1. The Innsbruck card (available from the Tourist Office) is good value (23 euros for 24 hours; 28 euros for 48 hours; 33 euros for 72 hours).
2. The Volksmuseum (covered by the IC) provides a fascinating insight into the history of the Tyrol area. It is large and has an extensive collection. This includes rooms which have been faithfully transferred from farmhouses or more well-to-do houses from the 16th to the 18th centuries. The museum seems to be somewhat overlooked as there was virtually no-one else in it when we visited in late October. If it is not busy when you are there, try to encourage the guard on the first floor (a tall lady with fair hair) to show you around the reconstructed rooms – she provided us with some fascinating insights. Even if she is not available, admire the excellent woodcarvings and sophisticated designs for the woodwork, eg a servery between the kitchen and living room, and fold-away working desk.
3. The Hofkirche is interesting (covered by the IC). It is next to the Volksmuseum. There are interesting oversized bronze statues and a substantial tomb of Emperor Maximilian.
4. The Olympic Ski-Jump (updated in 2002) in well worth seeing. Have a reasonably priced lunch at the restaurant on the second floor of the tower which overhangs the take off area. It is a drop-dead view. Enjoy the irony of the graveyard located behind the end of the finish area.
5. The Patscherkofelbahn cable car made for a very enjoyable half-day trip. Taking bus J to Igls. The cable car takes you up the mountain. On the way up the mountain, you will have seen the Olympic bobsled course. There are very fine views from the top. Walk to the mountain peak if you are feeling fit. There is also an alpine garden and some play equipment for the younger children. It closes end of October for the winter. Also note that the cable car closes for a lunch break so check return times if you have another commitment.
6. The Sightseer Buses (red buses) which run every 30 minutes provide a useful overview of the town. They have two routes. They provide the very useful device of individual audio sets in various languages, but the information provided is painfully short; such a wasted opportunity to provide an outstanding service.
7. Hoffgarden is a very fine park. There always seemed to be people playing chess on the large boards with interested onlookers. It also has an adventure playground for younger children.
8. For those interested in self-catering, there is an excellent supermarket (open on public holidays) in the lower concourse area of the train station.
9. For train buffs and those looking for a scenic day out, consider a trip to Jenbach / Achansee. Jenbach is a 20 minute trip by express train from Innsbruck. At Jenbach there is a wonderful old steam-powered train which uses a rack and pinion system to go up the hill to Lake Achan. The train makes three trips per day, leaving at 11am, 1pm and 3pm and returning at noon, 2pm and 4pm (cost 26 euros return fare). At the top, there is an extensive picturesque lake. Get on the large passenger ship, which does a two hour return cruise of the lake linking up with the train going back. If you don’t want to do a full trip on the boat, get off at the second stop, which is the village of Pertisau and look around. Apparently the hotel right on the water used to be a hunting lodge. Alternatively, if you like walking, then get off at one of the last stops on the left hand side of the lake (it begins with G) and then follow the walking track along the mountainside to the head of the lake, where you could then meet up with the passenger boat on its next cruise. To do this, you would need to get the 11am train up. When you get back down to the Jenbach, there are plenty of trains returning to Innsbruck. If anyone does this walk, I would be interested to know if it is as good as it looks.
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These are great. Thank You!
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Thanks for that information Michael it has been very helpfull.
Do you have any information on Youth Hostels in the area, I%26#39;m havving trouble finding some?
Thanks again, Search4maria
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Search4maria,
I am unable to help re Youth Hostels. Have you looked in the Lonely Planet guide? Given that it is a sizeable town (and a popular ski area), I would be surprised if there weren%26#39;t respectable cheap hostels nearby.
Good luck,
Michael
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thanks for your help
search4maria
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Michael:
Wow what a fantastic post! Thank you. Can you advise if it was cheaper to book the hotel through the tourist office? If so how do you contact them? Thank you....Veronica
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Veronica, sorry for the delay in reply.
I doubt that the TO would be the cheapest way of booking a hotel. I prefer the %26#39;last minute%26#39; deals on the internet (although these are less likley to be available in peak season). To contact the TO, you could try to do a Google seach or just look at Lonely Planet%26#39;s guide to Innsbruck.
Good luck.
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All I know is that Evita is way better than the Sound of Music.
Yours
Eva Peron
(Viva la Peron)
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