Looking for a mountain holiday but with a twist of a cityscape – Innsbruck is your answer. It is called Capital of the Alps with some amazing snow capped mountains with a city feel. With more than 30,000 students and many more young professionals, Innsbruck has a perfect heady mix of scenic beauty with a youthful vibe.
Here are some of the things you must do when in Innsbruck:
The Picturesque Old Town
- The best way to start your Innsbruck travel is to start with the old town. Start with a Triumphal Arch which was built in 1765 on the occasion of the marriage of Archduke Leopold, second son of Empress Maria Theresa to Maria Luisa, the Spanish princess. The monument stands tall at the southern end of Maria-Theresien-Straße.
- Hofburg Imperial Palace is one of the three most important buildings in Austria along with Hofburg Palace and Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna. This palace was first built in 1460 and was expanded multiple times in the 2.5 centuries. Today this building houses 5 museums including apartments of Maria Theresa, Empress Elisabeth, furniture museum, painting gallery, and an Ancestral Gallery showcasing the political and cultural aspects of the former imperial palace.
- Hofkirche Court Church is a gothic church built in 1553 by Emperor Ferdinand I as a memorial for his grandfather, Emperor Maximilian I, whose cenotaph houses an awesome collection of German Renaissance sculptures.
- Stadtturm, the City Tower, was built in the 1400s as an observation deck with golden roof and 2,657 fire-gilded copper tiles. This is quite an attraction in the old town of Innsbruck.
- While in old town satisfy your hunger pangs at Strudel Café Kröll, a famous café located in the old town serving sumptuous traditional eats in Innsbruck.
Cable Cars for Views from the Top
Innsbruck has various cable cars that can take you to different mountains for amazing views of the Alps and the Innsbruck city located in the valley. You can take cable cars from the city to the Nordkette Mountains to reach Hermann Buhl Square, Hafelekar Peak, or Karwendel – Europe’s highest zoo and Austra’s biggest nature park. There are many more viewpoints along these main ones which have breathtaking views of Innsbruck and Alps.
Ambras Castle
Located just outside of Innsbruck is this renaissance castle and palace called Ambras. The castle was built in 16th century on the site of a 10th-century castle. This castle served as a residence of Archduke Ferdinand II between 1563 and 1595. Ferdinand II was a prominent art collector and converted mediaeval fortress at Ambras into renaissance castle as a gift to his wife. A museum of art was also the part of that castle making it one of the first museums in the world.
Swarovski Kristallwelten
This museum was built in 1995 to mark the 100th anniversary of Austria based, world renowned for quality and designs, a crystal company Swarovski. Here the brand showcases its craftsmanship through exhibitions, crystal tree gardens, and art installations. If you are looking for glitter and bling, do visit this museum when you are in Innsbruck.
