Innsbruck

Golden Roof morning, Hafelekar afternoon

Innsbruck's old town and its mountain share one day: walk from the Hauptbahnhof up Maria-Theresien-Strasse to the Golden Roof, give the morning to the old town and the Hofkirche's bronze figures around Maximilian's tomb, then ride the Hungerburg funicular and two cable cars to Hafelekar in the afternoon for views into the Karwendel and towards the Brenner.

Start at the Hauptbahnhof and walk up Maria-Theresien-Strasse, past St. Anne's Column, until the Nordkette fills the end of the street. The Golden Roof is two minutes further on. Give the morning to the old town: the lanes off Herzog-Friedrich-Strasse, then the Hofkirche and its ring of bronze figures around Maximilian's tomb. Walk out onto the Inn bridge for the painted houses of Mariahilf before lunch.

In the afternoon, take the Hungerburg funicular from the Congress station and the two cable cars to Hafelekar. On a clear day you look north into the Karwendel and south towards the Brenner. Come down in stages and get off at the Alpine Zoo, which has its own funicular stop. Evening means Gröstl at a Gasthaus off Anichstrasse.

Day two heads south. Ambras Castle opens the morning with its armour and portrait gallery; tram 1 then brings you to Bergisel, where Zaha Hadid's ski-jump tower has a café above the Olympic landing slope. For a quieter afternoon, ride the train ten minutes east to Hall in Tirol and wander its medieval centre instead.

Skiing the Nordkette and Patscherkofel, and free buses to Stubai

Ski the Nordkette straight above the old town if you are confident, or the gentler Patscherkofel above Igls; ski buses reach the Axamer Lizum and the Stubai Glacier free for anyone with ski gear or a lift pass. Combined ski and city passes bundle lift days with sightseeing, and evenings in town offer far more choice than a resort village.

Innsbruck suits skiers who also want a city. The Nordkette starts straight above the old town and rewards confident skiers, with steep runs below Seegrube; the Patscherkofel above Igls is gentler, and the Axamer Lizum and the Stubai Glacier are within reach by ski bus. Those buses are free for anyone carrying ski gear or holding a valid lift pass. Look at the combined ski and city passes, which bundle lift days with sightseeing, and spend evenings in town, where the choice of dinners is far wider than in a resort village.

January days in the valley reach about 4C and nights fall to around -5C, while December to February stay fairly dry at under 60 mm a month. Christmas markets fill the old town and Maria-Theresien-Strasse through December.

Summer hands the mountains to hikers. July highs average 25C in the valley, but June to August is also the wettest stretch, at over 110 mm a month, much of it as afternoon storms, so start hikes early and be off exposed ridges by mid-afternoon. The lifts to Seegrube and Hafelekar run for most of the year, pausing for maintenance in spring and late autumn, and marked trails and huts open as the snow clears.

Gröstl, Kaspressknödel and why to eat away from the Golden Roof

Order Tiroler Gröstl, potatoes fried with onion and bacon or roast and topped with an egg, Kaspressknödel cheese dumplings in broth, and Tiroler Speck on a snack board. Skip the restaurants around the Golden Roof, which charge for the address, and walk towards Anichstrasse, where portions grow and prices fall.

Mountain cooking here is built to refuel. Tiroler Gröstl is the staple: sliced boiled potatoes fried with onion and bacon or leftover roast, topped with a fried egg. Kaspressknödel are flattened dumplings of bread and strong mountain cheese, served in clear broth or with salad, and Speckknödel do the same job with diced bacon. Tiroler Speck, cured and lightly smoked ham, turns up on every snack board, often with dark bread and horseradish.

Where you eat matters. Restaurants on the lanes around the Golden Roof charge for the address; walk a few minutes towards Anichstrasse and the side streets off Maria-Theresien-Strasse and portions grow while prices fall. Gasthaus Anich on Anichstrasse is a proper tavern with big plates and a mostly local crowd. Like several older inns, it closes on Sundays.

Up the mountain, the restaurant at Seegrube serves Gröstl and Kaiserschmarrn with the whole valley below, and a slice of strudel there after the cable car is a habit worth picking up. In December, the market stalls in the old town sell Glühwein and hot snacks until late.