Innsbruck – Austria’s Mountain City

Last updated on April 6th, 2022 at 01:24 pm

There are few other cities who can match Innsbruck in its combination of urban living with wilderness experiences.

Mountains form the backdrop to the main street in the capital of the Tyrol, while lifts take visitors from the city centre onto the hiking trails and numerous mountain huts and pastures are within the city limits.

To the south is the Patscherkofel, which offers a family-friendly hike along the well-known Zirbenweg (‘stone pine trail’) with its unique views high above the Inn valley. It leads to the nearby Glungezer peak where you can take the cable car down into the valley and return to Innsbruck by public transport.

On the opposite side of the Inn valley, hikers can reach the high alpine mountain world of the Karwendel in only 30 minutes with the Hungerburgbahn and the Nordkettenbahnen from the city. The largest nature reserve in the Eastern Alps, the Innsbruck via ferrata route or the unique panorama opened up by the Goetheweg are just some of the highlights.

The settlements around Innsbruck, such as those on the Mieminger plateau or in the mountaineering villages of the Sellrain valley, offer even more options for mountain experiences.

Innsbruck City Walks

How can you best get to know a city? When you explore it on foot and head slightly off the beaten track at your own pace.

This is exactly what Innsbruck has to offer: six “Walks to Explore” invite you to approach the city from a variety of perspectives.

Between the Bergisel ski jump and the Sill gorge, in the historic “Anpruggen” district or on the trail of the Habsburgs, you can discover well-known and hidden sights, old crafts and young trendy restaurants.

Or you can start high up and experience the city and the mountains during a “walk” at 2,300 metres above sea level. As an extra bonus, sunny beer gardens invite you to enjoy almost southern flair. Cappuccino and Aperol Spritz – that’s the taste of summer in Innsbruck. Detailed route descriptions can be found in the brochure “Walks to explore”, available from the Innsbruck Information Office.

Family Holidays with a Touch of Adventure

“I’m sooo bored!” – that’s a sentence that will set off every parent’s alarm bells.

But not on vacation in Innsbruck, because there is no chance to get bored. Adventure playgrounds on the mountain include a summer toboggan run at the Muttereralm or cooling off in the water at the Natterer See or in the Mieminger bathing lake. Visits to the Audioversum, Alpine Zoo or the Swarovski Crystal Worlds make the summer in Innsbruck an unforgettable experience for the whole family.

Innsbruck Holiday Savings

Innsbruck offers a Welcome Card to all guests who are staying for two nights or more in the city. This provides reductions and special offers on various activities around the city as well as a programme of free options such as guided walks.

The Innsbruck Card light is also available for purchase – this 24-hour ticket includes entry into a total of 21 local sights as well as travel on two of the mountain lifts. (The more expensive full Innsbruck Card includes the lifts up to the Nordkette!)

Both of the cards include free travel on the city public transport services.

Discover more about Innsbruck’s sights on our Things To Do in Innsbruck page

More information: www.innsbruck.info