We spent the day in the famous city of Innsbruck, Austria on our road trip across the Alps from Liechtenstein to the Italian Dolomites. Innsbruck is a well-known city throughout Europe and we were thrilled to be able to visit.
It is beautiful and in the mountains. Innsbruck is definitely worth visiting if you have the chance.
About Innsbruck, Austria
Innsbruck is the capital of Tyrol, a region in Austria known for the mountains. It is famous as a host for the Winter Olympics on multiple occasions. There is a lot of history that has taken place in Innsbruck as it has been occupied for thousands of years, even before the Roman Empire.
Walking Tour of Innsbruck, Austria
If you are visiting Innsbruck for only a day (like we did), I recommend walking through the town to get a feel for it and explore all of the main attractions the city has to offer. The stops here are listed in relative order as you will encounter them, but feel free to start your journey at any point in this list.
Triumphpforte
Start your journey at the Triumphpforte, which marks the edge of the city center. The giant stone arch looks like a Roman-style arch, but it is only a few hundred years old and was erected by the Empress of the city in 1765 to celebrate her son’s wedding. The arch was created from local stone and is covered in relief carvings. Once you walk through the arch, you will be on the main street: Maria-Theresien Strabe (road).
Spitalskirche zum Heiligen Geist Innsbruck “Church in the Heart of the City”
The “Church in the Heart of the City” is a large church that is an iconic building along the main pedestrian street in the center of Innsbruck. The church is pink and has a bell tower that you can see for several blocks around. Inside the church, there are beautiful artworks.
It is free to visit the church and it is open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. You must be quiet and respectful during your visit, but otherwise you can walk around and enjoy the beautiful and peaceful church.
Annasaule
The Annasaule is an iconic column at the heart of Innsbruck. Mary is at the top of the statue and it was erected out of red marble over 300 years ago. The statue is in honor of a war succession in 1703. All of the main statues on the column have been replaced by copies and the originals can be viewed at the Old Country House in Innsbruck.
Swarovski Crystal World
Swarovski crystals were originally created in a town near Innsbruck. In Innsbruck there is the Swarovski Crystal World. The main crystal world is located outside of the city center, but in the city center you can find their main shop which is multiple stories and has a lot of different crystals on display. Even if buying Swarovski crystals isn’t in your budget, it is a cool store to walk through and look at all of the various displays.
Golden Roof
The Golden Roof is a big tourist attraction in Innsbruck. Around the year 1500, the emperor wanted to cover the roof of his porch with golden tiles. 2,657 gold tiles make up the roof, which glimmers in the sunshine. You can see the roof from down below on the street, but if you’re interested in learning more about the roof and the history of it, there is a museum for the Golden Roof. The cost of the museum is around 5 euros as of 2023.
Old buildings (some from the 1300s) if you walk along the street that leads up to the Golden Roof (Herzog-Friedrich-Strabe.
Innbrucke
Innbrucke is the iconic bridge in Innsbruck that has views of the mountains and rainbow-colored houses. The word “Innbrucke” means “bridge over the Inn.” The bridge was first built in the 1300’s and was the only bridge over the river for many years. It was a toll bridge for the town and was the only way to get to Innsbruck for over 200 years. Walk on the bridge to get views of the bridge, water, and colorful buildings with the mountains in the background.
Hofburg Innsbruck
If you’re looking for more of an indoor activity on your walking tour, check out the Hofburg Innsbruck. It is one of the main museums in Innsbruck and has so much to see. It is also considered one of the most significant buildings in the country of Austria. Inside it is full of ornate rooms and history.
More information for tickets can be found on their website.
Tiroler Speckeria
The region of Tirol is known for their cured meats, specifically speck. I love speck and of course had to try the Tiroler Speckeria. They have options for take-out and sit down. We decided to sit down and do the charcuterie lunch. It is a sampler charcuterie and there is no choice of which meats you get, but all of the ones on our platter were delicious. It is priced by person and was a little expensive (around 20 euros per person with drinks), but absolutely delicious.
Some things on our platter included tirol speck, pancetta, truffle salami, venison speck, local cheese, fennel bread, and homemade pretzels, all of which were so delicious. Despite the price, we thought it was really good and worth it.
Weave up little shopping streets
There are a ton of cute little streets in the city center of Innsbruck. One of my favorite streets was Riesengasse Street. There are many cute shops on this street and also large tall troll statues towering over the streets.
Try Austrian Pastries
There are a ton of great bakeries and pastry shops in Innsbruck. Many little places sell famous strudel and other Austrian baked goods. There are many options, but some highly rated ones include Strudel Café Kroll and Backerei Kroll.
This concludes my walking tour in the city center of Innsbruck, Austria. To find all of the locations on the map, check out my Google Maps list which includes all of the places listed above!
Google Maps Link to Innsbruck, Austria List
Visiting the Alps soon? Check out some of my other posts based in the Alps:
Santa Caterina di Val Furva, Italy Guide
The most beautiful rifugio in the Alps: Rifugio Oberto Maroli
I hope that this walking tour of Innsbruck, Austria helps you have an awesome time in Innsbruck or inspires you to visit. Let me know any comments or questions you have below!
Thanks for reading!
-Liz
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