Your Innsbruck
Adventure
Location Guide
Looking for the perfect location?
I’ve got you covered!
Below I’ve shortlisted my top recommendations for you.
While I wholeheartedly believe that all nature is beautiful, I know from experience that not every location is ideal for your photoshoot.
In this location guide, I’ve shortlisted my top recommended locations around the Innsbruck area.
Mini Session Locations
Mini Sessions coverage consist of 2 hours of consecutive photographic coverage. It’s perfect for proposals or couple shoots in a single location.
Innsbruck City Centre
Experience the architecture of historical Innsbruck
Best time of year: Innsbruck can be visited all-year. December is the Christmas markets, which is beautiful but can be busy. From November to May there is usually snow on the mountains.
Best time of day: Innsbruck old town is quieter in the early mornings.
Privacy & seclusion: Whilst you may get moments where you are alone, there will always be other people around. During peak times it is likely to be busy.
Ease of access: Everything is walkable from Innsbruck city centre.
Innsbruck Old Town
Innsbruck old town is small but perfectly formed! You can wander around the narrow cobbled streets and walk across to the marketplace to enjoy the views of the colorful houses along the river with the Nordkette mountains standing proudly behind them.
Early mornings offer the best light and fewer people in the city centre, however, this is also the only time of day that cars are allowed in the old town (for deliveries). The late afternoon-evening also has beautiful light, but tends to be slightly busier.
Nordkette
Enjoy the birds-eye views from the rugged mountains of the Nordkette.
Best time of year: The mountain lift is closed in April & November for 2-3 weeks. From November to May there is usually snow on the mountains.
Best time of day: The Nordkette is also best to visit early morning or later in the afternoon (but don’t miss the last lift down).
Privacy & seclusion: Whilst you may get moments where you are alone, there will always be other people around. During peak times it is likely to be busy. On the mountain, it’s possible to do a short hike to find a spot away from the crowds but total privacy is unlikely.
Ease of access: Nordkette is a Wheelchair-friendly lift.
Nordkette Mountains
Take the Nordkette funicular train and cable cars up to the Seegrube and Hafelekar, the highest point above Innsbruck, where you can enjoy a birds-eye view over the city on one side, and views across the stunning Karwendal mountain range on the other.
At the middle station, the Seegrube, you’re surrounded by more green, with views overlooking Innsbruck. At the very top station, the Hafelekar, you have 360° views over Innsbruck and into the rugged Karwendel mountains to the north. Trails at the top are rocky but offer amazing views.
Patscherkofel
Enjoy the lush green mountain pastures of the Patscherkofel.
Best time of year: The mountain lift on the Patscherkofel runs from mid-December to late March and from mid-May to early October.
Best time of day: The Patscherkofel is best to visit early morning or later in the afternoon for quieter trails (but don’t miss the last lift down). On Thursday they offer evening rides on the cable car for sunset.
Privacy & seclusion: Whilst you may get moments where you are alone, there will always be other people around. During peak times, it is likely to be busy. On the mountain, it’s possible that you will enjoy moments with nobody else around, but there will likely be people passing you on the trails regularly.
Ease of access: Everything is walkable in Innsbruck city centre. Patscherkofel is a short bus ride or drive from the city. It’s a wheelchair-accessible lift.
Patscherkofel
The Patscherkofel mountain is close to Innsbruck, in the pretty village of Igls. Unlike the Nordkette, with its rugged mountain terrain, the Patscherkofel is a very green and lush mountain.
From June to August, the pink flowers of the alpenrose bloom on the mountainsides. In the lower meadows you may also pass grazing cows.
It’s possible to combine the Patscherkofel with Innsbruck city centre in a half-day shoot, or to spend the whole 4 hours just around the Patscherkofel and in the alpine meadows around the foot of the mountain in Patsch (lower photos). For a mini-shoot, it can either be on the mountain or in the valley.
Seefeld in Tirol
A pretty mountain town in summer and winter, with a ski lift up high for stunning mountain views.
Best time of year:
Summer: May-June and September-October. July & August can get busy.
Winter: December to April.
Best time of day: Early morning (first lift at 9 am) or later in the afternoon offer better light & fewer people. Last lift down 4:30 pm.
Privacy & seclusion: Popular ski & summer resort. There are always people around, but I wouldn’t call it crowded. Weekends and during school vacations in the summer can be busier.
Ease of access: 30-min drive or train from Innsbruck. Funicular train & cable car to the top. Not wheelchair-accessible.
Dramatic views without Long Hikes
Seefeld is a ski resort that sits on a sunny plateau just 30-minutes from Innsbruck by train. It’s a thriving ski town in winter and a popular hiking destination in summer.
Taking the Rosshütte furnicular train and cable car to the Seefelder Joch transports you from the valley to the mountains in around 20 minutes.
At the top you’ll find grassy slopes with dramatic mountains in the backdrop. While hiking isn’t necessary here, for couples who want to have a mini-adventure, it’s possible to hike for 30 mins to a nearby summit.
The location is accessible in summer from May to October, and is usually mostly snow-free by late May. In the winter it’s usually covered with snow from November/December.
Seefeld can be chosen as a stand-alone location, or combined with other nearby locations or activities to make it a full day adventure.
Getting Here & Around
Seefeld is easy to reach by train from Innsbruck (or a 30-minute drive) but since it is a popular summer and winter destination with everything you would want in the town, you could also choose to stay in one of the great hotels or apartments up here.
Regional trains connect Seefeld with Innsbruck and also Munich (via Garmisch-Partenkirchen).
Axamer Lizum
A beautiful ski resort and mountain vista close to Innsbruck with lift access. The mountain range here is known as the “Dolomites of Tirol”
Best time of year:
Summer: July to September. July & August can get busy, especially at weekends.
Winter: December to April.
Best time of day: Early morning (first lift at 8:30 am) or later in the afternoon offer better light & fewer people. Last lift down 4:30 pm.
Privacy & seclusion: Popular ski & summer resort. There are always people around, but I wouldn’t call it crowded. Weekends and during school vacations in the summer can be busier.
Ease of access: 30-min drive from Innsbruck. Cable car to the top. Not wheelchair-accessible.
The Dolomites of Tirol
Axamer Lizum is one of Innsbruck’s famous winter ski areas, known for the Olympics. It’s also got one of the most beautiful mountain ranges here – the Kalkkogel, known as the “Dolomites of Tirol”.
From July to September, both the main cable car and a chairlift run during the summer to whisk you up to higher elevations. From there, you can hike for 20-30 minutes really dramatic views.
The hiking trails are relatively narrow and in some places are on steep hillsides, so good footwear is essential.
For those who like to hike, a great option is to take the lift up in the afternoon and stay for sunset. While this does mean hiking down in the dark afterwards, the sunset up here is magnificent.
Stubai Valley
A beautiful valley with waterfalls, a glacier and stunning mountain views.
Best time of year:
Summer: May-June and September-October. July & August can get busy.
Winter: December to April.
Best time of day: Early morning or later in the afternoon offer better light & fewer people.
Privacy & seclusion: Grawa waterfall can be crowded, but it’s manageable for a short stop. Weekends and during school vacations in the summer are the busiest. On the mountains there will be people but it’s usually not hard to find quiet spots.
Ease of access: The end of the Stubai valley is approx. 1 hour from Innsbruck.
Waterfalls, glaciers and mountain lifts
The Stubai valley is perfect for giving you a variety of mountain scenery in a relatively small area.
Close to the end of the valley is the Grawa waterfall, which is a short walk from the roadside parking. There is also a beautiful river running along the valley floor.
There are a number of mountain lifts in this area, such as the Stubai Glacier (with snow at the top), Elfer (Neustift) and Schlick 2000 (Fulpmes). Taking one of the mountain lifts means you get a contrasting view to the photos in the valley by the waterfall and river, but with easy access with the mountain lift.
The Stubai valley could be a mini-shoot (one location), half-day (visiting the waterfall and a second location) or a full day, taking in multiple locations and mountain lifts*.
*Please note that extra tickets are required for the lifts. They cost between €30-€55 per person, per lift.
Getting Here & Around
The entrance to the Stubai Valley is a 30-minute drive from Innsbruck (1 hour to the glacier at the end of the valley). There are a number of towns in the valley with a great selection of accommodation, should you choose to stay in the Stubai valley instead of in Innsbruck. The largest town is Neustift, but Fulpmes is also a convenient town for with a ski lift nearby.
Innsbruck
Vendors & General Recommendations
Below you’ll find a list of recommended vendors, accommodation and other travel tips and ideas for your trip to Innsbruck.
Hair & Makeup
These makeup artists are mobile, i.e. they come to you:
- Magdalena Weiler – Die Schminkerei
- Andrea Lener
- Stephanie Sädtler
- Lisa Pendl
- Haarfein – Bernadette
- Tanja Winkler
Video
Flowers
I typically recommend visiting a florist the day before your shoot and asking them to create a bouquet of fresh flowers for you with whatever season flowers they have. Usually you can give them a budget and a colour-scheme and they will put something together. If you prefer to contact them in advance to pre-order, you can.
Innsbruck Hotels
Here are just a few ideas for hotels in Innsbruck city centre:
Surrounding Areas
Outside of Innsbruck, accessible with car or bus within 20 mins of Innsbruck city centre:
- Der WALZL (Lans)
- Sporthotel Igls
Stubai Valley
Should you opt for the Stubai Valley instead, here are some nice hotels:
Seefeld
Things To See & Do Around Innsbruck
Hofburg Imperial Palace – while not much to look at from the outside, the Hofburg Imperial Palace is lavishly decorated inside and well worth a visit.
Schloss Ambras – a beautiful historical building set on the hillside above Innsbruck. Walk around the gardens and enjoy the outside or if you are interested in the history of the area, the inside is well worth visiting too as there are some great exhibitions of art and artifacts from as far back at the late medieval period.
Volkskunstmuseum – The Tyrolean Folk Art Museum & Court Church celebrates the culture in this part of the world, much of which is still very much alive today. You’ll see examples of traditional dress and learn about folk customs.
Bergisel Ski Jump – The olympic ski jump stadium. There’s a cafe at the top of the tower with great views over the city. If you are interested in winter sports then you’ll find this interesting.
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The Innsbruck Card – the Innsbruck card can be a great way to visit many of the city attractions and save on entrance fees. It’s available as a 24, 48 or 72-hour card. If you want to visit the Nordkette and a couple of the other places, then it can pay for itself as the Nordkette alone is €52 return. One the website it lists the individual entry prices so you can calculate for yourself it it’s worth getting the card or paying individual entry tickets if you are only visiting 1-2 attractions.
Cafes & Bars
- Cafe Munding – The oldest cake bakery in Innsbruck (cash only)
- Strudel Cafe – As the name suggests, they specialize in different strudel flavours.
- aDLERS Hotel rooftop bar
Restaurants
- Ottoburg – Traditional Austrian dishes
- Stiftskeller – Traditional Austria food and beerhouse
- Lichtblick – Panoramic views
- Das Blum – Vegetarian restaurant
- Olive – Vegan Restaurant
- Buzihütte – Old mountain restaurant in the hills of Innsbruck (by taxi)
Not sure which to Choose?
Let me advise you
There’s only so much information I can put in a guide like this before it gets overwhelming.
I hope that this guide has given you a good overview of my top suggestions.
Let me know which are your top choices, and I’ll advise you on the best timing for the time of year.