We searched and searched for the best place to spend Christmas in Europe. We wanted somewhere where there would still be some attractions, restaurants and bars open. And somewhere that felt festive. Many places in Europe completely shut down over the holidays, so it’s important to choose carefully!
Innsbruck, Austria turned out to be perfect – it had everything we wanted and was the perfect mix of city break & nature.
Reasons to spend Christmas in Innsbruck
- The views! Need I say more?
2. SNOW! Mountains are close by and easily accessible by public transport. You can be up in the mountains within 20-30 minutes. You can do a whole host of winter activities like sledging (can’t get more Christmassy than that can you!), tobogganing, skiing, and hiking (with good snow shoes!).
3. The tourism board make it easy to check which museums, attractions, and restaurants are open when during the Christmas break. No other city we looked into did this, and it really did make planning our trip that much easier.
4. Christmas markets to get you in that festive feeling – most are open from November 15th – December 23rd but some stay open until January 6th (even on Christmas Day!). The ones on Maria-Theresien Straße, Wilten, and Hungerburg in the mountains were open when we visited the 24th-27th. Check here to see which are open during your visit
5. Austria has some great food to try. The region Tyrol (where Innsbruck is) even has its own specialities you can try. Be sure to try Kiachl (donut-type treats dusted with icing sugar & topped with cranberries), Käsespätzle (cheesy pasta dish topped with crispy onions), Schnitzel (breaded pork or veal), and Gröstl (Baked potato, meat and fried egg dish).
How to get to Innsbruck
By Air
We flew directly from the UK (Manchester) to Innsbruck airport. The views on the plane, as you approach, are breathtaking, and they continue as you step off onto the most picturesque runway I’ve seen to date!
You can take bus F to the city centre for just €2.40. They were running every 30 minutes during the holidays, and the journey takes just 20 minutes. Make sure you get a ticket before you board from the machine next to the bus stop, or the airport shop inside. Once you board, you need to validate your ticket in the yellow box or risk facing a fine.
By Train
Innsbruck also has a big train station so if you’re coming from another European city, check train routes here . If you get in at Innsbruck Hbf (Hauptbahnhof), then you’re already right in the centre.
Is the Innsbruck Card worth it?
For us, because we were planning on going to the top of Nordkette (€47 each) for the mountain views, the Innsbruck card was well worth it. If you’re planning on taking the cable car up to the top, you only really need to be interested in one other attraction to make it pay for itself.
Have a look below for an idea of which attractions you would like to do and then check this calculator to work out if it’s worth it for you.
Conveniently, you can buy an Innsbruck card in advance online, or at the tourist information in Innsbruck.
Where to stay
Most of the buildings in Innsbruck are only a few floors high. Usually, this wouldn’t be a factor in thinking about where to stay, but in a happy coincidence, we ended up in Motel One, one of the city’s highest hotels. What do high floors mean? Uninterrupted mountain views!
Our stay was just what we needed. Usually, we opt for budget, but as this was only €20 more (for the duration) than the Ibis we went for it and what a difference! It felt like a luxury, and the views were a bonus we didn’t even think about when booking. The hotel was clean and gorgeously designed, and the staff were friendly and helpful.
Their optional breakfast is served on the top floor with panoramic mountain views. If you don’t fancy breakfast there, you can opt for a hot drink during the day to soak up the views.
To book click here, or to explore other options in Innsbruck click here
3-day Itinerary
Day 1 – Christmas Eve
Wander around and get your bearings whilst taking in the views of the mountains at every turn. You can stroll through the cobbled streets of the old town taking in a few key sights in close proximity. See the iconic golden roof, city tower, the colourful houses on the waterfront and more.
Amble through the winding alleys, and remember to look up. Spot large fairytale characters above from classics such as Red Riding Hood and Rapunzel. It’s quite fun to work out which ones you can recognise.
This was started by a business owner Margit Riedmann, who years ago wanted to attract visitors to the streets (and thus, businesses) beyond the main street. It caught on, and now there are tonnes to pull you in from turn to turn.
Take your pick of local food at the Maria-Theresien Straße Christmas Market whilst soaking up the festive atmosphere. Head to Wiltner Christmas Market to sample a traditional Kiachl for dessert.
If you’re following our itinerary exactly, and arrive on Christmas Eve be sure to book ahead if you’d like a sit-down meal. This website publishes an up-to-date list of restaurants that are open over the Christmas period. In Austria, the main event is Christmas Eve so this is the hardest day to find somewhere.
We were happy to go with the flow so ended up in a Kebab shop (no, not like the end of a night out type in England) as everywhere was booked. When we were there (Christmas 2023), this restaurant was open and looked popular. You can book a table via email / see if they’re open on your dates.
We finished our day with a delicious Hugo, (a local prosecco and elderflower spritz cocktail) at the bar at our hotel, Motel One.
Day 2 – Christmas Day
As mentioned, Christmas Eve is the main celebration in Austria, however, many things were still on holiday opening times. Public transport still runs frequently so this was the perfect day for us to head up to Nordkette (the top of Innsbruck).
You can board the cable car near the Hofgarden in Innsbruck centre. To get to the top, you need to switch cable cars at Hungerburg, and again at Seegrube, to get to Hafelekar (the top).
We recommend you take it first to Seegrube and take in the views here first. Spend some time people-watching as people learn to ski on the practice slopes. There are even free sledges of all varieties available to use! We had hours of fun! Just wait at the bottom of the practice slope for someone to be done and take it up to the top and off you go!
Next, take the cable car up to Hafelekar to the viewpoint. There is an option to walk a short (but steep) path to the top. When we went it was covered in snow and we were slipping around in trainers so we soaked up the views from the lower viewpoint instead.
Catch the cable car back down to Seegrube and enjoy a drink or some food with a view. There is indoor and outdoor seating available and we didn’t have to wait too long for a table even though it was packed. If you don’t mind sharing, ask someone if you can share with them – it always makes for a more interesting meal anyway! We had pork schnitzel for our Christmas dinner chatting to people we were sharing the table with, and soaking up the views.
Hit the sledges again if you can’t get enough of them (like us!) and then head down to Hungerburg. They have a small, traditional Christmas Market right on the side of the mountain. We hit sunset there and it was the perfect spot to enjoy it whilst tucking into another Kiachl and warming up with a Gluhwein.
In the evening, head to Lumagica (included in the Innsbruck card) which is a variety of light installations in Hoftgarden. It’s a nice way to spend an hour in the evening to work up an appetite for more food at the Maria-Theresien Straße Christmas Market.
Day 3 – Boxing Day / Saint Stephen’s Day
Day 3 of our itinerary was Boxing Day and although it is still a public holiday, there was more open than Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day.
If you want to spend more time in the mountains, catch the 461 bus (check times on Google Maps) to Oberperfuss to go Tobogganing! This location has the longest toboggan route in Innsbruck and is a whopping 7km (providing the whole thing is open). The bus takes 40 minutes and is included in the Innsbruck card.
Get off at the cable car stop (Bergbahnen Oberperfuss) and buy your ticket for the lift at the bottom. On the day we visited, the whole 7km route was closed, so we did a 2km route instead (from Sulzstich station to Steiglraith station).
We opted for a 2-hour ticket (€27.50 each) for access to the cable car which gave us time to do the 2km run 5 times! Check up-to-date prices and other price options (day pass, 4 hours etc) here to help plan your trip.
We rented a double Toboggan for €10 at the bottom, but people also rented them near Steiglraith Station. After one go it was clear we needed better shoes than trainers to slow us down (and not crash!) so we rented some snow shoes at Steiglraith station (for just €8 it was a no-brainer!).
TIP :- Check return bus times at the Bergbahnen Oberperfuss bus stop BEFORE going up / choosing your ticket time frame. We forgot to do this and came down and realised we’d missed one 5 minutes prior and had to wait for almost an hour. The views are still beautiful even at the bus stop (because it’s Innsbruck!) but it still made the rest of our day a bit tight time-wise.
We grabbed a quick lunch at the Christmas Market (you could have a more leisurely one if you learn from our bus scheduling mistakes!) to make sure we could get to the Volkskunstmuseum (Folk Art Museum).
This is also included in the Innsbruck card and is well worth it if you love learning about traditional life in the Tyrol region and seeing methods of decoration (wooden carvings, weaving etc). It’s a small, well-curated museum and I especially loved seeing how local people of the past made even the most mundane everyday objects into works of art through carving, lace detail or weaving.
If you’re feeling brave and adventurous (well, brave if you’re an awkward Brit like us, if you’re from anywhere else in Europe I imagine it’s not such a big deal) head to the Hallenbad Amraser Straße Sauna.
Why brave and adventurous you say? Because it’s a nude sauna (which is just very typical and not a big deal in Austria). Should you do it? Yes!
There is a glass sauna on the top floor with panoramic views of the mountains to watch the sunset. There’s also a terrace to cool off on, and downstairs more saunas, steam rooms, and a pool (for €18.50 for 4 hours). You can rent a towel there and it is permitted to walk around and go into the rooms with this on, however, you are not allowed to wear a bathing suit.
After your time relaxing (and being brave and adventurous) at the Sauna, head to Stiftskeller for dinner. Don’t be put off if there is a long line, it moves quickly and the place is huge (although doesn’t feel it with all the cosy nooks).
Try the Grostel (a baked dish of meat, potatoes and egg) and the Käsespätzle (a bowl of cheesy goodness with dried onions on the top).
To check for Christmas opening times remember to research ahead on this site. If you have any questions or have now been on your winter escape to Innsbruck, let us know what you got up to in the comments!
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This blog is super helpful! The itinerary you have included is perfect aswell! Looks like an amazing trip, definitely keeping this in mind!