Innsbruck

The Golden Roof

Goldenes Dachl

Altstadt

An oriel balcony at the end of Herzog-Friedrich-Straße, covered in 2,657 gilded copper shingles. Maximilian I had it built around 1500 so he could watch tournaments and festivities in the square below with his family. Inside is a small museum devoted to Maximilian.

Tip: The roof looks best at dusk, when it's lit up and the square empties out — during the day it's packed with tour groups. The museum inside is small, taking about 30 minutes; Innsbruck Card holders get in free, otherwise it's really only worth it for the balcony.

Admission:

museum €6

Time needed:

30 min

Nordkette

Nordkettenbahnen

above the city

A mountain ridge above the city's north side, reached by a chain of 3 cable cars: the Hungerburgbahn funicular, with stations designed by Zaha Hadid, the cabin up to Seegrube at 1,905 m, and the final stretch to Hafelekar at 2,269 m. At the top is a view over the whole Inn Valley and, on the other side, into the wild Karwendel range.

Tip: Only buy a ticket up to Seegrube if there's cloud higher up — from Hafelekar you'd see nothing, and the cable car company's website has a live webcam. A sunset at Seegrube with dinner at the restaurant beats a lunchtime visit; on Thursdays in summer the cable car runs until 11.30pm.

Admission:

Hafelekar return from €49

Time needed:

half a day

Hofkirche and Maximilian's Tomb

Hofkirche

Altstadt

A church built for the cenotaph of Emperor Maximilian I, an empty tomb surrounded by 28 over-life-size bronze statues of ancestors, relatives and role models, from King Arthur to Clovis. Maximilian ended up buried in Wiener Neustadt instead. The Tyrolean hero Andreas Hofer is also buried in the church.

Tip: Get the combined ticket with the Tyrolean Folk Art Museum next door — the entrance is shared, and for a few euros more you get both. Look closely at the "black men" statues — their knees and boot tips are polished smooth from visitors touching them for luck.

Admission:

€8, combined ticket €13

Time needed:

45 min

Bergisel Ski Jump

Bergisel Schanze

Wilten

An Olympic ski jump on a hill on the city's southern edge, rebuilt in 2002 to a design by Zaha Hadid. A lift takes visitors up to a tower with a viewing café 50 m above the take-off point, with views over the centre, the river and the cemetery lying directly below the landing zone. The Four Hills Tournament event is held here every year on 4 January.

Tip: Tram number 1 runs from the centre to the Bergisel terminus in 20 minutes. Next to the ski jump is the Tirol Panorama, with a giant circular painting of the 1809 battle — a combined ticket works out cheaper than buying both separately. In summer you can sometimes catch training sessions, with jumpers flying over visitors' heads.

Admission:

€13

Time needed:

1–2 h

Ambras Castle

Schloss Ambras

Amras

A Renaissance castle on a hill above the city's south-eastern edge, remodelled by Archduke Ferdinand II of Tyrol for his wife, Philippine Welser. It houses the oldest surviving museum collection in the world — the Kunstkammer, with its armoury and curiosities — and the Spanish Hall, with its coffered wooden ceiling, where concerts are held in summer.

Tip: The Habsburg portrait gallery in the upper castle is the best place to trace the Habsburg jaw — over 200 portraits hang here in chronological order. The castle is closed in November. A sightseeing bus or line 5 runs from the centre, followed by a 10-minute climb; the castle park with its peacocks is free.

Admission:

€16

Time needed:

2–3 h

Hofburg

Altstadt

The imperial palace on the edge of the old town, remodelled in Baroque style by Maria Theresa. The tour passes through the Giant's Hall with its ceiling frescoes and portraits of her 16 children, Empress Elisabeth's private rooms, and the chapel she had built on the spot where her husband, Franz Stephan, died.

Tip: Admission is the same as for the Golden Roof, but both are free with the Innsbruck Card — the card pays off if you manage at least 3 paid sights and a cable car in a day. The Giant's Hall sometimes closes for concerts in summer, so check at the ticket office beforehand.

Admission:

€9.50

Time needed:

1 h

Alpine Zoo

Alpenzoo

Hungerburg

Europe's highest-altitude zoo, on the slope of the Hungerburg, dedicated entirely to Alpine wildlife: chamois, ibex, bears, lynx, wolves, golden eagles and bearded vultures. Spread across a steep hillside are 2,000 animals of around 150 species, in generously sized enclosures.

Tip: Take the Hungerburgbahn to the Alpenzoo stop, then walk back down through the woods into town afterwards — it takes 40 minutes. The animals are most active during morning feeding, between 9 and 10am. With children, bring an off-road buggy, as the paths are steep.

Admission:

€14

Time needed:

2–3 h

Tyrolean State Museum

Ferdinandeum

Centre

Tyrol's main museum, covering prehistory to the 20th century, with Gothic panel paintings, a Rembrandt collection and a music department. Key to understanding the region is a 1:20,000-scale relief model of Tyrol, on which you can trace every valley you're planning to visit.

Tip: It's open until 9pm on Thursdays and quietest then. The ticket also covers the Tyrolean Folk Art Museum, the Tirol Panorama and the Zeughaus on the same day — start here and save on the other 3.

Admission:

€13

Time needed:

1–2 h

Swarovski Kristallwelten

Wattens

An attraction built by Swarovski in Wattens, 15 km east of the city, hidden beneath a grassy mound shaped like a giant face with water spouting from it. Inside are a series of chambers with artist installations made from crystal, and outside a garden with a cloud made of 800,000 crystals and a large children's playground.

Tip: A shuttle bus runs from the Hofburg several times a day, and the ticket includes a discounted fare, though the train to Wattens is cheaper, followed by a 20-minute walk. The shop at the end has no cheaper prices than elsewhere; for discounts, go to the outlet at the factory in Wattens.

Admission:

€25

Time needed:

2–3 h