[Updated August 2022]
From a stroll through the historic old town to the glitz and glamor of Swarovski crystals and the awe of standing on an Alpine peak – the things to do in Innsbruck, Austria are plentiful and diverse. This is your go-to-guide for discovering everything there is to see and do in and around the city.
Is Innsbruck Worth Visiting?
This is a question I often get: Is Innsbruck worth visiting?
Of course it is. Just don’t expect Vienna or Salzburg.
Instead, expect a city with a history to match those other two famous Austrian cities, a mountain towering over it, and a culture unlike any other.
The attraction of Innsbruck lies not only in its natural beauty due to its position in the heart of the Alps but also in its rich history coupled with some modern touches.
This detailed guide on what to do in Innsbruck is designed to help you discover why it’s a city and region worth visiting. It highlights the top Innsbruck attractions to include in your itinerary.
There’s a good mixture to suit everyone’s taste – from standing on a mountain peak and exploring the Innsbruck Old Town to visiting Ambras Castle and being dazzled by Swarovski Crystal Worlds. Most Innsbruck sights are also hits with kids, making it one of the best cities in Europe for family travel.
Some sights and activities are included in the Innsbruck Card, and some not. If you need more help to decide whether it’s worth buying the Innsbruck Card, read my detailed post about it here.
1.Ride the Innsbruck Cable Car
No visit to Innsbruck is complete without making your way up the Nordkette mountain – if not all the way to the top, then at least to the first station of the Nordkette cable car at Hungerburg.
| Type of attraction | Mountain, architecture, nature reserve, ski area, viewpoint |
| Best time to visit | Any clear day |
| €€€ | €9,00 to €34,50 |
| Time needed | 3 to 4 hours |
| Included in Innsbruck Card | Yes |
| Website | www.nordkette.com |
The Nordkette cable car trip is broken up into 3 stages. The first takes you from the city centre to the Hungerburg at 860 m, the second ends at the Seegrube at 1,905 m, while the third cable car drops you in high Alpine terrain just shy of the Hafelekar mountain peak at 2,334 m.
Depending on the weather and how much time you have, I would recommend going all the way to Hafelekar. The 360°-degree views are amazing. You can see up and down the Inn Valley and beyond toward Italy, while the rugged mountains to the back give you a glimpse of the unspoiled Karwendel Nature Park. The thrill of standing on an Alpine peak is only a 10 to 15-minute walk away from the cable car station.
Tip: Combine your Innsbruck sightseeing trip up the Nordkette with a visit to the Innsbruck Alpine Zoo. You can get off here on the first stage of the cable car journey to Hungerburg.
2. Explore the Innsbruck Old Town
The Nordkette and the Innsbruck Old Town are inseparable. If you see the one, you see the other. It’s up to you in how much detail you want to explore both.
You can certainly get a good impression of the Innsbruck Old Town on a 1 to 2-hour self-guided walk. On the other hand, taking some time to explore some attractions more thoroughly is well worth it when visiting Innsbruck.
| Type of attraction | Historic old town, architecture, museums, monuments |
| Best time to visit | Year-round |
| €€€ | Depends on what you want to see |
| Time needed | 1 to 4 hours |
| Included in Innsbruck Card | Some |
Most of the Innsbruck Old Town is in a pedestrian zone. The streets that are compulsory to walk down, are Herzog Friedrich Street, Hofgasse, and Maria Theresa Street.
Top Things to Do in Innsbruck Old Town
1. Photograph the Golden Roof
Undoubtedly Innsbruck’s most famous landmark. The Goldenes Dachl as it is more commonly known in German is an alcove balcony from around 1500 with a roof covered by 2,657 fire-gilded copper tiles. It was built to commemorate Emperor Maximilian I’s marriage to Bianca Maria Sforza. The imperial family used it as a box from where to watch festivities and sporting events in the square below.
The best impression of the Golden Roof is when you approach from Maria Theresa Street and have the Nordkette in view behind it. To find out more about its history, visit the Golden Roof Museum in the same building.
2. City Tower
For a unique angle to view the Golden Roof from, climb the 133 stairs to the top of the Innsbruck city tower. It will be behind you if you stand in front of the Golden Roof. The tower of 51 m was built between 1442 and 1450 and served as a prison in the middle ages.
3. Imperial Palace Innsbruck
The Hofburg Innsbruck was a favourite holiday residence of the Habsburgs, with Empress Maria Theresa taking a particular interest and making a number of improvements during her reign. The Giants’ Hall with its beautifully painted ceiling and larger than life wall paintings of the Habsburg family is a highlight.
4. Court Church
Innsbruck’s Hofkirche or Court Church is on the edge of the historic old town, between the Imperial Palace and the Museum of Tyrolean Folk Art. It’s where you’ll find the tomb of Emperor Maximilian I (in which he was never buried…). Most striking in the Court Church is the 28 so-called Schwarze Mander (black men).
5. Museum of Tyrolean Folk Art
Immediately adjacent to the Court Church (they share the same entrance), the Museum of Tyrolean Folk Art is home to a big collection of cultural treasures depicting Tyrol’s past. The multimedia presentation gives a good overview of the Court Church and Emperor Maximilian I. A word of warning ?: there is an evil looking Krampus just as you enter the museum. M was very scared of it when he was little but the Krampus is as much a part of Tyrol’s culture as anything else.
6. Triumphal Arch
Innsbruck has its own impressive triumphal arch or Triumphforte. The Triumphal Arch tells the story of the wedding of the Duke of Tuscany to a Spanish princess on one side and the death of Emperor Franz I on the other. A must-see while Innsbruck sightseeing.
7. Maria Theresa Street
Innsbruck’s main pedestrian street is lined with 17th- and 18th-century houses, many of which are now home to shops and restaurants. One of the main features is St. Anne’s Column (Annasäule) near the entrance to the Rathaus Gallerien shopping centre. The monument was erected in 1706 to commemorate the withdrawal of Bavarian troops on St. Anne’s Day three years earlier.
8. Cathedral of St. James
Known as Dom zu St. Jakob, the cathedral dating from the 1100s was once on the Way of St James, an important medieval Christian pilgrimage route. It was rebuilt in the early 1700s after being badly damaged in earthquakes in the previous two centuries. A highlight of the interior is the famous Maria Hilf painting by Lukas Cranach the Elder. You will find the cathedral down Pfargasse behind the Golden Roof.
9. Ottoburg
One of the city’s oldest buildings keeps guard at the entrance to the old town next to the Inn River. Today, it is home to the Ottoburg Restaurant where you can sample some of the finest Austrian and Tyrolean cuisine. While walking between the Ottoburg and the Golden Roof on your Innsbruck sightseeing tour, keep an eye out for the Goldener Adler Hotel. You will see all the names of famous guests, including modern-day kings and queens, who stayed here on the wall outside the entrance.
10. Market Square
On the outskirts of the old town next to the Inn River, the market square is the perfect spot to end an Innsbruck sightseeing tour. This is where you can relax with a drink while admiring the row of colourful houses on the opposite side of the river. And of course, no visit to Innsbruck is complete without a picture of the houses with their mountain background taken from the market square or Marktplatz.
3. Visit Ambras Castle
Ambras Castle or Schloss Ambras overlooks the Inn Valley from its vantage point on a rocky outcrop between Innsbruck and the village of Aldrans.
| Type of attraction | Castle, gardens, museum |
| Best time to visit | Year-round |
| €€€ | Gardens free, castle admission from €12 |
| Time needed | 2 hours |
| Included in Innsbruck Card | Yes |
| Website | Schloss Ambras |
What makes Ambras Castle unique? For one, there is the Spanish Hall, one of the most beautiful halls from the Rennaissance period in Europe. The balls the Habsburgs must have had here! Both sides of the 43 m long hall are decorated with full-figure portraits of 27 Tyrolean rulers.
Boys (big and small) will love former resident Archduke Ferdinand II’s Chambers of Armour, including rare suits of tournament armour and that of famous military commanders.
For a more private glimpse into the life of Archduke Ferdinand II, you can take a peek into his wife’s bathing chambers. The copper tub which is sunken 1.6 m into the ground, is a rare example of what a private bathroom from the 16th century looked like.
In summer, the gardens of Ambras Castle are a feast for the eye. The castle is easy to reach with the Innsbruck sightseeing bus or by taking Bus 3134 from the main train station.
4. Marvel at Swarovski Crystal
It’s hard to describe Swarovski Crystal Worlds in the town of Wattens (a 15-minute drive from Innsbruck) in a few words. Is it an underground crystal museum? A crystal amusement park? A big in- and outdoor crystal art gallery?
| Type of attraction | Art, gardens, playpark |
| Best time to visit | Year-round |
| €€€ | From €19 |
| Time needed | 2 to 3 hours |
| Included in Innsbruck Card | Yes |
| Website | Swarovski Crystal Worlds |
What Swarovski Crystal Worlds isn’t, is dull. 16 sparkling Chambers of Wonder await you after entering the mouth of the giant. And when it spits you out on the other side, there is a huge park area to explore.
Think crystal clouds sparkling in the sun above a pitch-black lake. Or a children’s play tower where the young ones can play to their heart’s content on rainy days. The outdoor play area is also getting more attractive each year. There’s an obstacle course, a wooden marble run, and a labyrinth in the shape of a giant hand.
6. Look Down From a Ski Jump
The Bergisel Ski Jump is where the world’s best ski jumpers competed in the Winter Olympics of 1964 and 1976. However, the modern ski jump of today, designed by award-winning architect Zaha Hadid, was only taken into use in December 2001.
| Type of attraction | Sport, architecture |
| Best time to visit | Year-round |
| €€€ | €9,50 |
| Time needed | 30 to 60 mins |
| Included in Innsbruck Card | Yes |
| Website | Bergisel Ski Jump |
The ski jump on the Bergisel Hill overlooking Innsbruck has a ramp of 98m. Visitors can take a lift or walk the stairs to the top of the 50m high tower to get a bird’s eye view of what the jumpers see before they set off.
The Bergisel Ski Jump is a FIS Ski Jumping World Cup site and also a year-round training centre. This means you can see athletes jump even when you visit in summer – a stroke of luck which befell us when we visited in the late spring in 2017.
7. Witness a Battle
The Tirol Panorama and Museum of the Tyrolean Imperial Infantry is right next to the ski jump on the Bergisel. Here, you can witness the Third Battle of Bergisel through the eyes of painter Zeno Diemer. His famous 360° Tirol Panorama painting from 1896, covering more than 1,000m², depicts the battlefield where folk hero Andreas Hofer led 18,000 rebels against the Bavarian enemy.
| Type of attraction | Museum, monument, art |
| Best time to visit | Year-round |
| €€€ | From €9 |
| Time needed | 1 to 2 hours |
| Included in Innsbruck Card | Yes |
| Website | Tyrol Panorama |
The Tirol Panorama is in the same building as the Museum of the Tyrolean Imperial Infantry. The museum houses an interesting exhibition dedicated to the myths of Tyrol as well as a wide selection of weapons belonging to regiments of the Imperial and Royal Light Infantry.
Take some pictures of Andreas Hofer’s statue in the park between the Bergisel Ski Jump and the museum. There is also a gazebo with lovely views of Innsbruck, the Inn Valley and the Nordkette to the right in front of the museum.
8. Visit Europe’s Highest-Lying Zoo
About halfway between Innsbruck and Hungerburg, the Alpine Zoo Innsbruck is Europe’s highest-lying zoo. With more than 150 species that are or has been typical to the Alps, the zoo is one of a kind.
| Type of attraction | Zoo, nature |
| Best time to visit | Spring, summer, and autumn |
| €€€ | From €12 |
| Time needed | 2 to 3 hours |
| Included in Innsbruck Card | Yes |
| Website | Alpenzoo |
Be prepared to walk a couple of short hills when visiting the Alpine Zoo Innsbruck. However, it’s totally worth it once you discover the wolves, the Alpine Ibex, the European Elk, and the lynx. The latter had 3 babies with her in a tree the last time we visited.
The enclosures in the Alpine Zoo Innsbruck are large and as close to the animals’ natural habitat as possible. From the pathways between the enclosures, visitors have beautiful views over Innsbruck and the Inn Valley.
The Hungerburg funicular of the Nordkette cable car stops close to the Alpine Zoo Innsbruck.
9. Stroll Through Tyrol’s Biggest Medieval Town
The historic old town of Hall in Tirol is not even a 10-minute drive from Innsbruck, also in the Inn Valley. It is the biggest old town in Tyrol with a completely different character than that of Innsbruck. Therefore, I suggest you include it in your Innsbruck sightseeing.
| Type of attraction | Historic old town, heritage site |
| Best time to visit | Year-round |
| €€€ | Depends |
| Time needed | 1 to 2 hours |
| Included in Innsbruck Card | The Mint Tower |
| Website | Hall in Tirol |
After visiting Hall in Tirol, you will know where the dollar in American dollar comes from. It is here where the first thaler, the great-grandfather of the dollar, was pressed.
The old town of Hall in Tirol is contained in a pedestrian area with narrow cobbled streets opening into squares surrounded by buildings from different time periods, including Roman, Gothic, and Baroque.
Near the Inn River, outside the perimeter of the old town hall, the medieval Mint Tower dominates the skyline. The tower complex also houses the Hall Mint Museum with its impressive collection of coins, including the world’s largest silver medal which weighs over 20 kg.
Where to Stay in Innsbruck
Hotels in Historic Buildings
- Best Western Plus Hotel Goldene Adler – This centuries-old hotel near the Golden Roof in the heart of the Innsbruck Old Town is perfect if you like to be part of history. After all, this is where kings and queens have slept before doing some Innsbruck sightseeing themselves. An added bonus is that it’s non-smoking and very good 4-star value for money.
Book your room in the Best Western Plus Hotel Goldene Adler
- Altstadthotel Weißes Kreuz – Another hotel in Herzog Friedrich Street and a stone’s throw from the Golden Roof that has been welcoming guests for centuries. Actually, since 1465. The food is great, the rooms are big, and you can start your Innsbruck sightseeing tour right here.
Find a room in the Altstadthotel Weißes Kreuz
- Hotel Schwarzer Adler Innsbruck – You guessed right, the Hotel Schwarzer Adler Innsbruck building is also at least 500 years old. It’s a boutique hotel with a spa and lots of little luxuries. At the same time, you will feel very at home in the traditional dining room and be able to walk to all the major Innsbruck sights from the front door.
Make a reservation at Hotel Schwarzer Adler
Read more: Are you also heading to Vienna? Check out these 25 things to do in Austria’s imperial capital.
*Disclosure*
Having fun in Austria, and then writing about it is hard work 😆 . That’s why some links in this article are affiliate links. I may earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you, if you use any of them to make a purchase. It’s totally cool if you don’t. I love to help anyway. If you do, it will help us discover another part of Austria to write about.
I would love to visit Innsbruck and discover the heart of the Alps region. Personally I’m a big nature fan, so I love the range of outdoor activities, and the town itself looks like it’s been ripped straight from the pages of a fairytale – very stereoptypically Austrian! The mountainous background against Innsbruck’s main pedestrian street is stunning. I don’t know if I’ve seen a more beautiful town 🙂 I would love to visit the Alpine zoo – I haven’t encountered the likes of wolves, the Alpine Ibex, or the lynx before. I’m not usually a fan of visiting zoos,… Read more »