Innsbruck Card with Public Transport and Attractions

The Old Town and the Golden Roof

Innsbruck's compact Old Town is where most visits begin, and the Innsbruck Card opens its main doors. The Golden Roof, a late-Gothic balcony covered with gleaming fire-gilded copper tiles, was built around 1500 for Emperor Maximilian I to watch festivities in the square below. The small museum inside tells the story of the emperor and his era.

Nearby, you can climb the City Tower for a view over the rooftops to the mountains, and visit the City Archives and City Museum. The card also covers the Imperial Palace, the Hofburg, with its baroque state rooms, and the Court Church, famous for the larger-than-life bronze statues that stand guard around the emperor's cenotaph. Together they make a full morning, all within a few minutes' walk.

Nordkette and Patscherkofel cable cars

The highlight of the card for many travellers is the mountains. The Nordkette cable car rises from the city centre, via the Hungerburg funicular, to Seegrube and Hafelekar, more than 2,000 metres above sea level, where the view sweeps over Innsbruck, the Inn Valley and the peaks of the Alps. It is one of the fastest ways anywhere to go from a city street to high alpine terrain.

On the other side of the valley, the Patscherkofel gondola climbs from Igls to the local mountain where Olympic skiers once raced. The card includes one uphill and one downhill ride on each, with direct access at the ticket desk. Go early on clear days for the best views, and check the Nordkette cable car opening hours before you set out, as lifts close for maintenance at certain times of year.

Ambras Castle and the Tyrolean museums

Ambras Castle, a white Renaissance palace above the city, is one of the most rewarding stops on the Innsbruck Card. Archduke Ferdinand II turned it into a showcase for his collections, and you can still see his Chamber of Art and Curiosities, his armour collections and the splendid Spanish Hall, set in large gardens.

In town, the Tyrolean State Museum Ferdinandeum presents art from the Middle Ages to modern times, while the Museum of Tyrolean Regional Heritage shows rural life, costumes and wooden interiors. The Arsenal Museum, the Kunsthalle and the Bell Museum with its working foundry round out the list. With a 48 or 72-hour card, you can spread these visits over several relaxed days.

Bergisel Ski Jump and the Tirol Panorama

On the southern edge of the city, the Bergisel Ski Jump is a modern landmark with a striking tower and a viewing platform high above Innsbruck. Ski jumpers still train and compete here, and the panoramic café at the top looks straight down the jump to the city and the Nordkette range.

Next door, the Tirol Panorama displays a giant circular painting of the 1809 battle fought on this hill, together with the museum of the Tyrolean imperial infantry. Both are included on the Innsbruck Card and are easily reached by bus, making them a good afternoon pairing after a morning in the Old Town. Allow about two hours for both, and time your visit for late afternoon if you want the softest light over the valley from the jump tower.

Alpine Zoo, Crystal Worlds and Hall in Tirol

The Alpine Zoo, high on the slopes below the Nordkette, houses animals of the Alps such as ibex, brown bears, wolves, lynx and golden eagles. You reach it by the Hungerburg funicular or by bus, and the card lets you go straight in without queuing.

The card also includes the shuttle bus and entry to the Crystal Worlds in Wattens, a popular attraction of art installations and gardens a short drive from Innsbruck. In the nearby medieval town of Hall in Tirol, Hasegg Castle houses the Mint Museum, where some of the first large silver coins in Europe were struck. These are the places that make a 72-hour card worth it.