The gorgeous spot at – Innsbruck – the heart of Austria’s Tyrol is wonderful for a short visit with a touch of skiing – or vice versa
Innsbruck is a magical coming together of history and art, good food and nightlife, and yet ski areas surround it. Visit at any time of year and there’s plenty to see and do while in winter skiers get free transport to a host of resorts
The small, classical city is a splendid place to wander, amongst the stylish shops, along the river, up on the hills that give way to lofty mountains, and there’s plenty more to do nearby.
Why go
No matter how much you like skiing, there’s sometimes a feeling that you never get to see much other than the slopes, your hotel or apartment and a bar or two, missing out on everything else that’s out there… not least the country and the culture.
Here there’s a city at your door, full of sights and sophistication. Come for a short break and you can mix two or three ski resorts with sightseeing and a lifestyle that’s a step up from slopeside bars and frenzied nightspots. Come for a week and, with a bit of organisation you could visit a new resort each day, each with a short, uplifting journey through the mountains.
The skiing
There are 13 ski areas circling Innsbruck on the Ski Plus City pass. There’s free transport to a number of them for visitors, a combination of shuttle pick-ups around town to the railway station from where most buses (many of them scheduled services) start. And you don’t need to show a lift pass – a free card given out at your hotel qualifies, meaning non-skiers can get around too. Here are five of the best…
Axamer Lizum is the biggest ski area immediately surrounding Innsbruck, more than 25 miles of runs, and only 30 minutes from the centre. Good snow conditions with a high point of almost 7,650ft, reached by the modern 10-seater Hoadlbahn gondola and site of the gigantic, futuristic, glass Hoadl-Haus bar/snack bar/restaurant with Austria’s largest covered sun terrace.
Stubai is Austria’s biggest ski glacier, 40 miles of runs with a high of 10,500ft – and skiing right through from October until June. Lots of reds and blues, even blacks, with off-piste itineraries upping the ski mileage, and a six-mile run to the bottom. Fifty minutes from downtown.
Muttereralmis only 20 minutes from downtown, a pretty little place (10 miles of runs), mainly reds and blues perfect for families although there are faster challenges, such as the long red that sweeps down to the village of Götzens.
Kuhtai the highest ski village in Austria, mostly a single street on a snowy mountain pass at 6,600ft yet only 45 minutes from downtown Innsbruck. Fast, above treeline cruises, sweep down on both sides of the road but there’s some fun off-piste from a rocky outcrop above the reservoir. A free 10-minute bus hop gets you to Hochoetz (and back) at the entrance to the Oetz valley (home to Solden and Gurgl), much lower and with pretty runs twisting between the trees.
Schlick 2000, 30 minutes from downtown, sits above the Stubai valley with lofty views. Only 15 miles of runs but a neat collection of blues (one snaking down to the base station at Fulpmes), plenty of reds and a few blacks amid jagged, snowy peaks.
Top of Innsbruck
That’s what they call it and Nordkette, overlooking the city, accepts no argument. The Seegrubenbahn cable car lifts you from Hungerburg, itself at 2,820ft, to Seegrube at 6,250ft where there’s a small ski area with a couple of lifts. Brave enough? Then the Hafelekabahn cable car rises to 7,400ft and Hafelekar, dizzying and distant, is home to a small bar and restaurant – and off-piste trails that are among Europe’s steepest. Skiing or not (and when I was there in February, the wind was gusting, the clouds were swirling and it was very cold, only a few brave souls disappearing over the edge into the powder), Nordkette is must-see with its breathtaking city views.
And the first part of the journey is special, too – the contemporary Hungerburgbahn funicular that starts underground close to the city centre riverbank and rises through forest to Hungerberg, each futuristic station building designed by architect Zaha Hadid. Call year-round at the Alpenzoo, the world’s only zoo centred on Alpine creatures, from marmots to ibex, beavers to brown bears.
In the city
Innsbruck is a city of small streets, historic pedestrian thoroughfares, ancient squares and classical buildings. The Hofkirche is beautiful, but its central attraction is the tomb of Emperor Maximilian I – although the ornate creation isn’t actually his tomb as the Hapsburg Empire’s ruler chose instead to rest in his home city far away and what turned out to be his memorial wasn’t completed until 85 years after his death. Of 28 lifesize bronze statues guarding the tomb, look out for our own mythical King Arthur. Maximilian’s grandiose Imperial Palace is another place to visit – it, like many other attractions is on the City Plus Ski pass.
Out of town
Bergisel Ski Jump A modernistic masterpiece designed by architect Zaha Hadid rising 120ft from the top of the ridge overlooking the city. A funicular glides at an angle to the top with a lift through the tower stem to the metallic high point where there’s an outside deck with views across the city to the Nordkette and you can look down the hair-raising slope, or muse with a coffee in the coolly modern SKY Cafe. Go in the morning when the café serves its expansive BIO Breakfast, as much as you can eat, whether Bavarian veal sausage with pretzels and sweet mustard or vegan waffles, with a glass of fizz. €33.50 but you save the €11 entry fee.
Swarovski Crystal Worlds An indoor-outdoor theme park experience based around the jewellery giant. Chambers of Wonder, 18 of them, glitter and flash with light shows, crystals and mirrors while elsewhere there’s also everything from art (Andy Warhol’s flashy Gems) to the glittering Swarovski wellies Elton John worse at Glastonbury 2023 to a necklace Kate Winslet wore in Titanic. Outside are park-like gardens filled with art installations such as Carousel, a fairground ride that at first looks historic but which is actually the work of Spanish artist Jaime Hayon and features 15 million Swarovski crystals – it’s free to ride and, like much else, great for children.
Where to eat and drink in Innsbruck
Das Schindler A cool, upstairs spot on pretty, traffic-free Maria-Theresien Strasse. Recognised by the Gault Millau cuisine ratings, and a place locals go for a night out, it specialises in Austrian dishes, such as crispy baked young venison with local vegetables including marinated radishes and Tyrolean brown trout with pearl barley and turnips.
Restaurant weitsicht sits spectacularly on the 12th floor of the aDLERS Lifestyle Hotel. The modern block is unassuming from the outside but with glass walls and terrace in the fabulously long room there are views of city and mountains like no other. The Tyrol meets a world of flavours – beef tartare from Tyrolean grey cattle, fish and chips involving vodka and purple potatoes or kohlrabi, the ‘cabbage turnip’, with lime, parsley and couscous.
Flo-Jo’s A dark and colourful old town haunt where Wiener schnitzel sits alongside quesadillas, surrounded by big steaks followed by applestrudel. Drinks from margaritas to limoncello and beers from both sides of the Atlantic.
Kroll – the Strudel-Café as it’s known, in a tiny side street. There’s a coffee bar atmosphere under the ancient arched ceiling but while apple might be at the core, there are dozens of sweet and savoury fillings… ham, spicy, veggie, a constantly changing selection from somewhere that’s been open almost 50 years.
Where to stay in Innsbruck
Stage 12 sits on the historic pedestrian thoroughfare, handily opposite Das Schindler, but with its entrance and bar tucked away in a courtyard. Contemporary style in an ancient building. Perfect for walking around the old part of town and not far from the river. And the bar is a hip, lively spot.
The Goldener Adler is the heart of the old town, just as it has been since 1390. Famous visitors? Too many to list but Mozart and Wagner were here, as well as astronaut John Glenn and writer John Paul Sartre. Medieval and magnificent.
Fact file
Ski Plus City pass covers 13 ski areas and 23 attractions, including Swarovski, the Alpine Zoo and many museums. It is €187 for three days, €324 for six. Booking and full details: innsbruck.info
EasyJet has flights to Innsbruck from London Gatwick, Luton, Manchester and Bristol.
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