Surrounded by a range of dramatic peaks, and a long-held location for winter sports, the charming, landlocked city of Innsbruck is Austria’s fifth biggest, situated around 500km east of the country’s capital, Vienna. The capital of Austria’s western state of Tirol is easily reachable by air from most UK airports, or, if you’re travelling by train, sits within two hours of Salzburg or Munich.
Stunning surroundings
Wandering the streets of Innsbruck in winter is a captivating experience. Impressive architecture greets you at almost every turn, from intricate, Baroque buildings like the Dom zu St Jakob – aka Innsbruck Cathedral – or the fairytale, wedding-cake-like Helblinghaus, to modernist structures such as the Adambrau, a former brewery now part of the university’s Architecture Department.
Strolling around during the festive season is even more atmospheric, with several cosy stops for mulled wine while browsing the city’s many Christmas markets; don’t miss the one in the Old Town, where the tree’s sparkling lights rival the reflections off the famous Goldenes Dachl. This Innsbruck landmark is the shiny, gilt-tiled ‘Golden Roof’ which sits atop a 16th century balcony formerly used by Emperor Maximilian I and his wife to observe festivals and celebrations in the square below. Munch on traditional snacks such as Kiachln (piping hot doughnuts with a sweet or savoury topping) to the uplifting sound of Christmas carols.
From city to slope
Being surrounded by 13 ski areas, however, also means that the city really comes into its own when the first snows fall, giving you the best of both worlds.
Conveniently-located cable cars will whisk you from the town centre up to the slopes.
Whether your passion is for skiing, snowboarding, sledding or snowshoeing, you have swift access to the slopes thanks to a profusion of cable cars and gondolas. In some cases, these showcase some striking contemporary architecture: the Hungerberg funicular to the Nordkette mountain range, just north of the city, has futuristic stations designed by the late Zaha Hadid, and climbs up to 2,256m from the city centre – a perfect area for everyone from beginners to free-riders. Extended winter fun can be found at the Stubai Glacier, which is snow-sure from October through to June, and offers 69km of slopes ranging from easy to challenging. And there’s also the family-friendly Kühtai – Hochötz, a ski-in, ski-out resort at 2,020m which is also Austria’s highest…
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