Holidays in Innsbruck

Nestled in the heart of the Austrian Alps, Innsbruck is a beautiful city, surrounded by inspiring scenery.

Innsbruck is an ideal destination for a holiday in Austria all year-round. The Alps and the Tuxer mountains become a skiing mecca during the winter months and even in the summer you can ski on the nearby Stubai Glacier, which stands just a short distance to the south of central Innsbruck. Austria's fifth largest town has twice hosted the prestigious Winter Olympic Games, in 1964 and again in 1976, and more recently was the site for some of the games in the Euro 2008 football championships.

Innsbruck city

The attractive medieval Old Town (Altstadt) is home to some superb architecture and there are plenty of shops and attractions to keep you busy. The city's extravagant Golden Roof is a must see on a break in Innsbruck as is the Alpine Zoo and the University Botanical Gardens. There are also a number of museums, a castle and a cathedral and Innsbruck holidays also offer a good selection of shops, bars and restaurants with something for all tastes.

The city has a good public transport system with plenty of buses and trains. Innsbruck airport is the closest to the town but visitors coming to Innsbruck for a holiday also fly into Munich which is just two and a half hours away. Innsbruck has a continental climate. Winters are generally cold and snowy whilst summers can be warm with temperatures reaching 30 degrees, however, the altitude, distance from the sea and surrounding mountains make this a cooler area and the temperature drops at night even in the summer. Warmer spells are usually followed by cooler air and rain.

Getting around Innsbruck

If you are going to explore Innsbruck's attractions, museums and use public transport, then a good place to start would be the tourist office where you can pick up a tourist card which allows you free use of public transport and free entrance and use of many different things in the town. Start in the medieval old town and check out the architecture on some of the buildings, view monuments and get a general feel for Innsbruck's long and interesting history. Stop in one of Innsbruck's traditional restaurants and try some of the local specialties or visit one of the many international offerings in town with influences from across the world including Italy and Asia. A great place to see Alpine animals, and admire the fantastic views from the top of the mountain, is to head for the Alpine Zoo. You can catch a bus or ride the Funicular up to Europe's highest zoo and you may see certain species of Alpine animal (from the 2000 animals and 150 species at the zoo) that would not normally feature anywhere else. Wherever and whatever you decide to do on your holiday in Innsbruck, you can be sure of an enjoyable time high up in the Tyrolean Alps.