Nordkette, Jewel of the Alps

I am super excited to meet Jennifer in Innsbruck, Austria. What a wonderful feeling to have a chance to visit her again but this time was extra special. A complete stranger to a friendship. I met her for the first time in Prague last year 2016. She is very nice to let me stay in her house when I was in Innsbruck. As a token of appreciation, I gave her 5 stars for a lovely and comfortable hospitality that she provided to me.

September in Innsbruck is the right time when the fall foliages started to bloom its beautiful colors. I love fall season very much. Fall is absolutely a huge intersection climate for me because I just traveled from the hot Sub-Saharan climate in Morocco. Thank God I adapted the weather change very well. The amazing things about Jennifer's house have a panoramic mountain at the back her house. As just as I woke up from the sleep, through the window of her house I am fascinated by the range of Austrian Alps. I and Jennifer always had a German breakfast every day near the windows faced the panoramic mountain. Unforgettable moment!

My first plan was not visiting Austria but French Alps in Chamonix. But I took the detour because of many reasons. Obviously, this is an opportunity to meet my lovely friends Jennifer. I swear that I did not regrate this detour. Since the bud of the fall has just started in Inssbruck, from the city, I can see some snow-capped mountains with very little snow on top of it. The trees on the hill transformed its colorful appearance into the kaleidoscope of autumn.

We were planning to hike Nordkette summit. Yay! It would be my first experience to hike in Europe. Nordkette is only 20 minutes away from the alpine wilderness by cable car. Congress - is the first cable car station begins from Innsbruck's old town. Since it will be a little bit costly if we took the cable car from Congress then we made leisure hike up to Alpenzoo cable car station from Jennifer's house. I enjoyed a hike with Jennifer. I also enjoyed the natural alpine forest. There was a time we passed few hikers I heard they will wish you gruß Gott "good God" to each other. According to Jennifer, it is a polite way to approach between hikers in the forest according to Germans/Austrians culture. People of Innsbruck and mountains are really having a special connection. People of Innsbruck appeared very sporty everywhere and very much into outdoor activities.

After hiked up to 750m, I already started to see a glance of city view. Cannot wait to see more, then we took the cable car from Alpenzoo. Next stop is Hungerburg station or Hungerbergbahn. The modern style of architecture inspired by the ice sculpture designed by the late Zaha Hadi one of the winning-awards architects. The Cable Railway Museum and the Theresien Church, both located at the Hungerburg. As I can spot a nice cafe as well.

We went up to 1905m in Seegrubenbahn or Seegrube station. We made a quick stop before we changed the cable car straight up to 2256m in Hafelekarbahn. Bahn gives meaning 'station". We were at the top. From the Hafelekarbahn we walk out to the panoramic mountains. We had an easy trail hike, Hafelekarspitzweg to the Hafelekarspitz (Hafelekar summit). Many attraction spots like Karwendelblick (Karwendel Viewing Point) as I can see the alpine forest the biggest nature park in Austria straight up from Nordkette and  Innsbruckblick (Innsbruck Viewing Point) towards viewing the magnificent city of Innsbruck. Not forget there was a Geo Trail or Geology Learning Train. I can smell snow on top of Nordkette. That was not that many snows on top as it was autumn but I enjoyed the weather. As much as for me it is not that extreme weather with cool breeze air. I captured photos so that I can keep it in my memory I was in Nordkette, Jewel of The Alps.