8 Best Things To Do In Innsbruck, Austria

1. Hofburg Palace

1/2 Innsbruck Hofburg inner court

2/2 Hofburg Innsbruck Giants Hall

The Hofburg Palace is the former Habsburg Palace of Innsbruck. It has impressively decorated rooms which you can visit by tour. Different sections are open at different times of the year so be sure to look ahead if there is something specific you are interested in. The entryways and throne room are probably the biggest draws. In July, free concerts in the courtyard are available.

Hofburg Palace

Address: Rennweg 1, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria

Website: Hofburg Palace

2. Tyrolean Folk Art Museum

The Tyrolean trade association had the idea for a Tyrolean trade museum in the late 1800s. The main goals of the museum was to give craftsmen in the area new ideas. In 1926, the Tyrolean chamber of trade and commerce gave the museum over to the county, who set it up to be publicly accessible. Thus we have the museum today, which was officially opened in 1929. The museum is housed in a former Franciscan monastery.

The items within the collection are from various social classes: the peasantry, the middle classes, and the nobility. It is centered on artisan craftwork, domestic industry, popular piety, and traditional costumes. An audio guide comes with the museum that will help describe everything on display. Not all items have a description though. All in all, the museum is an interesting look at Tyrolean life throughout the years and worth a quick visit.

Tyrolean Folk Art Museum

Address: Universitätsstraße 2, Innsbruck, Austria

Website: Tyrolean Folk Art Museum

3. Ambras Castle

Ambras Castle is a Renaissance palace in the hills above Innsbruck, originally built by Archduke Ferdinand II. It is easy to access for tourists and boasts lovely gardens. The park is open to the public, but the museum is only available through purchase of a ticket. The audio guide offers informative tidbits about the castle and all it holds. Exhibits are interesting and well displayed.

Ambras Castle

Address: Schloßstraße 20, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria

Website: Ambras Castle

4. St. James Cathedral

The Cathedral of St. James, also known as Innsbruck Cathedral, is an 18th-century Baroque cathedral. This cathedral was mentioned for the very first time in 1180. It was damaged badly by earthquakes in the 16th and 17th centuries but was rebuilt and remains to this day an important site. Albrecht Dürer, the famous German painter, has a famous watercolor of the Innsbruck Cathedral.

St. James Cathedral

Address: Dompl. 6, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria

Website: St. James Cathedral

5. Golden Roof

The Golden Roof, or Goldenes Dachl, is one of the most well known and famous landmarks in Innsbruck. The Golden Roof is decorated with 2,657 fire-gilded copper tiles, all still original. They form the roof of a balcony that Emperor Maximilian I added to the Neuhof building in the 1500s. There is also a Golden Roof Museum where you can view exhibits that tell the story of the building, its creator, and the centuries old city of Innsbruck.

Goldenes Dachl

Address: Herzog-Friedrich-Straße 15, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria

Website: Goldenes Dachl (in German)

6. Kristallwelten

1/2 Outside Swarovski 06

2/2 Swarovski Kristallwelten 25 Galerie

Kristallwelten, or Crystal Word, is about 20 minutes outside of Innsbruck in Wattens, Austria. The museum was built in 1995, celebrating Swarovski crystal, an Austrian based company. Artists from all over the world contributed to this museum, interpreting crystal how they saw fit. It is a truly delightful place, full of shimmering, shining crystals, displayed in unusual, interactive elements. It will entertain and interest both the young and the old alike.

Every year, Swarovski Crystal World updates and revives itself, adding new elements for guests to experience. The museum also hold summer outdoor programs, such as yoga and open air cinemas, and a Winter Wonderland element starting in November. The cafe and restaurant here is also excellent.

Kristallwelten

Address: Kristallweltenstraße 1, 6112 Wattens, Austria

Website: Kristallwelten

7. City Tower

While in Innsbruck, be sure to climb the City Tower. 133 steps will get you to the top where you can look out over the rooftops of the city, pretending to be a tower guard in the middle ages. There are fantastic views of Bergisel, Patscherkofel Mountain, the River Inn and the Nordkette Mountain range. The City Tower is even older than the Golden Roof, completed in 1450. The tower was considered very tall in those days and was a proud symbol of the city. The dome was added 100 years after it was originally build.

City Tower

Address: Herzog-Friedrich-Str. 21, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria

Website: City Tower

8. Hofkirche

The Hofkirche, known as Court Church, is a Gothic church and mausoleum in the old town of Innsbruck. It was build by Emperor Ferdinand I as a memorial to his grandfather Emperor Maximilian I in 1553. The church holds the elegant black marble tomb of Emperor Maximilian, surrounded by 24 marble reliefs showing his accomplishments, as well as 28 statues of his real and legendary ancestors, including King Arthur of England.

Maximilian I, who died in 1519, was never actually moved here from his original burial place south of Vienna. Tyrol’s national hero, Andreas Hofer, is also buried within the Hofkirche. The Silver Chapel is up the stairs opposite the entrance. It boasts a striking altar with a silver embossed wooden Madonna. The chapel was built as the tomb of Archduke Ferdinand II and his wife, Philippine Welser, in 1578. The church shares an entrance with the Tyrolean Folk Art Museum. Combination tickets are available.

Hofkirche

Address: Universitätsstraße 2, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria

Website: Hofkirche

Outdoors & history: much to be enjoyed

Innsbruck is a great place to visit if you are an outdoors lovers; with beautiful mountain hikes and excellent skiing. But even if you are not interested in outdoor activities, it has plenty to offer, from rich history to interesting museums. Be sure to check out some of these suggestions on your next trip there!