After 3 days in Münich for Oktoberfest 2019, 2 days in Füssen and a day in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, my husband and I spent one day/night in Innsbruck. This itinerary is based on that experience. Want more visual inspiration? Check out the video of the trip!
Transportation and Accommodation: We took the 1.5 hour train from Garmisch-Partenkirchen. This was a beautiful train ride through and on the edge of mountains. We stayed in the center of town at KAISER MAX Design Appartements; normally this would be out of our price range, but we must have had a weird date or cancellation, because we got the room for over 50% discount.
Afternoon:
Arriving at Innsbruck Hbf a little before midday, we stopped at Strudel Cafe Kroll for delicious strudel and a coffee. After checking in, we explored the Altstadt (oldtown, the buildings here are beautiful, so its worth just wandering through the streets. We went to the Innsbruck Information center; and climbed up to the observation deck (133 steps, 4€). In this area there is also the Golden Roof.
We then decided to do a large loop; walking across the Innbrücke to the other side of the river, we saw the picturesque “Colourful Houses”. We then walked alongside the river, until we got to the next bridge, Universitätsbrücke, and crossed back over. We went to see the Triumphpforte and then the St. Anne's Column. We then stopped by the 360° Cafe; probably the coolest bar I have ever been to. You have to go into the RathausGalerien shopping center, and take the elevator up. We enjoyed a beer outside, with a view of the mountains.
Evening:
We had an early dinner at Machete - Burrito Kartell. As silly as it sounds to eat Mexican food in Austria, after a week of eating Bavarian food, we needed a change. Plus, good Mexican food is difficult to find in The Netherlands, so we gave this place a shot, and it did not disappoint!
Continuing our sightseeing, we passed by multiple churches including the Hospital Church of the Holy Spirit, the Hofkirche mit Silberner Kapelle and the Dom zu St. Jakob. We then did a loop through Innsbrucker Hofgarten and across the Innseg bridge, where we watched some river surfers. Finally, we walked down and crossed the Innbrücke again to see the Colored Houses in the sunset light. As it was night seven of our vacation, we were exhausted. As a result, we grabbed some snacks at the grocery store and relaxed in the hotel room. It had a view overlooking the Golden Roof, so we were able to watch the hustle and bustle from afar.
Morning:
For our final day of the trip, we went to Der Bäcker Ruetz - Altstadt Innsbruck for a coffee and pastry. We then checked out of our hotel and headed to the train station; there are lockers here so we were able to store our luggage. We took a 30 minute train ride to Hall in Tirol; we wandered around the town and admired the beautiful cobbled streets. Some highlights include the Pfarrkirche St. Nikolaus, St. Magdalena Kapelle and the Herz-Jesu-Basilika. There is also Burg Hasegg, the birthplace of the dollar. After lunch at a local cafe, it was time to head back to Innsbruck for our bags, and then off to the airport.
Foods to Try: Viennese Apfelstrudel, Wiener Schnitzel, Vienna Sausage, Knödel, Tiroler Gröstl, Käsespätzle, Kaiserschmarrn, Buchteln, Spargel
If you have more time:
Nordkette Cable Car; It is convenient as it is right in the center of town, it is 40€ for a round trip, you can pay an extra 5€ to go to the zoo.
Bergisel Ski Jump; for a more unique and much cheaper overlook experience, you can go to the top of this ski jump.
General Travel Tips:
Figure out an idea of sites you want to see; this will determine a centralized area for where you should stay.
Utilize Google reviews when looking for something to eat. General rule, stay away from streets with lots of neon signs.
Mark everything on your google maps. Google is also (in my opinion) the best pedestrian and bike navigation app.
Other: Planning for a trip, especially overseas, can be stressful and overwhelming. Hopefully this gave you an idea of things to do in Innsbruck for a day. If you are planning on being in the area, check out my blogs on Münich, Füssen, Garmisch-Partenkirchen and Berlin. I try to do as many quick links as possible, to send you directly to the website so you can get the most accurate and up-to-date information possible (fees and timetables).
Comment with any questions, and if you found this helpful, subscribe!
Safe and Happy Wandering.
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