Exploring Mutteralm, Innsbruck — and the ultimate high-speed descent

On the final morning of our stay in Innsbruck, with only a few hours to spare before catching our afternoon train back to Munich, we set out to make every minute count. Our destination that morning was Mutteralm—a year-round mountain activity zone nestled high on the slopes directly above the village of Mutters, just southwest of the city.

Getting there couldn’t have been smoother. We boarded the Stubaitalbahn (STB tram) from central Innsbruck, using our Innsbruck Welcome Cards. The route climbs through lush suburban hills until we disembarked at the Mutteralm/Nockhofweg stop.

From the tram platform, we took a short, pleasant walk through the crisp morning air which took us to the base of the Muttereralmbahn.

Adjacent to the valley terminal lies a purpose-built rookie mountain bike park. Framed by a dramatic backdrop of jagged Alpine peaks, this practice ground was devoid of riders who were instead tackling the world-class flow trails of Bikepark Innsbruck higher up the mountain.

While energetic hikers can take the scenic winding trails to the top, our tight schedule meant speed was of the essence. We opted instead for the cable that took us from the valley floor to the mountain station at 1,600 metres in under ten minutes.

Stepping off the gondola at the top, you are immediately greeted by the sprawling terrace of the Mutteralm mountain restaurant -bathed in sunshine, and perfect for a morning coffee or a relaxing lunch whilst enjoying the wide-open alpine vistas.

The resort area surrounding the summit is simply perfect for families with everything from outdoor play areas and a wooden waterwheel, to friendly farm animals.

Continuing up to the highest point of the resort brought us to the alpine reservoir lake. It’s an artificial lake with a huge wooden Innsbruck installation on its shore, the timber lettering reflecting in the water.

The view down to Innsbruck from this lake is stunning.

It was a beautiful day, with dramatic blue skies reflected in the lake.

When it came time to our descent, we skipped the return gondola ride entirely, as our route down was far from ordinary. Instead, we rode down on mountain carts – low-slung, heavy-duty three-wheelers equipped with powerful dual disc brakes. The operation near the summit is substantial and highly organised. Every rider is fitted with a shelmet, and rucksacks must be worn on your chest so you can sit back and properly enjoy the ride. A brief briefing covers the braking technique, teaching us to feather both hand levers simultaneously to control our drift without losing speed entirely.

And with that, we are off….!! The track covers a total of five kilometres, weaving its way down through alpine meadows and dense pine forests while dropping roughly 680 vertical metres back to the valley floor.

Because you sit just inches off the gravel track, the sensation of speed is amplified tenfold. The ground blurs beneath you as you lean hard into wide banked turns, and gather speed on the longer, straight sections through the forest.

Photographs do not do the experience justice – they simply do not capture the rush. And even video footage struggles to convey the true speed, the feel of the wind, and the rattle of the gravel beneath the tyres.

Including a few brief stops to take photographs, the entire descent took around fifteen minutes of pure, unadulterated fun. Arriving back at the base station with wide grins and elevated heart rates, we took the short walk back to the tram stop, once again taking in the beautiful view.

Even with ongoing track maintenance at the tram stop, the service operated with characteristic Austrian precision, running seamlessly to schedule and meaning we were able to return to Innsbruck in ample time for our train back to Munich.

Disclosure: Our trip was sponsored by Innsbruck Tourism.