2 hours completing the Natter See Hike. Now keep in mind we stopped to take a lot of pictures and generally we just weren’t in a rush. We loved how peaceful and uncrowded it was so we fully embraced being out in nature. We also stopped for a little while to eat our sandwiches at the top.
- I think you could easily do it in about 3 hours if you were stopping less. It all depends on your pace! It’s best to give yourself plenty of time though to really enjoy it!
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Is the Natter See Hike Worth Doing?
The Natter See Hike is absolutely worth it! Although the lake itself is nothing amazing (nothing compared to Lake Bled or other lakes we visited in Europe) the hike itself is through a very beautiful forest and the views around are incredible. It’s quiet and so peaceful!
There are not a lot of amenities on the hike so we packed a picnic lunch and made sure to bring plenty of water and snacks with us. There are toilets at the lake itself but other than that we didn’t see any other facilities along the way.
If you’re in Innsbruck on a nice day and are looking to get out in the mountains a little we couldn’t recommend the Natter See Hike enough! It was absolutely one of our favorite things we did while in Austria!
