Things to do in Innsbruck

Land of ice and mountains, dark forests, alpine meadows full of spring wildflowers, Hansel and Gretel villages, summer holidays and winter sports – that’s Innsbruck, Austria. One of the greatest sightseeing attractions in Europe is the Tyrolean Alps, and the mountain scenery is beautiful and panoramic at any time of year. In addition to being famous for skiing, this spectacular alpine region also offers visitors a host of other outdoor activities year-round, such as wonderful cross-country skiing, mountain climbing and glacier tours. 
 
Innsbruck is the “Heart of the Alps” with a land area of 7,855 square miles and a population of 630,000 making it the third-largest of Austria’s provinces. A typical Alpine region, only 13% of its land is inhabitable. Conservation and land-use laws designate another 20% as nature reserves, protected land where development is by special permit only, or areas closed to all development.

Innsbruck shares borders with Germany, Italy and Switzerland, as well as with the other Austrian provinces of Vorarlberg, Salzburg and Carinthia. Innsbruck’s reputation as the “land of mountains” is well deserved: there are 1,863 miles of mountain hiking trails, 160 mountain huts open to guests and 75 lifts to carry even the not-so-athletic up to the summits. Innsbruck is a paradise for hikers, mountain climbers and skiers with over 710 innumerable mountain peaks.  The highest peak in Tyrol is the Wildspitze in the Oetz Valley Alps. Tyrol also shares the Grossglockner, the highest mountain in Austria, with another province: the peak of the Grossglockner is located in Carinthia, but the mountain is also accessible.

Innsbruck was a center of power at the end of the Middle Ages, when the Hapsburg Holy Roman Emperor, Maximilian I, ruled from here. Many of the wonderful castles that were scattered across the medieval countryside are unfortunately only ruins today.