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- A City and Ski Holiday in Innsbruck
The Tyrolean capital is surrounded by snowy mountains in winter, with local Alpine resorts serving up a wicked variety of ski terrain. Add the interest of the city itself and you’ve got a top ski destination.
Forget the classic ski resort holiday and pick this city as a base for your next ski trip for the best of both worlds. Ringed with mountains, the city of Innsbruck has a unique beauty and old-world charm, as well as easy access to more than a dozen ski resorts under an hour from the city, some even accessible from the town centre. It offers a different kind of ski experience. And while it doesn’t have ski-in, ski-out convenience, what it does have is beautiful architecture, cosy pubs, wine bars and restaurants aplenty, plus a multitude of alternative activities on its doorstep.
Landing into Innsbruck airport is impressive in itself. While most Alpine airports are on the edge of the mountains, Innsbruck sits in the middle of the Alps in a bowl surrounded by towering peaks. It makes for an exhilarating descent, with the city centre just 15 minutes away. City sights, day trips, winter-long Christmas markets – that’s before you’ve even got to the skiing…
Here’s why this Austrian city should top your skiing short list…
Sports on snow and ice – that’s what the Innsbruck region is known for, at least in winter. Whether you want to carve down perfectly groomed slopes, explore the snow-covered alpine landscape on a winter hike or brave one of many toboggan runs, you’re guaranteed to find what you’re looking for in the mountains surrounding Innsbruck. And if it’s less about the mountain culture and more about visiting this historic city in its beautiful setting, then Innsbruck itself has more than enough.
The Key to the City and Its Ski Resorts
Do you like to be flexible and spontaneous on holiday, taking each day as it comes? Or are you more the type to jam pack the days with activity and adventure, to make the most of your break away? Whatever your holiday mode, the SKI Plus CITY Pass is the perfect aid, offering plenty of activity ideas, depending on your mood and the weather, with entrance to 22 cultural attractions, as well as access to 12 ski resorts local to Innsbruck and in the Stubai Valley. Ski Kühtai one morning, Patscherkofel the next, followed by an afternoon at the Stubai glacier. Then how about a visit to the Alpine Zoo, one of the highest in the world? Or a trip to art-museum Swarovski Crystal Worlds with exhibitions in the Chambers of Wonder? And perhaps an evening walk through the magical light park, LUMAGICA? It’s all included…
Sign up to the SKI Plus CITY Pass to explore more of the Innsbruck region for less. More snow experiences, more skiing, more action, more city and culture for maximum holiday fun.
The Skiing
With 12 ski resorts covered on one pass, totalling 265km of slopes, plus many more resorts easily accessed in the region (like mega resort Ischgl, just an hour’s drive away), skiing is the top activity in the Innsbruck region during winter.
Take Nordkette, accessed by cable car right from the centre of town via the Hungerburgbahn Valley Station, an architectural masterpiece by Zaha Hadid, for mind-blowing views over Innsbruck and across the impressive Karwendel Nature Park in which it sits. The skiing is infamously steep with mostly off-piste terrain, perfect for a day following a storm. Or, head out of town in the other direction onto the slopes of Patscherkofel for the ultimate groomed pistes.
Jump on the bus to the high, north-facing slopes of the Stubai glacier for top quality snow and wide-open, intermediate piste skiing perfection. Or head to Schlick 2000 in the valley below the Stubai glacier, home to more mellow blues.
Fancy an Olympic-standard superpipe? Then head for Kühtai, with its huge skiable vertical and fun après scene.
And that’s just a handful of the resorts… Suffice to say there’s a huge variety of terrain right on the city’s doorstep, perfect to mix and match for an active and varied ski holiday to Innsbruck.
Alternative Winter Activities in the Innsbruck Region
Winter Fun on a Toboggan
Take the cable car to the top of the hill, enjoy dinner or a drink at a mountain hut, then speed down a perfectly groomed toboggan run. This is sledding the Austrian way.
One of the region’s longest runs is found at Rangger Köpfl, with the option to up the ante and walk an extra 1.4km to the Rosskogelhütte mountain hut from the Sulzstich gondola to make it a mega 8km run from start to finish.
Night tobogganing is on every Tuesday and Friday between 6.30pm and 9.30pm (snow conditions permitting) and promises to be a truly memorable experience.
Enchanting Winter Hikes
The vast network of winter hiking trails across the Innsbruck region offers an alternative to skiing for those looking to take in the views. Whether it’s wandering the outskirts of the Tyrolean capital or heading high for views across the mountaintops, there’s kilometre upon kilometre of winter hiking pathways and snowshoeing trails.
Get Festive at One of Innsbruck’s Seven Christmas Markets
There’s nowhere more festive than Innsbruck in winter. Take the beauty of the historic old town, throw in some twinkling lights, hearty mountain food, warming glühwein and Austrian cheer, and you have yourself the most perfect Christmas market experience.
Colourful market stalls are packed between the city’s sights, with Austrian ‘Turmbläser’ (brass brands) pumping out the tunes – the festive cherry on the Christmas cake.
For something truly special, wander down Kiebachgasse in the city, parallel to Erzherzog-Friedrich-Straße. In December, it’s transformed into a fairytale street, as characters from folklore adorn the façades, windows and gables.
Marktplatz market square next to the River Inn is perfect for young families, with various children’s programmes put on during November and December, including puppet shows and storytelling. There’s also the beautiful carved carousel to ride round and round, the 14-metre-high crystal Christmas tree and the 60-or-so market stalls to peruse.
Open from 15 November to 23 December 2024.
For the best views of Innsbruck, visit the Panorama Christmas Market at Hungerburg. It’s easy to get to – simply take the Nordkettenbahnen funicular from the Congress lift station in the city centre. Expect hot punch, traditional Austrian snacks and market stalls filled with lovingly crafted Christmas decorations and gifts.
Open from 24 November 2024 to 6 January 2025.
Lumagica Innsbruck
An illuminating walk through Innsbruck’s Imperial Garden, transformed into a magical winter wonderland through magical light displays and interactive installations. Lumagica Innsbruck is returning to the city this winter for the fifth season running.
Open from 15 November 2024 to 2 February 2025.
How to get there
Direct flights to Innsbruck from London (Gatwick, Heathrow, Luton, Stansted), Birmingham, Bristol, Manchester, Edinburg, Newcastle.
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