Innsbruck Ultimate Travel Guide
Eat at …
Die Wilderin is located in the Old Town and offers traditional local food. (Seilergasse 5)
According, to Innsbruck locals Pizzeria Salute serves the best pizza in town. (Innrain 35)
I really enjoyed our dinner at Lucy Wang. It has a lounge-like atmosphere and the maki rolls were delicious. I also recommend the teppanyaki chicken skewers as appetizers. (Erlerstraße 17-19)
Business Lunch and Meetings at …
Sitzwohl (Gilmstraße) and Das Schindler (Maria-Theresien Straße-31) have weekly lunch set options and are popular places for business lunches and meetings. Both are conveniently located in the centre. Das Schindler is directly in Maria-Theresien-Straße, the busy pedestrian zone with lots of shops.
Eat and Drink with a View at …
Restaurant Lichtblick has a nice rooftop terrace with a view of Innsbruck and the Bergisel ski jump. They also have weekly lunch sets. Their burrata and the Caprese Salad are very nice. I recommend to book a table in advance, as it is a very popular place for lunch and dinner.
Right next door there is 360˚ – as the name suggests, this bar has a 360˚ view of Innsbruck and the surrounding mountains. (Rathausgalerien, Maria-Theresien Straße 18)
Coffee at …
As you may know, there is no trip to Austria without coffee and cake. Café Katzung is just a stone throw away from the Goldenes Dachl. (Herzog-Friedrich-Straße 16)
Konditorei Munding is also in the Old Town – try their Linzer Torte. (Kiebachgasse 16)
Ice Cream at …
In spring and summer, there are plenty of small ice cream parlours scattered across Innsbruck. Kurt‘s frozen yoghurt is by far my favourite. (Burggraben 21)
Right next door, there is Eisgrotte with a more traditional take on ice cream. (Burggraben 23)
Shop at …
Fink’s for Women has a mix of premium and smaller brands. I found some really cool pants with black and white Vichy checks by Dondup. (Maria-Theresien-Straße 24)
Fink’s for Men is located in the Rathausgalerien and has to be mentioned for its excellent customer service – the staff really tries to understand their customers. They even shipped some items to Vienna when we had to have some things altered by their tailor. (Rathausgalerien, Maria-Theresien Straße 18)
Teresa is one of my most favourite boutiques in Austria. They always are on top of the newest trends. As one of the first ones in Austria, they started to stock brands such as Ganni. (Sparkassenplatz / Corner Erlerstraße)
Einwaller has stores for womens- and menswear. They mainly focus on high-end brands. Similar to Fink’s, they also shipped items to Vienna after having them altered. (Herzog-Friedrichstraße 38 and Burggraben 1)
Tiroler Edles offers products and handicraft from the region around Innsbruck with stylish twist. I really like the soaps, ponchos and scarves. (Seilergasse 13)
The Wearhouse is a good address for stylish brands in the medium segment. (Marktgraben 19)
Wagnersche Buchhandlung is a really great book store. The shop is so pretty and has a vast selection of books about art and fashion and literature in English and German. If you want to study German or any other language, their language course book selection is also very good. (Museumstraße 4)
If you want to buy traditional Austrian clothing, head to Goessl for dirndl dresses (even though the company is not from Innsbruck but Salzburg; but the dirndls are some of the most beautiful ones) and Steinbock. (Herzog-Friedrich-Straße 21 and 15 respectively) Luis Trenker sells traditional Austrian apparel with a modern twist. (Herzog-Friedrich-Straße 34)
Visit …
Goldenes Dachl (Golden Roof) and Its Museum
The Goldenes Dachl is the major sight of Innsbruck. The area around it is the oldest part of Innsbruck and I really like exploring the small streets and beautiful buildings. The Goldenes Dachl dates back to 1500. Its roof is covered with more than 2,600 copper tiles covered with gold. Emperor Maximilian I. commissioned it made to mark his wedding to his second wife Bianca Maria Sforza.
The museum in the building hosting the Goldenes Dachl offers more details about the landmark and Maximilian I. Maximilian reigned from several towns, but he particularly enjoyed spending time in Innsbruck. He was passionate about hunting and hiking in the area.
Hofkirche (Court Church)
A five-minute walk from the Goldenes Dachl, there is another building which is closely connected to Emperor Maximilian I. The Hofkirche hosts the famous cenotaph of the emperor. Maximilian lay the groundwork for a global empire and also meticulously planned how he would be remembered after his death. Part of this kind of “public relations” was the he planned his last resting place himself. 25 bronze figurines depicting his ancestors and people who inspired him guard the cenotaph at the Hofkirche.
But Maxmilian was never buried in Innsbruck – instead, he was buried in Wiener Neustadt, his place of birth. He left a massive empire but also a huge amount of debt. At the time of his death, only 11 figurines were finished. Therefore, the cenotaph (ie. an empty grave) including the remaining 14 figurines were only completed by his grandson. Even though it is just a cenotaph, it is an impressive place to visit. Furthermore, the church is also the last resting place of Andreas Hofer, a historic figure and regional hero of Tyrol.
Hofgarten
If you want to relax in the greenery, Hofgarten is a big park right in the centre of Innsbruck.
Walk along the Inn River
Every time I visit Innsbruck, I take a walk along the Inn River with its colourful coloured houses.
Houses in Glasmalereistraße and Müllerstraße
This is an off-the-beaten-tracks recommendation: as the name “Glasmalereistraße” (literally translated “glass painting street”) suggests, there are quite a few houses with beautiful glass paintings in the area.
Alpine Zoo and Hungerburgbahn
The Alpine Zoo is home to a lot of animals typical of the region, such as wild cats. Take the funicular up the mountain and enjoy the beautiful panorama views of Innsbruck.
Bergisel Ski Jump
Innsbruck is a capital for winter sports. It has its own ski resort. But Innsbruck is also famous for its ski jump which was designed by British-Iraqui architect Zaha Hadid.
Stay at …
Hotel The Penz is by far my favourite hotel in the centre. It is conveniently located at the entrance of the Rathausgalerien. Their breakfast at the rooftop terrace is another major selling point. The buffet offers a wide range of delicious breakfast options and the view of the mountains will help you wake up and enjoy your morning coffee even more. (Adolf-Pichler-Platz 3)
How to Get There
Innsbruck has a small airport with regular flights to Frankfurt and Vienna and seasonal flights to the UK, Ireland, the Netherlands and the Scandinavian countries, for example. If you plan to visit Innsbruck from outside of the EU, I recommend flying via Frankfurt or Vienna. Alternatively, you can fly to Munich and then take a shuttle or train to Innsbruck. However, I think cost-wise it is the same as flying to Innsbruck. Furthermore, also time-wise it is not much faster because Munich airport is located about one hour from the main train station in the centre. From there, it is another two-hour train ride. Considering that you need to carry your luggage, I think it is more convenient to fly.
Innsbruck also has a well-connected train station with trains to and from the major hubs in Europe.
Best Time to Visit and What to Wear
Innsbruck is worth a visit throughout the year. In winter, you can combine it with a skiing holiday. Either you stay in Innsbruck (it is one of the few bigger cities where you can go directly to the slope from the city), or you head to the amazing ski resorts in the area. When I was a child, we spent our skiing holidays in Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis, which is about an hour from Innsbruck. Depending on the destination of the ski resort, you can go there by train or shuttle. I recommend contacting your hotel – they will help you arrange a shuttle.
Needless to say, winters are very cold. Hence, dress to keep you warm with a thick jacket, a knitted hat, gloves and a scarf. Depending on how much time I spend outside, I wear multiple layers under my jumper.
Summers are hot (between 25 to 32 degrees) but you can escape the heat at one of the nearby lakes, such as the Achensee. As evenings can be a bit chilly, bring a thin jumper or scarf.
I really enjoy Innsbruck in full bloom in spring (around the Easter week) but also autumn is very nice when Innsbruck turns into its own version of the “Indian Summer”. In these two seasons, it is best to dress in layers, as the weather can change quickly.
Language and Currency
The official language in Austria is German. “Austrian” as such does not exist. There are many different dialects. The Tyrolean dialect which is spoken in Innsbruck is very different from standard German. However, everyone speaks standard German. It is also not a problem to get around with English.
Austria is part of the Eurozone and, therefore, uses the Euro.
More Guides about Austria
Salzburg Ultimate Travel Guide
The Real Sound of Music Experience – Salzkammergut
More Europe Guides
Munich, Rome, Winterthur, Prague
All information as of the date of publishing/updating. We cannot accept responsibility for the correctness or completeness of the data, or for ensuring that it is up to date. All recommendations are based on the personal experience of Elisabeth Steiger, no fees were received.
I’ve read about this little town on another travel blog and I fell in love with it! So happy to read this and learn more- it’s definitely on our bucket list!!
That’s great, so happy that I could contribute to your travel bucket list! 🙂
Some lovely ideas! I’ve flown into Innsbruck airport a few times but never stopped to see the city. It looks like I’ve been missing out. Those houses along the river look charming!
It’s definitely worth visiting. And if you have flown into Innsbruck, you have ticked off one of the most difficult airports in the world from your bucket list. It sometimes can be really bumpy because of the winds in the valley.
Innsbruck looks so charming. I hadn’t really heard about it before but I would love to visit. Thank you for listing out some great shopping spots. I alsways struggle to find something that’s not highly touristic. I would love to check out Tiroler Edles because I’m really into handcrafted items.
I’m the same, it is sad that most of the big cities basically look the same when it comes to shopping – big brands and cheap souvenirs. But I have to say, I really like the shopping in Innsbruck because there are many unique shops and the service is amazing!
I really liked Innsbruck, although I didn’t find it as exciting as Salzburg or Vienna, it is certainly worth visiting! And Tirol is just stunning.
I guess for first-time Austria visitors, there is no way around Vienna and Salzburg – definitely a lot of things to do and both cities are truly beautiful. Probably Innsbruck is for the advanced travellers who look for something off-the-beaten-tracks.
Some stunning pictures and you have covered the destination so well. Made me so happy and enticed to visit Innsbruck soon 🙂 Thanks for sharing.
Thank you, Divya, for your lovely comment and feedback. I hope you can travel to Innsbruck soon!
I’ve always wanted to visit this part of Austria – how stunning! I’d love to walk along the river to see the colorful houses or watch the4 ski jump.
It is definitely a beautiful part of Austria. If you have time, I highly recommend a short trip to Innsbruck!