How to Maximize your 24 hours in Innsbruck!
Whether you spend a month or 24 hours in Innsbruck, you are sure to fall in love with the town!
Innsbruck is often referred to as the “Jewel of the Austrian Alps” and you are going to realize why QUICKLY. With its pastel colored architecture, emerald-colored Inn River and backdrop of incredible mountains, it is picture perfect.
Plus, it has something for every season! It is a PERFECT ski spot, has incredible hiking in the summer and beautiful fall foliage in the autumn!
But, I get that there are a LOT of amazing places in Austria, so if you are combining a day in Innsbruck with other towns in Austria, here is how to maximize your 24 hours in Innsbruck!
Here is how to spend a day taking in incredible views of Innsbruck from the center of town all the way up to a ski slope view!
- 24 Hours in Innsbruck Summary
- Morning: Explore the City Center
- Afternoon: Take in Views from Above!
- What I'd Do with Another Day
- Recommended Accommodation
- Possible Money Saver
- 24 hours in Innsbruck Recap!
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24 Hours in Innsbruck Summary
Innsbruck is an incredible city! After visiting, I wished we had more time there!. But, it isn’t a giant city and you can certainly see a lot of it even with only one day in the city!
Morning: See the “painted ladies,” climb the Stadtturm, walk the Herzog-Fredrick-Straße & Maria-Theresien-Straße streets
Afternoon: Get views of the city from Licktblick Restaurant & the Bergisel Ski Jump
Morning: Explore the City Center
Our 24 hours in Innsbruck began mid-afternoon after driving from Munich following a morning walking tour of Munich. Once we arrived, we explored downtown Innsbruck and everything it had to offer.
Road Trip Austria?
If you are debating whether you want to rent a car or using public transportation, let me convince you that road-tripping through Austria is amazing!
You can certainly get from city-to-city via bus or train, but there are so many great places to stop between cities that you wouldn’t be able to see without a car!
See the “Painted Ladies”
Start your morning seeing the self-proclaimed “painted ladies of Innsbruck!” This is one of the most photographed sights of Innsbruck; the “instragrammable” location, if you will. So, start here before everyone else does.
The colorful row of houses lined by the beautiful water of the Inn river and backed by Austrian Alps really are beautiful and worth seeing!
They are located at Mariahilfstrasse, 6020, Innsbruck. You can see them from the Inn Bridge, but your best viewpoint is directly across the river near the Market Place. We found street parking, but there is a parking garage nearby!
And, these houses are located on the edge of the old city, so it makes for a good starting point for your day anyway!
Climb the Stadtturm
From the “painted ladies” take Herzog-Fredrick-Straß to the Stradtturn. This gives you the best views of the Golden Roof and square around it! This old town landmark dates back to 1450.
Climb the consists of 113 steps, peaking at an observation deck at 31 meters. It gives you a great 360 degree view of old town Innsbruck!
Cost: 4.50 euros per person
Swarvoski
Did you know that Swarvoski originated just outside of Innsbruck, Austria??
Down the road, in Wattens, Austria, is the Swarvoski Crystal World.
However, in downtown Innsbruck there is a Swarvoski shop where you can get a taste of the crystals and get your shopping done on a smaller scale
You can find crystal necklaces and trinkets for purchase as well as see the crazy display of items covered in crystals, like the grocery cart and items shown here →
Herzog-Fredrick-Straße & Maria-Theresien-Straße
You’ll notice that Herzog-Fredrick-Straße is one of the main pedestrian streets in Innbruck. It eventually turns into Maria-Theresien-Straße; both will take you to the main sites of downtown Innbruck!
You’ll notice the cute, eye-catching architecture first! Some of the most recognized buildings are the Helblinghaus with its floral decor and bay windows and the Golden Roof; all backed by the beautiful Austrian alps!
Take time enjoying the shops, boutiques, cafes and restaurants located down both of these streets!
Afternoon: Take in Views from Above!
Licktblick Restaurant views
Another great view of Innsbruck (though a different view from a different area of downtown Innsbruck) is at Licktblick restaurant.
It is located on the seventh floor of the Town Hall Galleries and is free to walk around!
You can opt for lunch here, which has great options for international cuisine and has a bar with more panoramic views.
Or, you can just take advantage of the free views!
The Triumphpforte is the unofficial start or end to Maria-Theresien-Straße, so from here you can continue and finish the walk if you would like!
Bergisel Ski Jump
One of the best views of Innsbruck is at the Bergisel Ski Jump!
It IS located more outside the city center, so you will need to either drive or take the bus.
Bergisel was home to the 1964 and 1976 winter Olympics and more recently the 2019 World Championships.
Even if it isn’t ski season or you aren’t in Innsbruck to try out the extreme sport of ski jumping, the views of the town are amazing from here!
Cost: 10 Euros
There is an elevator that takes you to two different stops, so don’t forget to keep going to the top!
The ski jump closes at 6:00pm, so be sure to time your day right!
What I’d Do with Another Day
Had we have had more time, I would have loved to ride up the cable cars during the day to do some hiking! With only one day in Innsbruck, it is hard to see the main town AND have time to ride up into the mountains.
However, with just one more day, or even half a day, I would definitely use it to climb UP INTO the mountains!
There are 4 different cable cars from Innsbruck that take you to different parts of the mountains.
The Nordkette takes you to the highest point in the mountains, but know that there are 4 different sections to the cable car, so ride all the way to Hafelekar and visit the Top of Innsbruck and the famous cross with the panoramic view of Innsbruck.
It is around 50 euros roundtrip, or free if you purchase the Innsbruck Card.
There are tons of hiking trials at different portions of the mountain as well, so if you are a hiking fan, Innsbruck is your place!
Recommended Accommodation
If you are having difficulty choosing where to stay, I would recommend the Hotel Heimgartl.
This is a bed and breakfast located on the Inn river with views of the mountains. Although it is on the opposite side of the river from the majority of the shops, it is close to the Inn bridge and only about a 5 minute walk to the Golden Roof and town square (not getting paid to say this 😉)
The B&B is nothing fancy, but it is:
- Is cute
- Clean
- Has free parking
- Free breakfast
- A good location
Possible Money Saver
Again, we didn’t have time to go up to the Top of Innsbruck or any part of the Nordkette cable car system. However, if you do plan to (which I recommend!), purchase an Innsbruck Card.
- It is 59 euros for 24 hours or 69 euros for 48 hours. The cost of the Nordkette cable car to the top is 47 euros alone and the card gets you into the Bergisel Ski Jump, the City Tower and more for free!!
For a list of everything the Innsbruck Card covers and to purchase your card, click here!
24 hours in Innsbruck Recap!
Innsbruck is a beautiful town. I wish we had had more time there, but you really can maximize a day there. Enjoy your 24 hours in Innsbruck! There is a reason it is called the “Jewel of the Alps.” If you have more time, take the itinerary and expand on it!
Click here for a 3-day itinerary to Innsbruck, Zell am See and Salzburg!
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