With kids · Innsbruck · Austria
Innsbruck with kids
Family-tested sights, a calm base and the practical details that make travelling with children easier.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Veitmueller assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY-SA 2.5
Quick answer
Innsbruck suits families: the Alpenzoo has Alpine animals, the Nordkette cable cars and Bergisel are exciting rides, and lakes, playgrounds and Swarovski Crystal Worlds are close. Distances are short and public transport is easy with children. Top picks: Alpenzoo, Nordkette cable cars and Bergisel Ski Jump. Families usually base themselves in Innenstadt and Maria-Theresien-Straße.
Key facts
- Family picks
- 6
- Best area for families
- Innenstadt and Maria-Theresien-Straße
- Rainy-day options
- 1
Best things to do with kids
Zoo · Hungerburg
1.Alpenzoo
On the slope below the Hungerburg at about 750 metres, the Alpenzoo keeps only animals native to the Alps, including ibex, brown bears, wolves, lynx, bearded vultures and otters, in enclosures set into the hillside.
Ride the Hungerburgbahn to its Alpenzoo stop, then walk back down to the old town afterwards in about 20–30 minutes.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Nature
- Outdoors
Viewpoint · Hungerburg
2.Nordkette cable cars
The Hungerburgbahn funicular, with stations designed by Zaha Hadid, climbs from the Congress stop near the old town to the Hungerburg; two cable cars continue to Seegrube at about 1,905 metres and Hafelekar at about 2,256 metres. From the top, views stretch over the Inn valley to the Stubai and Zillertal Alps.
Check the webcams before buying and go up in the morning, when clouds often build over the peaks later in the day.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Expensive
- Iconic
- Views
- Active
- Outdoors
- Photo spot
- Kids
Architecture · Wilten
3.Bergisel Ski Jump
The ski jump on the Bergisel hill, rebuilt to a design by Zaha Hadid and opened in 2002, hosts a Four Hills Tournament event every winter. A funicular and lift take visitors up to the viewing platform and café near the top, looking down the jump to the city and Wilten cemetery.
Have a drink in the café near the top for the view straight down the in-run to the city.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Views
- Architecture
- Kids
- Iconic
Garden · Saggen
4.Hofgarten
The former imperial garden behind the Hofburg is a large landscaped park with ponds, old trees, a palm house and a music pavilion, used by locals for walks and picnics. Children enjoy the playground and the ducks.
Bring lunch from the old town and eat it by the ponds.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Kids
- Nature
Museum · Wilten
5.Grassmayr Bell Foundry
A family-run bell foundry operating in Innsbruck for around four centuries, with a museum explaining casting and a sound room where you can ring bells and feel the vibrations. Bells for churches around the world are still cast here.
It is a 10-minute walk from the Hauptbahnhof and pairs well with Wilten Basilica.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- History
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
Viewpoint · Altstadt
6.Stadtturm
The 14th-century city tower next to the old town hall has a viewing gallery at about 31 metres reached by a spiral staircase of around 150 steps. It gives a close-up view over the old-town roofs, the Golden Roof and the mountains.
Climb it on a clear day for photos of the Nordkette above the rooftops.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Views
- History
- Kids
Rainy-day ideas
- Grassmayr Bell Foundry — It is a 10-minute walk from the Hauptbahnhof and pairs well with Wilten Basilica.
Where families should stay
$$ · Best for first-timers, shopping, families and budget
Innenstadt and Maria-Theresien-Straße
Maria-Theresien-Straße runs south from the old town past St. Anne's Column and the Triumphal Arch, with the Nordkette as a backdrop. The streets between it and the Hauptbahnhof hold department stores, the Rathausgalerien, the Ferdinandeum museum and many mid-range hotels, all a short walk from both the station and the old town.
- Good
- Close to the main station and airport bus; Wide choice of hotels; Shops and cafés
- Watch out
- Traffic and trams on the main roads; Less charm than the old town
- Nearby
- St. Anne's Column, Hauptbahnhof, Ferdinandeum, Triumphpforte
Family travel tips
- Children usually travel at reduced fares on IVB transport and cable cars; check family tickets.
- Combine the Hungerburgbahn with the Alpenzoo and walk back down to the old town.
- Pack warm layers for the peaks even in summer; it can be cold and windy at Hafelekar.
- Many mountain huts have playgrounds and simple children's dishes.
- Swarovski Crystal Worlds' play tower is a good rainy-day alternative.
Day trips for families
- Swarovski Crystal Worlds (About 25 minutes by shuttle bus) — Swarovski's attraction in Wattens has art installations in chambers beneath a grass-covered giant's head, a crystal cloud over a pool in the garden and a large playground tower for children.
- Seefeld in Tirol (About 35 minutes by train) — A high plateau resort at about 1,200 metres known for cross-country skiing in winter and gentle walks in summer, such as the loop around the Wildsee lake.
- Stubai Glacier (About 1 hour 15 minutes by bus) — At the head of the Stubai valley, cable cars climb to the glacier ski area, where skiing usually runs from autumn into early summer.
- Achensee (About 1–1.5 hours by train and bus) — Tyrol's largest lake is a deep, turquoise fjord-like basin surrounded by the Karwendel and Rofan mountains, with boats, lakeside walks and cable cars from Maurach.
When to go with children
The best months overall are June–September and December–January. Weather by month.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Innsbruck good for kids?
Innsbruck suits families: the Alpenzoo has Alpine animals, the Nordkette cable cars and Bergisel are exciting rides, and lakes, playgrounds and Swarovski Crystal Worlds are close. Distances are short and public transport is easy with children.
+What can kids do in Innsbruck?
Alpenzoo, Nordkette cable cars, Bergisel Ski Jump, Hofgarten and Grassmayr Bell Foundry.
+Where should families stay in Innsbruck?
Innenstadt and Maria-Theresien-Straße: Shopping streets, St. Anne's Column and the main station south of the old town.