Innsbruck is a scenic gateway to Austria. While not as big or museum-filled as Vienna, it is a very picturesque city, that should not be missed. It has a historic old Town along the river Inn nestled between the Alps on both sides. We spent 48 hours in Innsbruck over Easter.

Here are the top things to do if you plan a trip

Walk around old town Innsbruck

The city has its fair share of pretty and colorful buildings scattered all throughout the old town, giving it a quaint, yet quirky feel.

What took us completely by surprise was the nearness of the Alps- they felt close enough to touch! Also the unexpected sighting at the turn of a street corner, of majestic snow-capped mountains, made walking around even more worth it. Living in Switzerland we thought we were used to beautiful mountains, but these were quite breathtaking!

Golden roof

One of the most famous things to see in Innsbruck is the Goldenes Dachl or Golden Roof. It is hard to miss- just follow the tourists Recommend going to see it at night with fewer people around and a nice effect of the lights.

Swarovski World

Even if you aren’t a fan of crystals, a visit to Swarovski world is interesting. Located 15 min driving distance away from Innsbruck, it is easily accessible and makes for a good, short day trip. The entry fee will cost you 19 Euros but it quite interesting, an artistic take on crystals.

Tirol Panorama and Ski Jump

Recommended by most people, the visit to the ski jump is supposed to be a great way to soak in some more views of Innsbruck and the mountains around. We didn’t go, but can imagine that the panorama, especially from the coffee shop on top of the ski jump, could be quite beautiful.

Walking along River Inn

We visited Innsbruck around Easter, when the weather can be fairly unpredictable, ranging from snow to bright sunshine, but we did get lucky with a couple of nice sunny days, which made the stroll along the river Inn very pleasant indeed. We even scrambled right down to the river banks, though weren’t quite brave enough to take a dip in the water!

Eat the local food

And as always, we spent a good amount of time eating and drinking the local fare. The portions, like those in Bavaria and very unlike those in Switzerland, were huge. Be warned- one dish can likely feed 1.5 – 2 hungry people, even the pizza slices were huge!

The local hazelnut flavored schnapps was a very pleasant surprise, each warming, delicious mouth-full tasted like liquid Nutella with a little extra… we could’ve easily finished a lot more than we should have!

We also found a very interesting local beer (if you can call something thats 14% ABV beer!). Read about it here.

All in all, a very pleasant 48 hours in Innsbruck, the city named after the bridges on the river Inn. Highly recommended!

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