What to see in the historic center of Innsbruck and outside the historic center, both at Christmas and at other times of the year, here are some ideas for two days of travel in Austria.
Innsbruck: mountain and Christmas markets. When it's good, a New Year's Eve destination or a return stop from Oktoberfest. It is the classic situation from land of passage, the one that distinguishes Innsbruck, as well as other places that have the luck / misfortune of being almost a second choice, or a “technical stopover”, on itineraries that instead point to other shores.
Moreover, the history, as well as the name of the city itself, are deeply marked by this characteristic: Innsbruck, literally "the bridge over the Inn", The river that bathes it, was born in the strategic point of an ancient Roman castrum, on a passageway through the Alps. Today, the crossroads remains, both towards German Bavaria, and towards Salzburg, Vienna and in general eastern Austria.
But the city, over the years, has had the opportunity to prove the own identity, having brought itself to the attention of the world of sport world, hosting the Winter Olympics twice in 2 and 1964, as well as strongly tying its name to markets Christmas, which traditionally take place from mid-November until Christmas Eve.
Today, therefore, the main attractions of the city are these: alpine skiing and Christmas markets.
Innsbruck the historic center
However, a little in-depth analysis should be done, also in order to take Innsbruck into consideration even outside the winter period.
Indeed, the city is very pleasant at any time of the year for its very liveable size and its very “walkable” center.
In a couple of days, you can admire all the buildings of the Old Town (I point out the famous Tettuccio d'Oro, the Town Hall and its Civic Tower, the Hofburg, the Cathedral of San Giacomo, the Arc de Triomphe) and at the same time enjoy, getting lost in the streets, a bit of city life, between Traditional breweries and cafes mixed with modern and multi-ethnic venues.
Innsbruck, outside the center
Spacing a little out of the center Innsbruck, it is worth considering theAlpenzoo, the most important alpine zoo in the world that houses over 2000 animals of 150 different species.
Interest could also be, but only in pre-Christmas period, visit the panoramic market of Hungerburg, from where you can admire the whole city of Innsbruck from above. The market is characterized by the suggestive atmosphere of a small alpine village. It is easily reachable with the new Hungerburgbahn lift, and from there it is also possible to continue the ascent from there with the panoramic cable car up to 2256 meters of the Hafelekar.
