There’s no city quite like Innsbruck in Austria with its mountainous walls, and this is the very first thing you will notice upon arrival. The proclaimed ‘Capital of the Alps’ is an urban basin filled with 800 years of history, defined by the peaks and alpine forest slopes that hug it.
Its dual city and mountain offering make it a unique city for visiting. From the altitude heights to the riverside landscapes and attractions below, here are the things to do in Innsbruck in and outside of its famed Old Town.
From Mountains to Modernity – Things to Do in Innsbruck, Austria
What to Do in Innsbruck First – Visit the Historical Old Town
Quite literally picture perfect, you can’t go wrong with any angle of the city and all the things to do in Innsbruck. I first explored the history laced in the urban grounds below before heading up to various elevated viewpoints for an alternative angle on the city layout.
It’s quite the entrance into Innsbruck’s Historical Old Town. I started at the Triumphal Arch that faces the mountainous backdrop of the city. It was built in 1765, commissioned by Empress Maria Theresa to commemorate the marriage of her son and now stands proudly on Maria-Theresien-Straße – the most navigable thoroughfare from which to enter the cobbled stoned streets and alleyways of late-Gothic architecture.
The Triumphal Arch in one of the historical markers and things to see in Innsbruck
View to the Triumphal Arch in Innsbruck Old Town
The Historical Old Town is tiny but packed full of sights and traditional eateries (once you weave past all the souvenir stores). Here you can wander into the past by visiting the Hofburg Imperial Palace, Hofkirche Court Church, City Tower and the glimmering Golden Roof with 2,657 fire-gilded copper tiles (which makes it quite the star attraction).
Square of the Golden Roof with 2,657 fire-gilded copper tiles in Innsbruck in Austria
Old Town streets looking towards the Hofburg Imperial Palace Innsbruck
Innsbruck’s old streets are a conveyor belt of gothic and baroque architecture styles and facades – Helbling Haus (Casa Helbling) being one of the most exquisitely detailed and stand-out examples. You’ll find it on Herzog Friedrich Straße, next to the Golden Roof.
The baroque design details on Helbling Haus, Innsbruck
What to Eat in Innsbruck – Traditional Tirol Eats
No trip to Tirol is complete without re-fueling with a local dish such as the Tiroler Gröstl (potato and meat fry up, topped with an egg). What to eat in Innsbruck is easy, but choosing where to go from the vast choice available can be hard.
The two best traditional establishments include Weisses Rössl, the oldest restaurant in the city that dates back to 1509 or Stiftskeller, which is set within an old monastery.
The distinctive castle-like building, with Austrian flag coloured window shutters in the Ottoberg, one of Innsbruck’s revered long0standing restaurants serving traditional Austrian cuisine.
The Ottoburg in Innsbruck is one place to try traditional Austrian Cuisine
For those craving a strudel, see how long it takes you to choose one of the many sweet or savoury options at the Strudel Café Kröll in the Old Town. It’s a rite of passage after all the historical wandering. I decided on chocolate and raspberry in a move away from my traditional apple choice.
Sample the best Strudle in Innsbruck at Kröll Strudle cafe
More than just apple strudel
Places to go in Innsbruck – The Nature Haven and Cityscape in One
What’s unique when you visit Innsbruck is that it is an accessible nature haven and cityscape all rolled into one, where cable cars to the city’s darling 2000m high Nordkette Mountain leave from the very heart of the city. In less than 20 minutes you can reach Austria’s biggest nature park, Karwendel and Europe’s highest (Alpine) Zoo alongside various viewing platforms.
View of Innsbruck from the Nordkette Mountain heights
View of the Inn River that cuts through the city of Innsbruck
The avant-garde design of the three main Nordkettenbahnen cable car stations combines Innsbruck nature trails with modern design without impacting on the visual elements of the landscape.
During both my visits to Innsbruck, I was always curiously drawn to the Inn River for a stroll, with its famous multi-coloured townhouse views and green spaces as a backdrop.
Innsbruck Today – Modernity in Downtown
Modern trends intertwined with the preserved old is one of the exciting things to see in Innsbruck. The Downtown area adjacent to the Historical City Centre is where you’ll find everything from the 360° (panoramic) bar or Trobaun for its huge selection of world craft beers on tap and the more swanky hangouts like Erlkönig. Swap old cafes for hipster coffee shops like Max Standard and Crema and try to score a table in the busy burrito joint, Machete, which is a local favourite. A city that’s home to 30,000 students and a lot of young professionals, it has a vibrancy that compliments that within its centuries-old offerings.
360° (panoramic) bar in Innsbruck is a must-see hangout
A short distance in the opposite direction of the Old Town and the Nordkette range is the 50m high Bergisel Olympic Ski Jump Tower. It’s one of my favourite places to visit, both in keeping with the winter sport pastime Austria is known for and watching the ski jumpers, but also as a platform for one of the best views of Innsbruck.
Bergisel Olympic Ski Jump Tower views
On the short trek up to the entrance, I stopped at the Tirol Panorama Museum, where history is depicted with a modern approach via a giant 1,000 metre-squared panoramic painting.
And with a state theatre and an opera, 30 museums and art galleries, as well as a year-round timetable of festivals that take place in the old palace Historical Old Town grounds, Innsbruck is quite the pulsating modern town, considering its small size.
Things to Do in Innsbruck Outside of the City Centre
Outside of the centre of the city you have further options for a historical or modern fix. I’m not one for tourist buses but the ‘Sightseer’ bus was surprisingly interesting, passing through Innsbruck’s outer neighbourhoods and got me out to areas including to the hillside where you will find Ambras Castle. This Renaissance castle built by Archduke Ferdinand during the 16th century and home to the Chambers of Art and Curiosities and all manner of weird and wonderful collections he built up.
Visit the Ambras Castle in Innsbruck
Many flock to the famed Swarovski Crystal Worlds, which ranks as one of Austria’s most visited attractions. Bling and excessive in parts, the brand shows off its sparkling craftsmanship via exhibitions, art installations and a crystal tree garden, upping the ante on the usual showroom model.
The famous face of Swarovski Crystal Worlds
Innsbruck urban landscape was craved out right in front of a dominating mountain range, giving it a unique makeup that cannot be found or replicated anywhere else in Austria.
Providing the best of the country’s great outdoors with a long history and trendy modernisation, you have it all in one place, without having to travel very far at all.
Things to Know about Visiting Innsbruck:
- Innsbruck is well-connected by the ÖBB rail network. I travelled from Vienna to Innsbruck in 4-5 hours and then onto Salzburg – a journey that takes approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes.
- This travel guide to Innsbruck Austria is part of my #YearInAustria project, where I set out on a city-hopping tour at the start of summer to uncover the connected urban hubs of Innsbruck, Salzburg and Graz and show how you can see different sides of the country even in a short time.
Where to Stay in Innsbruck
- I stayed at the funky Nala Hotel, the city’s only boutique and art design hotel that is less than five minutes walk to the Triumphal Arch and Maria-Theresien-Straße. Every room has its own unique design, which you can browse through on the hotel’s website. I stayed in ‘La Suite Pan on Rama’ and I’m keen to check more of them out!
Book a Hotel in Innsbruck
The Innsbruck Card
- The Innsbruck Card grants to access to all the city’s museums and art galleries and all forms of local transport, including the shuttle bus to Swarovski Crystal Worlds and all cable cars. It also includes discounts for listed activities and outlets. It costs:
- 24 hours: €39
- 48 hours: €48
- 72 hours: €55
- 50% discount for children (6-15 years)
Further Information on Planning Innsbruck Travel
- For more information visit the Innsbruck Tourism Website. For further information about planning your trip around Austria visit the Austria Tourism website, where you can also keep up to date with all my adventures.
Innsbruck Austria City Guide – Pin It!
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