Winter in Innsbruck offers the unique combination of a fascinating and cultured European city break mixed with an Alpine skiing holiday.
The city has everything you could ask for from a cultural holiday. From wonderful museums and cultural attractions, to world class restaurants and bars, Innsbruck is worth a visit in itself.
Innsbruck has hosted two Winter Olympics in 1964 and 1976, as well as the 2012 Winter Youth Olympics. You can still see many of the facilities still being used today such as the Olympic Ski Jumping facility, which overlooks the city from above.
The unique combination of an Alpine skiing holiday with a cultural city break is what makes Innsbruck stand out as a holiday destination. All the family will find what they are looking for. Be it great slopes to ride, fancy souvenirs to shop for, cultural glimpses to catch sight of, or simply memories to be made.
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Here is Your Winter Guide to Skiing in Innsbruck:
Getting to Innsbruck
The city of Innsbruck has an airport located in the heart of Tirol, and is easily accessible with direct flights from most major UK airports including Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Bristol, Manchester and Birmingham.
Skiing and Snowboarding in and around Innsbruck
Looking for a winter holiday with plenty of variety? You should visit Olympia Ski World Innsbruck. This ski area includes thirteen resorts in the Innsbruck area, all easily accessible on the free ski bus and all within one pass.
Enjoy 300 kilometres of snow-guaranteed pistes, and 90 lifts and cable cars ready to delight winter sports enthusiasts of all ability levels.
The surrounding area of Innsbruck plays host to thirteen different ski resorts, all within a 20-45 minutes drive of the city.
The thirteen ski resorts include Nordkette-Seegrube, Patscherkofel, Axamer Lizum, Muttereralm, Rangger Köpfl, Glungezer, Schlick 2000, the Stubai Glacier and Kühtai, Austria’s highest ski village.
One Ski Pass For Thirteen Resorts
This ski pass gives you quick and easy access to fun on the slopes: the OlympiaWorld lift pass gives winter sports fans access to all thirteen ski resorts. This exclusive offer is reserved for guests of Innsbruck and its holiday villages.
Ski areas open in the first two weeks of December if the first snow arrives and are open until April. In Kühtai it starts earlier and lasts longer. And in Stubai you can also do glacier skiing from October until May.
The OlympiaWorld ski pass includes:
– 13 ski resorts – 90 lifts and cable cars – more than 300 km of pistes
– Snowmaking facilities for snow-sure pistes until well into spring
– Freeriding and snowboard fun parks
– Numerous touring routes and off-piste slopes
– Lift passes for individual resorts and combination passes for the Innsbruck ski area
– Free ski bus from Innsbruck to all 9 ski resorts
– Night skiing at Kühtai and Rangger Köpfl
Innsbruck Tourist Visitor Card
Small, sweet and the key to fantastic adventures: the Innsbruck Card offers many free services and attractive discounts for a truly fascinating alpine-urban experience in Innsbruck and its holiday villages. City flair, country air and peak enjoyment with just one ticket: for unique contrasts, remarkable attractions, historic treasures, impressive panoramic moments and nature right in the heart of Tyrol.
The Innsbruck Card is available for 24, 48 or 72 hours. Children aged 6 to 15 years enjoy a 50% discount.
This card is perfect for city explorers, nature lovers and culture enthusiasts. Numerous museums, the main attractions, lifts and cable cars up to the majestic Nordkette mountain range and other alpine hotspots are all free with the card. Then there is as well included the use of public transport on all IVB routes, travel on Innsbruck’s hop-on hop-off sightseeing bus and travel on the numerous lifts and cable cars around Innsbruck.
The Innsbruck Card is valid from the time when it is first used, not bought. It is valid for the precise time stated, so exactly 24, 48 or 72 hours after the first use.
All in all the Innsbruck Card gives you access to 19 museums, all 7 cable cars and all public transport in the city. Well worth it for your city ski break.
Fun Facts About Innsbruck
Innsbruck city height: 574m
Kühtai village height: 2017m
Stubai Glacier top slope height: 3210m
Kühtai is located 2,020 metres above sea level, and attracts winter sports fans with its natural winter scenery, snow guarantees, and high alpine charm.
The Stubai Valley also offers snow-sure skiing: Schlick 2000 enjoys a fantastic location in a high alpine valley with great natural snow and the Stubai Glacier is the ultimate
High altitude and snow sure – snow guarantee with pistes that extend up to altitudes of over 3,000 metres – guaranteeing excellent snow conditions and wonderful ski days above the clouds.
Places to Eat and Drink Around Innsbruck
With a huge selection of delicious restaurants, traditional bars, and cultural attractions, Innsbruck is truly the heart of Tirol.
Das Schindler
For the ultimate fine dining experience in Innsbruck try Das Schindler – it’s known as the place to be on the weekends. The style is contemporary and a lot of care is put into the preparation of their food.
All produce used is seasonal & regional, so this is the place to go for a truly authentic Austrian dining experience with the freshest ingredients.
Stiftskeller – Traditional Tirolian Beer Hall
For an authentic Tirol-style dining experience, go back in time to this traditional Austrian beer hall head to Stiftskeller, where you can find proper hospitality and local dishes.
This place has a perfect ambiance and friendly service, with hearty grub and refreshing beer on tap. Located in the old town of Innsbruck, you can find a perfectly tempered Augustiner beer in this superb beer hall, brewed according to the German Beer Purity Law of 1516.
Cafe Munding Innsbruck
The oldest confectionary cafe in Innsbruck and Tirol, the Cafe Munding building has been kept in this family since 1830.
Good luck choosing one cake from the endless options and choices. This is a great place to meet up with friends over a coffee and a chat. Spend some time relaxing away from the slopes.
Be sure to try the Golden Roof chocolate which is a speciality in Innsbruck – it makes a perfect gift for loved ones back home.
Place to Stay in Innsbruck
Stage 12
The STAGE 12 is an elegant 120 room city hotel, situated downtown. The 2017 build hotel is a combination of a larger new build part and a stunning historic building.
The hotel is perfectly located with stunning views of the surrounding mountains. The hotel offers a sauna, steam bath and fitness area, an urban style hotel bar and a generous breakfast buffet.
The old town including its landmark The Golden Roof is only 300 meters away. Also all other main attractions such as the Imperial Palace, the cathedral, ad the Tyrolean State Museum are only a few steps away. The same is true for the congress centre, the fair, the university, the university clinic and the city hall.
Other Activities
Sometimes the best thing to do in Innsbruck is just to get lost and wander around the city especially before sunset, taking in the medievel old school feel of this place. It’s very magical to explore and particularly places such as the Goldenes Dachl (Golden roof).
All the buildings are kind of sinking and slanted, which makes Innsbruck feel like it’s come straight out of a fairytale story.
The Ambras castle is a late renaissance castle that is now a national museum, housing a portrait collection, art & an armoury. There’s also Hofburg, a 16th-century, later Renaissance & Baroque imperial palace that hosts lavish interiors with frescoes. Wander past the Court Church to hear the chime of the Innsbruck Cathedral as the clock strikes 12.
You’ll also want to check out Stadtturm – a landmark watchtower built in the 1400s with an observation deck & a copper-clad onion dome. All of these historic attractions help to create the fairytale feel to the city of Innsbruck.
This city truly is a unique combination of an excellent ski destination with a cultural city break – a great travel destination for variety on your holiday.
The Bergisel Ski Jump
Go to the top of the Bergisel ski jump and enjoy the panoramic view from the restaurant after taking a cart to the top.
A great spot for the weekend as they have a brunch set up for those who want to enjoy the views of the city.
To make the most out of the weekend brunch, you can buy a combo ticket for the best value. Try the cake shaped like the ski jump for the ultimate Instagram cake photo!
Spur Art – Make Your Very Own Custom Ski or Snowboard
Do you want custom skis or a custom snowboard which is specially adapted to your needs and preferences? Which matches your style perfectly or even takes it to the next level? And do you want to select your very own ski and snowboard design or even create it yourself?
All of this is totally possible at Spurart, a ski and Snowboarding shop in Innsbruck, Tirol.
Over the length of a weekend you can take a course with the team at Spurart and create your very own skis or snowboard tailored made to you. This is an awesome wood-working shop located close to the city centre of Innsbruck. Find out more here: Build Your Own Custom Ski or Snowboard in Innsbruck, Tirol.
When considering your next adventure to the Austrian Alps, be sure to make Innsbruck and Tirol the top of your list.
Travel tip shared by Dave for Travel Dudes.
