Innsbruck
Innsbruck Austria is the capital city of the Tyrol (Tirol) & surrounded by world class skiing including the 13 different ski areas collectively called Olympia Ski World. The city is in the narrow Inn valley hemmed in by rugged mountain peaks that soar dramatically 2,000m above the city.
The city of Innsbruck is a key for anyone travelling to a vast number of ski resorts in the Austrian Tyrol, Salzburg & Vorarlberg states, plus it is close to a huge number of Italian South Tyrol and Dolomites ski resorts.
But skiing from Innsbruck is only part of the vacation. Innsbruck is a European cultural experience in a city that offers both beauty and old-world charm.
Skiing & Snowboarding, Lifts & Terrain
Innsbruck has hosted the Olympics twice (in 1964 & 1976), so it’s a city with plenty of experience when it comes to winter sports. The area around Innsbruck includes 13 diverse ski resorts ranging in size, terrain & altitude. All are included in the Ski+City Pass. There are small local ski resorts like Patscherkofel (Igls), Muttereralm, Oberperfuss (Rangger), Schlick 2000, Glungezer & Nordkette. Medium sized resorts like Axamer Lizum, Hochoetz & Kühtai (the highest resort base in Austria) plus the high-altitude ski resort Stubai Glacier.
Check out the ski resorts map for Innsbruck below.
The Innsbruck ski resorts, regardless of size, have excellent lifts, pistes & facilities. Nearly all the ski resorts have impressive 1,000 to 1,500m skiable verticals.
Most of the local ski areas are small enough to only warrant a single day visit, unless of course it is a powder day. The exceptions are Stubai Glacier, Schlick, Kühtai & Axamer Lizum. With 26 lifts, 1,515m vertical, superb terrain and facilities, Stubai warrants at least several days visit. Having said that, even some of the smaller ski resorts have a huge skiable vertical & & can fill in a few days quite easily if conditions are good. Even tiny Nordkette has nearly 1,400m vertical in good snow conditions.
The Innsbruck ski resorts of Patscherkofel, Muttereralm & Oberperfuss have long open trails & appeal to families, novices & intermediates. Axamer Lizum ski resort has the Olympic funicular lift which enables access to the women’s downhill course & a variety of other cracking trails & off-piste areas, some of which are for advanced skiers. Nordkette (funnily enough to the north of Innsbruck!) has the regions iconic steep, challenging runs for advanced & expert skiers & snowboarders. Kühtai has superb piste & freeride terrain plus exceptional snow quality.
Lift Passes & Tickets
All the Innsbruck ski resorts have local lift passes offering excellent value. Most day passes are around quite competitively priced, the exception being the larger Stubai Glacier. The Powderhounds recommend Kuehtai as the best value powder skiing resort in the region.
A Ski+City Pass, which is for a minimum 2 days, allows access to all 13 ski resorts in the region using the one lift pass. The big advantage of this pass is that multiple small ski resorts can be skied or sledded in the one day i.e. Patscherkofel or Glungezer in the morning, Nordkette in the afternoon, then sledding on Oberperfuss at night. The pass is also valid for entry into 22 local sites including the castles, museums & the Alpenzoo (if that sort of thing appeals to you!). If only skiing one resort a day, just get a local lift daily lift pass.
Summer Skiing
The closest glacier ski resort to Innsbruck, Stubai Glacier, offers skiing all the way through to the start of summer, generally at least mid-June (may vary depending on snow conditions). Once closed for the remainder of summer, the lifts start turning for skiing again in mid-September at the earliest, or early October at the latest. An hour's drive from Innsbruck, Hintertux Glacier is open every day of the year to satisfy everyone's 365 days/year snow-sliding urges! But summers here are getting hotter, so if you want to ski in July in Europe, do it sooner rather than later.
For more info on lifts & terrain in the region, see our Skiing & Snowboarding Innsbruck page.
Where is Innsbruck Austria?
Innsbruck is in the heart of the Tyrol (Tirol) and is perfectly located to access some of the best ski resorts in Europe. The city is only 150km south of Munich but nearly 500km west of the Austrian capital Vienna, & 300km east of Zurich. Gateway airports are Innsbruck (INN) (for European & UK flight origins) or Munich (MUC) & Zurich (ZRH) (for everyone else).
If you want to POW (Protect Our Winters), travelling to Innsbruck from anywhere in Europe is recommended by train. It is easy to travel by train directly from the airport terminals at both Munich & Zurich. Search & book train & bus tickets to Innsbruck.
For more information on how to get there, see our Travel to Innsbruck page.
Innsbruck Accommodation
Innsbruck is a large cosmopolitan city with a full range of hotel, apartment & guesthouse accommodation options within the atmospheric old town walls, the surrounding city & mountainside villages.
Search & book all Innsbruck accommodation.
Innsbruck's 'old town' is sensational. With views up into the mountains & loads of nooks & crannies to explore, staying overnight here is a must. For the full old town experience one cannot go past the gorgeously ancient Gasthof Weisses Rössl. This fabulous hotel guesthouse has around 600 years of history within its walls. Also try the Hotel Maximilian & Hotel Grauer Bar.
If having a short stay or transiting through Innsbruck, there are excellent hotel options located opposite the central train, bus & tram station. Try the Grand Hotel Europa or Hotel Ibis.
Budget room options that still provide quality are available at several hotels located across the river from the Old Town. Many great hotels are located out of town near the ski resorts, particularly handy for those with a rental car. The Powderhounds have previously stayed in a chalet up towards Nordkette which provided one of our best European ski accommodation experiences ever. If you have a car, try the 2 Chalets Innsbruck - rustic, quiet, perfect.
For more information & recommendations on the best places to stay, see our Where to Stay in Innsbruck page.
Ski Rentals Lessons & Guiding
Our local partners have a convenient equipment rental location in the centre of Innsbruck, between the old town & central train station, plus is a wide variety of nearby villages & ski resorts. Receive a discount when you search & book via our Innsbruck Ski & Snowboard Rental page.
The search for fresh tracks can be made easier by skiing with a local, but a mind-boggling array of ski instructors, ski schools & mountain guides ply their trade near Innsbruck & its numerous resorts. To narrow down the field, search & book a private/group lesson or mountain guide with the best providers via our Innsbruck Ski Lessons & Guiding page.
Travelling Around Innsbruck & Local Ski Resorts
Innsbruck has an excellent bus, tram & train network so a car is generally unnecessary if just staying in the city and/or skiing nearby resorts like Mutters, Nordkette & Patscherkofel.
All the Ski+City Pass resorts are connected by a free ski bus network from major hotels (with a 'Welcome Card') plus some public bus & tram network services. Therefore, staying in Innsbruck has the distinct advantage of offering a variety in ski experiences if you plan on visiting all the resorts. However, the associated disadvantage of not staying on-mountain includes having to travel each day.
Depending on your circumstances, travelling by bus each day may not be the most attractive option. There is on-mountain (or nearby) accommodation in each village associated with a ski area, but this then restricts accessibility to other resorts unless you hire a car. Having your own vehicle can make travel decisions easier & more efficient when based in Innsbruck. Car hire & rental is available at several locations in the Innsbruck city centre & airport.
Nearby Ski Resorts
Innsbruck is centre stage for a huge range of Austrian and even Italian ski resorts, making it a perfect starting point for awesome multi-resort ski safaris by train or even more efficiently by car. It is a train transport hub that allows easy travel east to the Zillertal (with Mayrhofen, Hochzillertal & Hintertux Glacier) and further to Kitzbuhel, Skicircus Saalbach, Kaprun & Zell am See.
Perhaps head west to St Anton & the huge Ski Arlberg area, or the brilliant Pitztal Glacier & the monstrosity that is Soelden in the Oetztal. Also in the Ötztal is the fabulously named Obergurgl Hochgurgl - well worth the journey to the upper end of the valley, but only if you have a car.
A short(ish) drive or train trip south are the Dolomites & Plose, Gitschberg-Jochtal, Kronplatz & 3 Peaks Sesto - not to mention all of the other Dolomiti Superski resorts. The beautiful town of Vipiteno & its lovely ski resort of Rosskopf (Monte Cavallo) is just on the other side of the Brenner Pass south of Innsbruck.
Everything is so close. That is why Powderhounds loves skiing Austria & visiting Innsbruck.
Things To Do
The city of Innsbruck has plenty to offer with a history of over 800 years, and many attractions including the castle, palaces, theatres, opera houses, museums, and the iconic Golden Roof (Goldenes Dachl) dating from 1500AD.
In addition to the inner-city attractions, there are other things to do such as a ride on the Olympic bobsled run at Patscherkofel or visit the Olympic ski jump and the viewing platforms that afford fabulous views of the city and the spectacular natural beauty surrounding it.
An unmissable journey is the tram, funicular & cable car journey from the Innsbruck city centre (560m) up to the top of Nordkette at Hafelekar (2256m). Stupendous views, great dining and if you are up for it, some serious ski and snowboard off piste terrain await. Another enjoyable journey is the Line 6 tram to Igls. It meanders through the forest past a castle, small villages, sculpture gardens and other points of interest. Winter walking from one tram stop to the next makes an enjoyable non ski day out. Other winter walking opportunities to restaurants high above Innsbruck include to the top of Patscherkofel and Glungezer.
The Oberperfuss (Rangger) ski resort west of Innsbruck has a 10km rodelbehn (sled run) that is accessible by gondola and illuminated at night for some exhilarating family fun. Other with major sledding trails include Elfer & Serles in the Stubaital.
The Innsbruck old town has beautiful architecture, plus many cosy bars, vinotheks & restaurants. The après ski is centred in Innsbruck rather than slope-side. Exceptions are the rollicking Hotel Alpensport below Stubai Glacier) and anywhere in vibrant Kühtai.
More Reasons to Ski Innsbruck
Innsbruck is a great place for a ski holiday because it offers so much more than just an enjoyable & diverse skiing or boarding experience. It provides the opportunity to lap up the Austrian mountain culture.
To experience more Austrian culture, there are excursions to Vienna & Salzburg plus you can discover more of Europe with a day trip over the Brenner Pass into Italy to visit Bolzano, Venice or the Dolomites.
Review
The Powderhounds have visited Innsbruck many times, the last in 2022. We always have a wonderful time in the city & surrounding mountains and are due to return whenever we are the area. Click on the review link in the left column (or top of the page if on a mobile) to read all our reviews!
See how the Innsbruck ski resorts compare to the rest of the Austrian ski resorts on the Austria ski resort ratings page, or compare to the rest of Europe on the European ski resort ratings page.
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