Innsbruck DIY Tour ()
Innsbruck, Austria is famous for its reputation as an alpine sports city. With this self-guided city tour, you can get to know the Alps from a gondola, bike along the river like a local, and take in all the highlights of downtown on foot.
Park the car and head up the gondola
Park at the Congress garage for a decent daily rate. If you choose to ride the Nordkette gondola, be sure to ask for a parking validation which will get you a discount.
For a view over the city, ride the Nordkette gondola as high as you’d like to go. In addition to tickets to see views from the peak at Hefelekar, you can purchase special combination tickets to lower stops like the Seegrube for panoramic dining and the Alpenzoo, Europe’s highest animal park.
Once you are back down in town, walk to the Hofburg, a Hapsburg imperial palace built in the 1400s. It’s free to walk into the central courtyard, while tickets for the interior give you a glimpse at the lavish lifestyle of the Hapsburg empire. Beside the palace is the Hofkirche, a gothic church built in the 1500s with a unique red marble interior and a series of hero statues.
Rent a city bike
Pick up a stadtrad (city bike rental) on the corner in front of these buildings. Download the Nextbike by Tier app on your phone to get started. Hourly rates are reasonable with a maximum of 15€ for 24 hours. If you get off the bike to shop or eat be sure to put it in parking mode and lock it, and always return it to an official station when you are finished.
Start with a pedal through the pretty Hofgarten, which began as a formal garden for the imperial palace. From there, join the bike path along the river near the scenic photo-worthy Emile-Béthouart pedestrian bridge. Pedal westward along the Inn River. The river’s name originated as En: an old Celtic word for water.
After a kilometer, you will come to the Markthalle, a large indoor farmers and crafts market. Be sure to lock your bike if you go in. Continue along the river to the Universitätsbrücke (University bridge), then turn left into the city on Anichstraße. Stay in the bike lane with the other cyclists and feel like a local as the tram passes you along this bustling modern shopping street.
Walk the old town
Return your bike to the station when you reach Maria-Theresien-Straße. Follow this pedestrian-only shopping street toward the Altstadt (old downtown); along the way, you will pass numerous cafes that are perfect for a break. Once you cross into the scenic cobblestoned Altstadt (old downtown), you can see the famous Golden Roof building. This former government building was decorated with the golden roofed balcony in the late 1400s and now houses a historical museum.
Finish the loop nearby at the Dom du St. Jakob, an ornately painted and carved baroque cathedral. You can return to the parking lot by walking back through the Hofburg via archways behind the cathedral.
