Innsbruck offers many art treasures, numerous fine buildings such as, the famous Golden Roof with its hybrid of Gothic and Baroque architecture

Innsbruck, known as the capital of the Alps, has twice been selected as the site of the Winter Olympics. The capital of the picturesque state of Tirol, Innsbruck is set at the base of the spectacular Alps, 375 kms southwest of Vienna and it certainly merits at least a few nights stay. The city is fairly compact with an old town that evokes ideas of the Middle Ages, and walking is a perfect way to appreciate it fully.

As an 800-year-old university town, Innsbruck offers many art treasures, numerous fine buildings such as, the famous Golden Roof with its hybrid of Gothic and Baroque architecture. Of the city’s museums and collections, one of the most entertaining is at Schloss Ambras. This castle includes medieval armour and weapons, paintings of the Austrian royal family and curious collectibles.

For skiers, there is usually good snow from early December to mid-April. The winter ball season is nearly as exhaustive—and exhausting—as Vienna’s.

When to travel to Innsbruck

Due to its altitude and position in Central Europe, far from the coast, Innsbruck has an alpine climate. Winter is cold and snowy. And winter nights can get frigid, occasionally dropping to -12°C. Spring is brief; days start to get warm, often over 15°C, but nights remain cool or even freezing. Summer is highly variable and unpredictable. Days can be rainy, or sunny and extremely hot. In summer, as expected from an alpine climate, the daytime temperature variation is often very high as nights always remain cool.