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Innsbruck packs a surprising amount into its compact alpine setting: a medieval Old Town, two Olympic ski mountains, Habsburg imperial palaces, and one of the most dramatic urban-to-alpine transitions anywhere in Europe. The Nordkette cable car takes you from the city centre to 2,300 metres in under 30 minutes, and the city itself is small enough to cover on foot in a weekend. Here are the top things to do in Innsbruck, organised by category.
Things to Do in Innsbruck: Historic Sights and Architecture
The Golden Roof (Goldenes Dachl)
The Golden Roof is Innsbruck’s defining landmark. Built around 1500 for Emperor Maximilian I, this late Gothic oriel has a roof covered with 2,657 fire-gilded copper tiles that still catch the sun 500 years later. It sits on the facade of the Neuer Hof building at Herzog-Friedrich-Strasse 15 in the heart of the Altstadt. The Golden Roof Museum inside covers three floors and explains Maximilian’s life and Innsbruck’s role in the Holy Roman Empire. Entry is 5.50 euros for adults, and the museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 AM to 5 PM (closed Mondays). The best photos are from the opposite side of the narrow street in the morning light.
Hofburg Imperial Palace
The Hofburg was the Habsburg imperial palace in Innsbruck, originally built in the 15th century and completely remodelled in baroque style by Empress Maria Theresa in the mid-1700s. The highlight is the Giant’s Hall (Riesensaal), a 31-metre-long state room with ceiling frescoes and portraits of Maria Theresa’s children. The imperial apartments show how the Habsburgs lived when visiting Tyrol. Admission is 9.50 euros for adults, open daily 9 AM to 5 PM. The palace is at Rennweg 1, a 3-minute walk from the Altstadt. Allow 90 minutes for a visit.
Ambras Castle (Schloss Ambras)
Ambras Castle sits on a hill above Innsbruck, about 10 minutes by bus from the city centre on the Sightseer bus line. Built in the 16th century by Archduke Ferdinand II, it houses one of Europe’s oldest museums: the Chamber of Art and Curiosities, an encyclopaedic collection of armour, scientific instruments, exotic objects, and portraits. The Spanish Hall, a 43-metre Renaissance festival hall with wooden ceilings and 27 full-length portraits of Tyrolean rulers, hosts classical concerts during the Innsbrucker Festwochen. The castle gardens are free to visit. Museum entry is 12 euros for adults, open daily 10 AM to 5 PM (closed in November).
Hofkirche (Court Church)
The Hofkirche is the memorial church for Emperor Maximilian I, built 1553 to 1563 next to the Hofburg. The centrepiece is an empty black marble cenotaph (Maximilian is actually buried in Wiener Neustadt), surrounded by 28 larger-than-life bronze statues of his ancestors and heroes including King Arthur. These Schwarzman figures, cast by the same foundry that worked on the Golden Roof tiles, are considered masterpieces of Renaissance bronze casting. Entry is 7 euros, open Monday to Saturday 9 AM to 5 PM, Sunday 12:30 to 5 PM.
Things to Do in Innsbruck: Mountain and Outdoor Activities
Nordkette Cable Car (Nordkettenbahnen)
The Nordkette journey is three stages: the Hungerburg funicular from the Congress station in town (designed by Zaha Hadid), the Seegrube cable car to 1,905 metres, and the Hafelekar cable car to 2,300 metres. From Hafelekar, on a clear day you can see the border with Italy and the Stubai and Zillertal Alps in a 360-degree panorama. The Seegrube station has a restaurant and terrace with direct views of Innsbruck below. A round-trip ticket to Hafelekar costs about 37 euros for adults. In winter this is a ski area; in summer it is a hiking and paragliding launch point. The cable car runs daily from 8:30 AM, with the last descent around 5:45 PM in summer (shorter hours in winter).
Patscherkofel
Patscherkofel (2,248 metres) is Innsbruck’s Olympic mountain, host of the 1964 and 1976 Winter Games downhill races. The gondola leaves from Igls, a village 5 km south of Innsbruck reachable by tram line 6 from the city centre (20 minutes). The summit has a restaurant, panoramic terrace, and access to the Zirbenweg (Stone Pine Trail), a 7 km high-altitude walk through ancient Swiss stone pine forests with constant views of the Inn Valley. The gondola operates year-round, roughly 8:30 AM to 5 PM, with extended hours in summer. Return ticket adult price is about 25 euros. The Olympic downhill course (Olympiaabfahrt) is still skiable in winter.
Alpenzoo Innsbruck
The Alpenzoo is Europe’s highest zoo at 750 metres on the Hungerburg plateau, reachable via the Hungerburg funicular or a steep 30-minute walk from town. It houses about 2,000 animals from 150 alpine species, including ibex, bearded vultures, lynx, brown bears, and wolves, all in natural hillside enclosures. The zoo focuses exclusively on Alpine fauna and operates a successful bearded vulture reintroduction program. Entry is 12 euros for adults, open daily 9 AM to 5 PM (until 6 PM in summer). Plan 2 to 3 hours.
Things to Do in Innsbruck: Museums and Culture
Tyrolean State Museum (Tiroler Landesmuseum Ferdinandeum)
The Ferdinandeum on Museumstrasse 15 covers Tyrolean art, history, and archaeology from the Stone Age through the 20th century. The standout collection is the Gothic art wing with carved wooden altarpieces from Tyrolean churches, including works by Michael Pacher. The museum also has a significant collection of Dutch Golden Age paintings. Entry is 11 euros, open Tuesday to Sunday 9 AM to 5 PM, closed Mondays. A combined ticket for five Tyrolean State Museums costs 14 euros.
Grassmayr Bell Foundry and Museum
The Grassmayr family has been casting bells in Innsbruck since 1599, making it one of the oldest continuously operating family businesses in Europe. The museum on Leopoldstrasse 53 explains the science and art of bell casting, and the sound room lets you experience bell tones at close range. Grassmayr bells ring in cathedrals across 100 countries. Entry is 8 euros for adults, open Monday to Friday 9 AM to 5 PM, Saturday 9 AM to 12 PM. The workshop can be observed through viewing windows on weekdays.
Things to Do in Innsbruck: Day Trips
Swarovski Crystal Worlds (Wattens)
Swarovski Crystal Worlds in Wattens is 20 minutes east of Innsbruck by bus (line 412 from the main station). Created in 1995 for the crystal company’s centenary, it is an art-and-crystal experience built around a giant’s head emerging from a hillside, with water streaming from its mouth. Inside, 18 Chambers of Wonder by different artists and designers use crystal as their medium. The surrounding garden has a crystal cloud made of 800,000 hand-mounted crystals floating over a black mirror pool. Entry is 23 euros for adults, open daily 9 AM to 7 PM. The shuttle bus from Innsbruck costs about 9.50 euros return.
Stubai Glacier
The Stubai Glacier (Stubaier Gletscher), at 3,210 metres, is Austria’s largest glacier ski area and one of only a handful open for skiing 10 months of the year (mid-September through June). In summer, it offers snow sports, an ice grotto, and the Top of Tyrol viewing platform with 360-degree views of 109 peaks over 3,000 metres. It is about 45 minutes south of Innsbruck by car, or reachable by bus from Innsbruck main station (bus 590 to Neustift, then glacier bus). A summer sightseeing ticket costs about 23 euros. The air at the top is thin and temperatures rarely exceed 5 degrees Celsius even in August, so bring warm layers.
