Innsbruck, in western Austria, is very well known and popular destination for winter sports. Located in a valley(called Inn) at an altitude of ~ 575m and surrounded by mountains over 2000m in height, Innsbruck is a very picturesque town. River Inn, a tributary of Danube, flows though Innsbruck, enhancing the natural beauty of this medieval town. What was missing, when I visited in the last week of September, was snow in the mountains. Snow covered mountains would have undoubtedly been literally the icing on the cake and made the town even more picturesque.
German is the official language of Austria. I figured this out once I noted the usage of familiar German words such as Hauptbanhoff, Alstadt, Bahn, Schloss and so on.
The town of Innsbruck calls itself “capital of the Alps” but strangely enough, two other European towns also claim this title!
Getting to Innsbruck
Innsbruck is quite close to the German border. I took the almost empty double decker Flixbus from Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Germany. Very scenic journey of about 90 minutes, passing through couple of ski resorts and providing a spectacular view of Inn valley from the top of a mountain range just before descending to the valley. Innsbruck is well connected to Europe by train and also has an international airport. No direct flights from India as yet, but Munich is closer to Innsbruck than the Austrian capital, Vienna.
One lesson I learnt is that it is best to book tickets ahead of time, even if travelling by bus. The rates were ~ €8 when I checked online the day before the journey. I did not buy the tickets as I was unsure at what time I would return from the Partnach Gorge before boarding the bus. The next day, when the driver checked the rates online, it had doubled even though the bus was half empty! By the way, the driver did not issue any ticket.
What to see in Innsbruck
Overall, there is not much to see in Innsbruck. Not too many options for a day trip either, unlike Salzburg, the other town I visited in Austria. I skipped the capital city of Vienna this time as I had to head back to Munich, Germany to catch the return flight to Bengaluru and Salzburg had a direct train connect to Munich with a journey time of only 2 hours.
Old town(Alstadt)
Many of the attractions in Innsbruck are concentrated in the area called Innenstadt. The Alstadt is part of it.
Alstadt is neat, tidy and lively, especially on weekends. Some of the older buildings are quite well preserved and very richly decorated. But the overall look and feel is no different from the old towns in other European cities, except that the background of the mountains enhances to the beauty of the old town.
The two most famous photos of Innsbruck
Marktplatz, on the river front is a popular area, overlooking the row of ‘colorful houses’ on the opposite side of the river Inn. This possibly is most famous photo shot of Innsbruck with mountains providing the perfect background. This row of colorful houses is not unique to Innsbruck though, I have seen it in several other European towns. The other famous shot is that of Maria-Theresian Strasse, the main street, again with the mountains in the background. Plenty of cafes, restaurants and shops in the area.
Golden Roof is overrated
Few other attractions in this small area include the golden roof which is stated to be the biggest attraction in the old town but highly overrated in my view. It was built around 1500CE and is essentially gilded copper tiles. Musical performances take place regularly here. You can watch it standing like many do or take a table at the restaurants nearby.
Innsbruck city tower, built before 1500CE is close by and I climbed ~150 steps to get a unique view of the old town. The Imperial palace (Hofburg) was not very impressive but the court church(Hofkirche) near by was. The ‘not too impressive’ cathedral of St. James is also close by at Domplatz with a small garden in front. Triumphal Arch is located at the southern end of Maria -Theresian Strasse.
The best part was I could take a nap at Hofgarten after all the walk! And I was pleased to note I was not alone!
How much time for the old town?
Overall, ~2-3 hours is good enough for exploring the old town. Ideal to visit once in the morning and also later in the evening as it gets dark. I also walked across the bridge to the other side where the colorful houses are located. As usual, I decided to take a bus to check out the interior areas and it was very fascinating to watch the bus pass through a very narrow street with the building walls on either side at less than handshake distance.
Nordkette – Top of Innsbruck
The journey to the Top of Innsbruck is almost futuristic, with the ultra modern Hungerburgbahn(funicular) for part of the way from Congress station to Hungerburg and the uniquely designed stations inspired by the region’s snow landscape. From Hungerburg, a cable car took me to Seegrube and another one finally to Hafelekar at a height of 2256m, that is ~7400 ft., and in a journey time of under 20 minutes. In reality, the total time will be more after including waiting time. There is steep but easy uphill walk for ~15-20 minutes before reaching Hafelekarspitze, the highest point at 2334m or 7657 ft.
From the top, the views of the Innsbruck town and the surrounding valley were good but not spectacular as it was quite a distant view and fairly hazy. The views of the Alps was actually disappointing as it was mostly barren. Jagged is the term used. I was actually wondering what a big difference a bit of snow cover would have made.
Hiking trails
There are several hiking trails with access to mountain huts that serve food and beverages. There are also options for climbing(Via Ferreta and climbing arena) but these are meant for experienced climbers, not casual tourists. I did a short hike and was convinced this is not an activity to try on a vacation impromptu!
Other adventurous options include tandem handgliding/paragliding. The self launching sailplane(glider) out of Innsbruck airport too looked very exciting but does not come cheap.
The second stop from Congress is Alpenzoo which houses specimens of Alpine wildlife.
How much time?
About 3 hours is good enough for this entire trip, from and to Congress station. The restaurants at Seegrube and Top of Innsbruck serve only Tyrolean cuisine which does not provide adequate options for vegetarians.
Check this link for more details.
Bergisel ski jump
This is a nice place for some wonderful views. The funicular and then the lift took me all the way to the viewing terrace of the Jump tower. Fantastic 360° views. The ski jump has a height of 49m and is 90m long. From the top end of the ski jump, I must say one will need plenty of courage to ski down the steep slope.
Apart from the ski jump, one can visit the Tyrol Panorama museum and the open Andreas Hofer monument in this area.
On the way back, the last public bus played truant and I had to walk down all the way. Good thing is that I could see the railway station and the direction I needed to travel and it was not long before I reached a bus stop.
Swarovski Kristallwelten (Swarovski Crystals World)
Located about half an hour’s drive out of Innsbruck in an area called Wattens, Swarovski Crystals World (SCW) is worth a visit. The dazzling display of colorful crystal art in ~18 separate chambers(called Chambers of Wonder and rightly so) and the outdoor crystal cloud with 800k crystals was very impressive. The art work has been created by international artists that show crystals in various facets. At the retail shop, there is a huge variety of crystal jewellery, showpieces and other articles. Quite a few items are priced under €100. VAT refund is available for non EU visitors and I too was entitled to a refund but could not claim at the departing airport for lack of time.
Convenient shuttle service
SCW runs buses between the Innsbruck railway station and SCW 5 times a days, at a gap of about 2 hours. Journey time is 30 minutes one way. At SCW, the shortest gap between arrival and departure is 2 hours or a bit more. This is more than adequate to view the exhibits, explore the Swarovski shop, walk around the garden, and have a cup of coffee with cake/muffin/sandwich.
I took the 10.20 am bus and returned by 1.35pm bus. But there is no need to rush. The restaurant here does serve couple of vegetarian dishes, including burger, basmati rice and dal! But do check the menu ahead of time if you are a vegetarian and wish to dine here.
Other attractions that I skipped
Ambras castle claims to house the first museum of the world. It is located a bit away from the city centre.
Glockengiesserei Grassmayr is a small bell foundry cum museum on the road to Bergisel from the Innsbruck train station.
The museums – The Tirol Panorama and others.
Patscherkofel mountains where winter Olympics were held.
Tram line 6 is stated to provide stunning views of Nordkette and Patscherkofel mountains. It was under maintenance when I visited.
Given the small size of the city, a guided tour or hop-on hop off is unnecessary, but both come free with Innsbruck card.
Buy Innsbruck card
I am generally not a great fan of tourist cards but I found the Innsbruck card to be value for money. I purchased the 48 hour card for €63 per adult from my hotel. Visits to Top of Innsbruck(round trip €44) and Swarovski Crystals World(€23) with shuttle(€10) more than recovered the cost. Visits to Imperial palace(€9.50), city tower(€4.50) and Bergisel ski jump(€11) added to the savings. I took the hop-on, hop off to visit Bergisel ski jump and also took few trips by local trams and buses to get a feel of Innsbruck away from tourist areas. The 24h card was priced at €53 and in comparison, the 48h card was more beneficial.
Even with the card, tickets had to be obtained for entry into various attractions. Only in trams and buses, there was no need to obtain a ticket.
Outstation trips
There are not too many options apart from Swarovski Crystals World. There is Area 47 for a bit of action and adventure and the thermal spa at Aqua Dome for a day of relaxation. The Highline 179 bridge is closer to Füssen than Innsbruck but good for a day trip if renting a car.
How many days?
2 full days(that is 3 nights) is good for Innsbruck with a trip to Swarovski Crystals World.
Where to stay?
Old town or Innenstadt. I stayed literally next to Hauptbanhof, the main railway station. It was very convenient for me for multiple reasons – the Flix bus stop is close, it is the hub for local transport, the Swarovski shuttle starts and ends here, old town is few minutes away by walk, and finally, my onward trip to Salzburg was by train.
Budget hotels can cost upto €150 per night for a couple. I paid €140 per night with breakfast at Ibis. This was among the cheapest options available. The four and star hotels were well over €200 per night. There were other options but I chose to stick to branded name.
When to visit?
Innsbruck is an all year destination. November/December to March/April is winter and it snows. Possibly the best time to visit. May to September/October are warmer but one needs to contend with rainfall, especially May to August. January and February are the coldest months on an average while July, August are the warmest. When I visited in the last week of September, the skies were clear but there was very little snow in the mountains. March to May would be good if you wish to avoid the peak winter season and yet encounter snow in the mountains.
Vegetarian food
There are few Indian restaurants. One of them called Jaipur even allows sharing of the Thali! There is ‘Naked Indigo’ at the marktplatz, next to the river that served good vegetarian dishes, Mexican style where cooked items are placed in containers and I could see what is being ordered. Don’t go by the looks, seek help as I did, just to avoid meat flavoured vegan items.
Couple of stand alone restaurants, including one attached to a grocery store, near the railway station also served vegetarian dishes, including soup and bread. Good for a light meal. There are quite a few pizzerias around.
A vegetarian meal with a drink or two for a couple will typically cost between €30 to €40. The Indian vegetarian thali at Jaipur was €21.
At the restaurant attached to the grocery store, I noted ready to cook ‘naan and roti’ packets. Co-incidentally, the hot rotis served at couple of Indian restaurants I dined at served similar sized rotis, making me wonder if these restaurants serve fresh food or ready to eat stuff. Not that it would have mattered.
Visa, currency, tipping, data connection
Schengen visa is required for Indian passport holders. When I applied for the tourist visa, the waiting period for Austria was far less than Germany. Currency is euros and by and large, credit card worked everywhere. But as always, good to carry some cash. For tips, I stuck to usual rounding off or an average of 10% or so.
Given the small size of Innsbruck, and with almost all attractions included with the Innsbruck card, an active data connection was not needed.
Is Innsbruck worth visiting?
I visited in the last week of September and I was honestly disappointed. The novelty factor was missing but I would hasten to add that if Innsbruck happens to the first 2 or 3 towns you are visiting in Europe, I think you will love it. But if you are well travelled in Europe, Innsbruck might just disappoint. It is a nice little beautiful town but overall, I came away with the feeling of deja vu! Winter season may be different though. After all, Innsbruck is more famous for being a winter destination. If you wish to avoid winter, go soon after end of winter as the snow in the mountains would not have melted.
For more information
https://www.innsbruck.info/en/
The below official travel portal of Austria packs useful information and also suggests several itineraries for travel within Austria.
