Patscherkofel

Patscherkofel from Innsbruck

Aerial view Patscherkofelbdep2

The Patscherkofel from the Höttinger Grabenbdep3

The Patscherkofel is a 2,246 m high summit of the Tux Alps. Its location a few kilometers south of the Tyrolean capital Innsbruck making it to the summit of the city.

Located at the northeast entrance of the Wipptal to the burner in the municipality of Patsch, represents the Patscherkofel with its round, treeless crest the most striking elevation in the south of Innsbruck dar. On the mountain the transmitter is located Patscherkofel.

Landscape

The protected landscape area Patscherkofel Zirmberg one of the Tux Alps and lies immediately south of Innsbruck. The Patscherkofel and the continuing eastward height chain offer good views both to the north of the Inn Valley and the northern chain and to the south in the central part of the Alps.

Neighboring summit of Patscherkofel are the Viggarspitze ( 2,306 m) and the top nine ( 2,285 m). The northern slope of the protected area descends rather gently to the Inn valley, while the south side slopes with steep wooded slopes to Viggartal. The summit massif of Patscherkofel is visible with its forest-free tip and demonstrates in an exemplary way the alpine timberline.

The " Zirmberg ", an old name for the whole lined by dense pine forests Patscherkofel Glungezer area was in 1942 as a nature reserve. In addition to the extensive Zirbenurwäldern, large Laces stocks and scree fields, this area has a very original high mountain landscape with rock towers and periglacial Talresten.

Ambras Castle, 19th century ( unbek, from a map )

Geology

The northern slope of the Patscherkofel is formed up to a height of about 1800 meters from the rocks of the Innsbruck quartz phyllite complex. These are low-grade metamorphic rocks of Paleozoic time, especially from the Silurian. Tectonically they are attributed to the Austroalpine. The summit and the southern part of the Patscherkofel other hand, are composed of rocks of the Patscherkofel Glungezerkristallins which is tectonically attributed to a higher unity, the Middle East Alpin. The area of the summit and just north of it is formed mainly of mica schists, while occurring on the steep slopes to the south and southeast mainly gneiss. In geologically recent times, the north and the west side of the Patscherkofel have been overprinted by a strong deportation and faulting. To the top of the green Bichls is north of the Patscherkofel " nothing more than a piece abgesackter Patscherkofel ".

Tourism and Sport

The Patscherkofel is connected since 1929 by the Patscherkofelbahn, an air cable car, with Igls. Furthermore, you can take the tram number 6 or the J bus from Innsbruck to the valley station of the cable car. From the mountain station of the Patscherkofelbahn towards the east of Zirbenweg performs one of the largest and oldest Zirbenbestände Europe.

The highest botanical garden in Austria - Innsbruck Alpine Garden - located five minutes from the mountain station. The two acre site is home to 400 different species of plants, many of which are under strict environmental protection.

During the Olympic Winter Games in 1964 and 1976, the alpine downhill runs on the Patscherkofel took place and the ice track in Igls ( at its foot located ) the bobsled and luge competitions.