Ordinarily we do not purchase city cards marketed to tourists, for the simple reason that we have no interest in running to and from as many tourist sites as possible in one or two days just to save a few bucks.
Many of those tourist sites would not appeal to us anyway. I do not want to feel compelled to go to some lousy museum just to get my money’s worth from a tourist card.
Circumstances in Innsbruck changed our thinking. The weather forecast predicted one three-day window of perfect weather during our week-long stay. It just so happens that two of the most expensive activities in Innsbruck, Nordkettenbahnen (with the Alpenzoo Innsbruck-Tirol) and Patscherkofelbahn, both cable cars in the Alps, are best experienced in clear weather.
We quickly realized that 48hr Innsbruck Cards made perfect sense as we could go up the Nordkettenbahnen and Patscherkoflebahn on back-to-back days.
Purchased separately, tickets to those two activities cost more than a 48hr Innsbruck Card, which is €63, and we had mornings to see other sites in town.
Yes, it is a 48 hour card. The time of purchase is written on the card. We purchased our cards early one morning giving us essentially two calendar days of use.
I suppose another option is to make an early afternoon purchase to spread your use of the card over three days.
So here we go. Day One:
Hofburg Innsbruck is the third imperial palace in Austria, along with the Hofburg and Schloss Schönbrunn, both in Vienna. It was the starting point for our two days using the 48hr Innsbruck Card. Otherwise admission to Hofburg Innsbruck is €9.50.
Our visit at Hofburg Innsbruck began with an exhibit on Emperor Maximillian I, the former Holy Roman Emperor and Archduke of Austria from the early 1500s. It was actually pretty interesting, even though I couldn’t understand most of it. If Vienna is all about Emperor Franz Joseph I and Empress Sisi, Innsbruck is all about Emperor Maxmilian I.
Much like the other two imperial palaces, Hofburg Innsbruck is restored to the 1700s and 1800s, as it appeared during the times of Maria Theresia (1700s) and Empress Sisi (1800s). We walked through about 25 state rooms and apartments that, not unsurprisingly, look very similar to those at the Hofburg and Schloss Schönbrunn.
There is also a small furniture collection, mostly chairs and some chests, dating back to the 1700s.
Portraits of the Habsburgs hang in a portrait gallery, which merited a two minute walk through if for no other reason that an employee enthusiastically told us not to miss it. We could have missed it.
And just like the Hofburg and Schloss Schönbrunn, no photographs or videos are allowed in Hofburg Innsbruck.
After leaving Hofburg Innsbruck we walked around the corner to the town tower, Stadtturm. Here our Innsbruck Cards saved us €4.50 each for the privilege of walking up a spiral staircase comprised of 133 steps. The observation area at the top of the tower is not very large. We took our time but still spent less than 10 minutes at the top.
After a quick lunch we set off for the Nordkettenbahn, the gondola that carries skiers, snowboarders, hikers, and bikers up to The Top of Innsbruck in the Karwendel Mountains (Northern Limestone Alps) on the north side of town.
A funicular runs from old town to Hungerburg, a small hillside town. There a short walk took us over to the Nordkettenbahn, where a cable car goes to Seegrube (1,905 meters, or about 6,250 feet), near the top of the mountain. At Seegrube there is a restaurant and exhibits on mountaineering.
To get to the Top of Innsbruck a second cable car runs from Seegrube to Hafelekar, followed by a short walk up a trail to the peak (2,334 meters, or about 7,401 feet). Those additional 1,000 feet make a big difference in temperature. It was cool at Seegrube, but downright cold at Hafelekar (probably 20 to 30 degrees cooler than in the city).
The best view from Hafelekar is not over Innsbruck, but instead looking north over the alpine mountains in Naturpark Karwendel.
We did not hike on the many trails at either Hafelekar or Seegrube as it was time to go to the Alpenzoo Innsbruck-Tirol. The zoo is located on the hillside above Innsbruck and below Hungerburg. Conveniently the zoo has its own funicular stop, making it a popular activity to combine with the mountain.
Combined adult tickets for the Nordkettenbahn (roundtrip to the top) and Alpenzoo Innsbruck-Tirol cost €47 each.
About the zoo, it’s okay. Perhaps even better than expected given the size of the city. Unfortunately, the brochure is atrocious. Worst ever. Many of the exhibits had been renumbered, and several of the paths seemed to be rerouted. I think we spent as much time looking at the brochure trying to figure out our location as we did looking at the animals.
From the zoo we skipped the funicular and walked back to our Airbnb, stopping on the way at EuroSpar to get a few beers.
On day one we went to Hofburg Innsbruck, Stadtturm, Nordkettenbahn, and the Alpenzoo. Had we paid separately, we would have spent €61 each. Our cards almost paid for themselves on the first day.
Day Two continues here.
Garrett and Stephanie
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