After hosting the 1964 and 1976 winter Olympics, the mountain city of Innsbruck (pop. 118,000) rocketed to international recognition. Colorful architecture and relics from the Hapsburg Empire pepper the tiny cobblestone streets of the Altstadt (Old Town), while the nearby Alps await skiers and hikers
Options for budget accommodations are limited in June, when some hostels close, although student dorms are open to travelers in July and August. Request a free Club Innsbruck card from your hotel or hostel for discounts.
The Altstadt cafes on Maria-Theresien-Str. are good but slightly overpriced. M-Preis supermarket is at Maximilianstr. 3 (☎0512 580 5110; open M-F 7:30am-7pm, Sa 8am-6pm) and inside the train station (☎05120 58 0730; open daily 6am-9pm). The chain restaurant Baguette sells sandwiches (€2-3) and salad served with bread (€5); it has a location on almost every corner of the city.
The greens and pinks of Innsbruck’s Altstadt stand out brilliantly against the surrounding mountains. The Old Town centers around the Goldenes Dachl (Golden Roof), Herzog-Friedrich-Str. 15. The 16th-century gold balcony honors Maximilian I, Innsbruck’s favorite Habsburg emperor. The nearby Helbinghaus is graced with pale-green floral detail and intricate stucco work. Church domes and shopping boutiques line Innsbruck’s most distinctive street, Maria-Theresien-Straße, which runs south from the edge of the Altstadt. At its far end stands the Triumphpforte (Triumphal Arch), built in 1765 after the betrothal of Emperor Leopold II. In the middle, the Annasäule (Anna Column) commemorates the Tyroleans’ 1703 victory over the Bavarians. Built from pink-and-white marble, Dom St. Jakob, 1 block behind the Goldenes Dachl, illustrates High Baroque ornamentation. Its prized possession is the small altar painting of Our Lady of Succor by Lukas Cranach the Elder. (1 block behind the Goldenes Dachl. Open Apr.-Sept. M-Sa 8am-7:30pm, Su 12:30-7:30pm; Oct.-Mar. M-Sa 10am-6:30pm, Su 12:30-6:30pm. Mass M-Sa 9:30am; Su 10 and 11:30am. Free.) In front of the Dom, Hofburg, the imperial palace, originally built in 1460, was completely remodeled under Maria Theresa. (Rennweg 1. In front of Dom St. Jakob. ☎58 71 8612; www.hofburg-innsbruck.at. Open daily 9am-5pm. Last entry 4:30pm. €5.50, students €4. English language guidebook €1.80.) Accessible by Sightseer bus or tram #3 and a short 15min. walk uphill, T Schloß Ambras transformed from hunting lodge into elegant castle during Ferdinand II’s reign. While the faces in the Habsburg Portrait Gallery may start to look identical, giant stuffed sharks and paintings of the incredibly hirsute Petrus and Madleine Gonzalez in the Kunst-und Wunderkammer (Cabinet of Curiosities) are guaranteed to stand out. (Schloßstr. 20. ☎431525 24 4802; www.khm.at/ambras. Sightseer bus or tram #3 stops at the bottom of the hill, leaving a 15min. walk. Open daily Aug. 10am-7pm; Sept.-Oct. and Dec.-July 10am-5pm. Portrait gallery open daily Aug. 10am-7pm; Sept.-Oct. and May-July 10am-5pm. May-Oct. €8, students €3; Dec.-Apr. €4.50/2.50. Tours €2; reservations required for English-language tours.)
A Club Innsbruck membership (free; see Accommodations ) lets you in on one of Austria’s best deals. The club’s popular hiking program around Innsbruck and its surrounding villages provides free guides, transportation, and equipment. Moderate 3-5hr. group hikes from Innsbruck meet in front of the Congress Center (early June to early Oct. daily 9am; return around 4-5pm). Free 1hr. nighttime lantern hikes to Heiligwaßer near Igls leave Tuesday at 7:45pm and culminate in a hut party with traditional Austrian song and dance. For the early birds, the club also offers Friday sunrise hikes to Rangger Köpfl. leaving at 4:50am; reserve ahead. For self-guided hikes, take the J bus to Patscherkofel Seilbahnen (20min.). The lift provides access to moderately difficult 1-5hr. hikes near the 2246m bald summit of the Patscherkofel. (Open July-Aug. 9am-5pm; June and Sept. M-F 9am-4:30pm, Sa-Su 9am-5pm. €11, round-trip €17.) For more challenging climbs, ride the lifts up to the Nordkette mountains. Take the J bus to Hungerburg and catch the cable car to Seegrube (1905m) or continue on to Hafelekarspitze (2334m). Both stops lead to several hiking paths along jagged ridges and around rocky peaks, but be prepared: they are neither easy nor well-marked. (☎0512 293 344. Hungerburg to Seegrube €11, under 20 €9; to Hafelekar €12/10; Seegrube to Hafelekar €2.70/2.20.) To view Innsbruck from above, Mountain Fly offers a €95 tandem paragliding package, including transport and equipment (☎0664 282 8968).
For Club-led ski excursions, take the free ski shuttle (schedules at the tourist office) to any cable car. The Innsbruck Gletscher Ski Pass (available at the tourist office) is valid for all 60 lifts in the region (with Club Innsbruck membership: 3-day €95, 6-day €160). Individual lift passes are available for Nordpark-Seegrube (☎0512 293 344; www.nordpark.com), Patscherkofel (☎0512 598 50; www.patscherkofelbahnen.at), and Glungezer (☎0552 378 321; www.glungezerbahn.at; €21). One day of skiing on Stubai glacier costs about €35. Stubai is also the only slope for summer skiing; packages (bus, lift, and rental) start at €50.
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