There is nothing more exciting to the globetrotter than a city that has it all- a long history, beautiful architecture, direct access to scenic panoramas and hiking trails, a bustling cultural life, winter sports, SPA facilities and culinary tradition. But most places like this are megapolises welcoming thousands of tourists daily, which means it takes you hours to get from one famous sight to another and endless waiting in lines, right?! Well, not necessarily. Innsbruck offers such a constellation of experiences, but you don't have to pay the price of touristing typical for the larger cities.
With a population of a little more than 130 000 people, Innsbruck is the 5th largest city in Austria. Since 1429 it has also been the capital of the state of Tyrol in Western Austria and it has also hosted the winter Olympics in 1964 and 1976.
Getting around
One of the coolest things about Innsbruck is that it's relatively small and so almost all of the famous spots are within walking distance from one another. If you still want to use the public transport, it will cost you 6€ for a 24h-valid ticket or if you are a holder of the Innsbruck Card, which I highly recommend, you can travel for free. The Innsbruck Card will cost you 55€ for a 48h-pass to the public transport and all the museums and galleries, including the cable car, the Swarovski museum and the city tower. It's the perfect solution for a weekend stay, especially if you plan on visiting more than two attractions while in Innsbruck.
Where to start from?
Well, as I said, all the sights are minutes away from one another in the historical centre of the city, so why not start from there- the downtown. Plus, if you are only visiting Innsbruck for a day and the time is scarce, you can comfortably tour around the centre without hustle. Here are some of the highlights:
The Golden Roof
Innsbruck is the city under the Golden roof (Goldenes Dachl). Located on a square with the same name, the Golden Roof is the city's most famous landmark. The 500-year-old balcony with golden-coloured copper-tiled roofing was built by the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I. The occasion- his wedding to Bianca Maria Sforza, the oldest daughter of the Duke of Milan. The royal family used the balcony to observe the festivals and tournaments, which took place at the square below. In fact, even nowadays the old-town square hosts a lot of events like the International Golden Roof sport challenge for example. Or if you are lucky, you might spot a live performance of an orchestra at the iconic balcony. Even without anything special going on, the place is simply beautiful with an old-times charm. You can stop by for a few postcard-like photos, refill your energy with a delicious treat from the nearby eateries or if you want to learn more about the symbol of Innsbruck- visit the Golden Roof Museum.
Although you won't be able to actually step on the balcony (due to preservation reasons), you can take a closer look at it and see the decorative elements and murals on its inner side. The museum itself is an interactive guide through the life and reign of Emperor Maximilian I, the different architectural influences of his city and the evolution in the design of the Golden Roof. You can also make a postcard with your face for free, which I found to be a nice souvenir. You would need to plan around 1h for your visit. Keep in mind that you won't be able to enter with bulky baggage and you might be asked to leave your backpack in one of the free lockers, but you'll have to leave a 1 or 2€ deposit, so bring some coins.
The City Tower
Right next to the Golden Roof is the City Tower of Innsbruck. Overlooking the beautiful historical buildings around the square and the Alpes behind them, the tower provides a truly breathtaking view. Built around the middle of the XV century, the tower stands at 51m and you'll have to climb 148 steps to reach the observation deck at its top. It's worth it! You can take some of the best photos of the Golden Roof exactly from there. It's an open-air platform, so you wouldn't bother with annoying reflections on your pics. Also, don't forget to take a snap of the beautiful staircase, which leads you there. In fact, it's a serpentine of two staircases that merge at the top- one going up and one taking you back down. So if you need to stop and catch your breath, you'll have plenty of space and won't cause a traffic congestion.
Imperial Palace (Hofburg)
Just 2-3 min away from the old-town square is the Imperial Palace. It was completed in the year 1500 under, once again, Emperor Maximilian I. I highly recommend visiting it, especially if you are a fan of palaces from past times, European history, knight tournaments and royal court etiquette.
The palace has two floors that are open to the public- one with the historical rooms and one with the interactive Hofburg museum.
The historical rooms are everything you might expect from a royal palace- full of splendor and riches, classical paintings, sculptures, luxurious furniture and fabulous chandeliers. Unfortunately taking pictures inside is not allowed, so you better go see them for yourself if you don't want to take my word for it. What I really enjoyed about the palace is that it gives an in-depth look into the lives of the noblemen back in time- both the fabulous and not so public proper side of it. For example you might see the dressing room, where the lady of the house was getting properly dressed, as well as having her hair and makeup done. You can also pass through the waiting rooms of the servants, the purpose of which was exactly as the name suggests- the servants were simply on post there, waiting for the masters to call them when they needed something. But in the corners of many rooms you will also notice spittoons- in this case porcelain receptacles for spit. Another cool thing- almost at the exit you'll also see one of the comfi soft chairs, used for furnishing the palace, cut in half and thus allowing you to see the inner structure and the materials of the chair.
The museum of the palace is not one to be missed either. You can watch some short videos, introducing the court etiquette and dances, see some knight armour and even climb on the back of a (wooden) horse, put on a VR set and relive a medieval knight tournament.
If you rush through all the rooms and the exhibition, one hour might be just enough, but I'd recommend taking your time and planning around 2 hours for your visit.
The Innsbruck Cathedral
Just a 5-min walk from everything enlisted so far is the Innsbruck Cathedral. It's a relatively newer building, compared to the ones we explored up until now. The cathedral was completed within the first quarter of the XVIII century. It's a catholic church in the style Baroque and although not particularly impressive on the outside, it is jaw-droppingly beautiful on the inside. Below is the visual proof.
The Nordkette Cable Car
Der Berg in der Stadt, meaning "the mountain in the city" is one of the many perks of Innsbruck. For about twenty minutes you can travel the distance between the city centre and the last stop of the cable car. The first station is about 5 min away on foot from the Golden Roof square. Can you even imagine how easy it is to have direct access to the beautiful nature, the breathtaking views and the trekking routes of the Alps?! Even if you visit in the summertime, however, don't forget to bring some warm clothes. We visited in the middle of June and although it was pretty much summer heats down in the city already, there was snow and strong winds up in the mountain.
You can either plan a hiking adventure from there or if you are in the mood for something a bit more relaxed- enjoy a meal in the restaurant at the top, while contemplating the amazing view beneath you. The restaurant "Seegrube" doesn't have an extensive menu- there are just a few dishes on it, but all of them traditional and so delicious that you'd want to lick your fingers.
Swarovski Crystal Worlds (Swarovski Kristallwelten)
Just outside Innsbruck are the headquarters of the famous Austrian jewelry brand, as well as a one-of-a-kind museum and illusions park. I've traveled a lot and have stepped inside a lot of different museums, but this one is by far my favourite. It even feels wrong to call it a museum- you won't see a building full of glass displays with jewelry on mannequin stands, historical papers of the establishment of the company or anything of that sort. It's more of a sequence of art installation and illusion rooms, which you have to experience with all your senses. I have been there twice with a couple of years in between my visits and although there are some permanent exhibitions, there are also some that changed with time.
My personal favourite is the Chandelier of Grief by Japanese artist Yoyai Kusama. It's one of those illusion rooms, where all the walls are covered with mirrors. The centerpiece is, as the name suggests, a chandelier, reflected an infinite number of times all around you. You enter the museum through the mouth of a giant, but that's not all of it- there is an outside area with a lake, a maze and even a carousel. At the exit of the museum there is also a shop, which apart from jewelry, also has a collection of crystal statuettes. They have everything from a swan to a Darth Vader helm with a price tag of €7000.
An honourable mention
The Innsbruck zoo is definitely not the biggest and richest on animal species you've seen, but it is particularly picturesque and well maintained. There is also a petting area, where you can feed and stroke the animals. It's real fun both for kids and adults and the entrance is included with the Innsbruck Card.
Or if your time is scarce
Just stroll down the historical centre, enjoy the architecture, stop by the riverside to see the famous panorama with the colourful houses and the Alps right behind them. If you have time to go inside just one or two sights or if you are on a budget- visit the City Tower and the Cathedral. Entrance to the Cathedral will cost you nothing and for the tower you'll be charged about 10€, but the view is everything.
What to eat
One of my favourite eating places was definitely at the last stop of the cable car- the Seegrube restaurant. And not just because of the view- it's needless to say how big of a perk is that, just see below.
The restaurant has a small, but very well selected menu of local specials. The food tastes amazing and the prices are just about the same as in the restaurants downtown. I personally tried a Tiroler Bauerngröstl, which was served in a pan. It was such a heartwarming meal with potatoes, meat, a sunny-side-up and some spices and a side of a salad, generously sprinkled with kumin. Don't miss on trying this one, you won't regret it.
And for those with a sweet tooth, you're in for a treat. In the heart of Innsbruck there is a Sacher café- one of the few places in the world where you can taste the original Sacher Torte. The recipe for this cake is a well-kept secret ever since 1832, where a pastry chef Franz Sacher created it, following an order by Prince Klemens von Metternich. Names and history aside, the dessert itself is a two layered cake with apricot jam and a chocolate glaze, served with whipped cream on the side. Not only the recipe is important, but the presentation too- the cake must be stored and served at a special temperature. It is quite sweet and a little more on the dry side, but you can't make a visit to Innsbruck without trying, especially considering its exclusivity. It can only be found at the Sacher hotel and the Airport duty-free shop in Vienna, as well as the Sacher cafés in Innsbruck, Graz and Salzburg. Fun fact: the only place outside of Austria, where you can have a taste of the legendary cake is in Italy, at the Sacher shop in Bolzano.
Right next to Hofburg and the Sacher café is also the Stiftkeller, offering traditional Austrian food and a pleasant atmosphere. There are tables outside and inside and the food is served pretty quickly. So if you're starving from the long day of sightseeing, that's the place to go! I really recommend trying the Tris- a selection of three bread dumplings in brown butter sauce with parmigiano.
So what are you waiting for: pack your bags and start your adventure! Destination: Innsbruck! Or otherwise continue exploring the world with me through any of the articles below.
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