Innsbruck

Innsbruck sits in western Austria surrounded by Alps on all sides making it one of the most dramatic city locations in Europe. It’s the capital of Tyrol with mountains rising straight from the edges of town. The city hosted Winter Olympics twice and skiing dominates the culture. Summer brings hiking and mountain biking on the same trails. The old town stays compact and walkable with colorful buildings and the famous Golden Roof. Two to three days covers the city sights plus a day or two for mountains. It works as a base for exploring Tyrol region or a stopover between Munich and Italy.

Old Town and Cable Cars

Maria-Theresien-Strasse is the main street running from the train station to the old town with the Nordkette mountain range framing the view at the end. The Golden Roof Goldenes Dachl is the symbol of Innsbruck with 2657 gilded copper tiles covering a balcony built in 1500s. It’s small and touristy but still worth seeing. The old town around it has painted buildings and cafes with mountain views from every street. Nordkette cable car goes straight from the city center up to 2256 meters in twenty minutes. The stations designed by Zaha Hadid look futuristic against the mountains. Top station has hiking trails and views across the Inn Valley. Bergisel Ski Jump towers over the south side with an observation deck and cafe at the top. You can walk or take a funicular up.

Mountains and Getting Around

Stubai Glacier is thirty minutes away with year round skiing and hiking. The valley has traditional villages and trails everywhere. Seefeld plateau nearby has cross country skiing and pretty alpine scenery. Hall in Tirol next door is a medieval town less touristy than Innsbruck. The city transit includes trams and buses connecting everywhere. Everything sits compact enough to walk between sights. The train station connects to Munich, Vienna, and Italy making it easy to reach.

Food is schnitzel, käsespätzle cheese noodles, speck smoked ham, schlutzkrapfen Tyrolean dumplings, apfelstrudel, glühwein in winter, local schnapps.