Innsbruck - Christmas Markets
Visiting Innsbruck during Christmas market season is definitely a must, so if you ever have the chance to do so, don’t miss out! Especially when there’s snow, you definitely get into a festive mood. There are numerous markets of different sizes, so we decided to write a little guide, just so you know which one to visit and what makes each of them so special.
Altstadt
This is surely the most famous Christmas market in Innsbruck. Located directly under the world-famous Golden Roof, this Christmas market offers you everything you need: mulled wine and punch, typical Tyrolean food and little stands with classic, small presents your loved ones will definitely enjoy. We’re pretty sure this is the biggest Christmas market in town, also, because it is seamlessly connected to the one in the Maria-Theresien-Straße. When walking south from the Golden Roof you’ll end up there without even realizing it. A great plus is surely that due to its location in the city centre, you have various options to go inside when you are too cold. Also, the beautiful houses make for a great scenery. If you have kids, or enjoy fairy tales yourself, we recommend you take a walk through the “Märchengasse”, the street of fairy tales – and don’t forget to look up and meet the giants!
Marktplatz
This market is nearly as busy as the Altstadt one. It’s very close, as you only have to exit the old town in the direction of the Inn river and then you’ll already be able to see the light of the famous glass tree by Swarovski, whose headquarters are located in a small town about 20 minutes away from Innsbruck. We love this special tree’s sparkling glass pieces and standing right under the tree and looking up is incredibly beautiful. Of course, the market offers you everything you wish for when visiting a Christmas market and kids love the little theatre and the merry-go-round. This surely is one of our favourite Christmas markets in town. And don’t miss out on the typical Tyrolean “Kiachl”, a delicious treat that can be eaten with either cinnamon, sugar & cranberries or with sauerkraut.
Wiltener Platzl
This is one of Innsbruck’s smallest Christmas markets, but definitely a really special one. Located in the district Wilten, a very calm part of the city, you feel like you’re miles away from the busy city centre (even though it’s not even a 10 minute walk from the Golden Roof). The atmosphere is completely different to other markets. Here you’ll meet mostly locals, as there’s no famous tourist attraction around. This is definitely the right place to go if you don’t like too crowded places and want to enjoy a peaceful evening with your friends and family. Also, here you’ll get Hot Aperol, which we’ve never seen on a Christmas Market before, but once you’ve tried it you can’t get enough of it!
Hungerburg
This is Innsbruck’s most remote Christmas market. One thing to mention first is that it has different opening hours than the other markets, as it is further up in the mountains (don’t worry, when going by bus it takes you about 10 minutes from the city centre, but we recommend you take the beautiful Hungerburgbahn cable car). The market closes at around 7 PM, so afterwards you can easily fit in another walk through the other markets. The best thing this market has to offer? Definitely the incredible view over the city of Innsbruck. If all those shining lights and the calm atmosphere on top of the city do not get you into a festive mood, we don’t know what will. Even us locals are sometimes amazed by the beauty of our city when looking at it from above and it’s something you definitely shouldn’t miss. And always keep in mind, it may seem like you’re far away from the centre, when in reality, if you want to go back, it just takes you a few minutes. If you want to enjoy a beautiful view with your loved ones or simply take a break from all the stress the Christmas season brings with it, this is surely the place to be.
