Innsbruck: A City Made for Skiing

3rd December 2022 | James Cove, Innsbruck, Austria.

Last modified on December 7th, 2022

As PlanetSKI starts its season we have moved on from the Otztal Valley in the Tirol in Austria to Innsbruck. It’s the self-proclaimed capital of the Alps and for good reason. NEW

Now I should make an immediate declaration of interest.

I love Innsbruck.

In the season of 2018/19 I lived in the Tirolean city for 3-months.

In the building on the left, as you ask – 3rd floor at the back looking up at the mountains and the Nordkette ski area.

Innsbruck. Image © PlanetSKI

I find it hard, if not impossible, to be objective and independent about the place.

Along with Aosta in Italy it is quite simply one of my favourite cities in the Alps, and it just feels like my ski home.

Period.

And now I am back.

Innsbruck. Image © PlanetSKI

I am back after spending a few days in the Otztal Valley visiting Soelden, Obergurgl and Hochgurgl.

PlanetSKI is back on snow!

More on Innsbruck later, and the Xmas markets, but first my ski day in the nearby resort of Kuhtai.

It is a drive of about 40-minutes and was made even better by the snow dripping off trees on the way up on this visit.

Kuhtai. Image © PlanetSKI

The valley and its villages looked like a proper winter landscape.

Kuhtai. Image © PlanetSKI

There has been precious little early season snow, but things are now changing.

Kuhtai. Image © PlanetSKI

It is Austria’s highest ski resort at 2,017m above sea level.

It offers skiing alongside the neighbouring area of Hochoetz – 25 lifts and 88kms of slopes.

In Kuhtai 81% of slopes have snow cannons and 3kms of slopes are floodlit.

The lift system can transport 19,451 people per hour.

Kuhtai’s slopes sometimes remain open until early May.

However, today up on the slopes the inclement pre-season weather had returned.

Kuhtai. Image © PlanetSKI

See here for the blog on the first part of my trip to the Tirol, where conditions were a bit murky to start with in the Otztal Valley:

PlanetSKI is back on snow!

“Kuhtai is primarily a family friendly resort, and its great attraction is that it sits on two sides of the pass so there is skiing facing north and south, so you can chose your orientation,” said Elena Protopopow, from the Tirol tourist board, to me.

Elena Protopopow. Image © PlanetSKI

The conditions may have been less than 100% but no matter, as we just made the best of what was on offer.

Kuhtai. Image © PlanetSKI

I was simply happy to be back on snow and in my happy place.

I couldn’t keep the smile off my face.

Khutai. Image © PlanetSKI

Not least because I knew what the evening held in store.

A visit to the Christmas Markets of Innsbruck, a stroll around the city and perhaps a beer or two in my favourite watering holes.

Innsbruck. Image © PlanetSKI

There are 7 different Xmas markets in Innsbruck, including:

Old Town Christmas Market
Christmas Market Maria-Theresien Straße
The Family Christmas Market at Marktplatz
Panorama Christmas Market on Hungerburg

In 2019/20, before Covid-19 struck, 1.2 million people visited the Christmas markets in Innsbruck.

PlanetSKI has visited them before including the smaller ones, pretty much known to locals only:

PlanetSKI visits Xmas markets in Innsbruck

Xmas in the Tirol. Image © PlanetSKI

“The Christmas markets are a very important as people see the perfect mix of urban and alpine as well as getting in the mood for Christmas,” said Andreas Reiter, the marketing manager of Innsbruck tourism, to me as we toured the city.

“Many people come to Christmas markets and see what we offer both as a city and a ski destination and then they come back for more.”

Andreas Reiter. Image © PlanetSKI

It is worth taking a little tour of the side streets too.

Innsbruck. Image © PlanetSKI

There is more to Innsbruck at this time of year than just the Christmas markets.

Step forward the Hofgarten and its stunning Lumagica show.

Innsbruck. Image © PlanetSKI

You see a main attraction from all five continents all amidst the wintry natural backdrop of Innsbruck’s Imperial Gardens.

The itinerary through this light park includes Asia, Australia and the USA.

Visitors see a colourful interactive light productions of Siberian wolves, dolphins, cowboys and much more besides.

There’s the Statue of Liberty.

And more…

See here for full details of the attractions:

The skiing and the activities in Innsbruck are all available on a joint pass – City + Ski.

It offers access to 13 ski areas, 22 city offers and 3 swimming pools.

The ski bus and the Hop on-Hop off Bus Sightseer are included too.

Skiing, snowboarding, tobogganing, swimming, culture, sightseeing and city fun, all on one pass.

It covers four ski regions in the Stubai Valley – Schlick 2000, Serlesbahnen, Elferbahnen and the Stubai Glacier.

There’s:

Bergeralm in the Wipptal Valley,
Glungezer above Hall in Tirol,
Axamer Lizum,
Innsbruck Nordkettenbahnen,
Patscherkofel,
Kühtai and Hochoetz.

Eight of the ski regions also offer night skiing and night tobogganing.

The pass includes Innsbruck cultural highlights:

The Hofburg Imperial Palace,
Ambras Castle,
Bergisel ski jump,
The Swarovski Crystal Worlds
The Alpenzoo

The pass can be purchased for between two to 21 days depending on the length of your stay.

There are many discounts for senior citizens, children, young people and people with disabilities, making the pass affordable and particularly useful for families.

The pass is available at the ticket offices of the 13 participating cable cars (except the Innsbruck Nordkettenbahnen), at the Innsbruck Tourist Information and at participating partners.

Innsbruck Xmas Market. Image c/o PlanetSKI

And the next ski resort as we continue to test Innsbruck’s claim to be the ultimate city and ski destination is Stubai – one of 5 glaciers ski areas near Innsbruck.

It’s been open since late September and promises much.

Do check back as we continue our first visit to the ski slopes of the winter of 2022/23…