Jan 02, 2025 BY Luke Rees
Innsbruck, the capital city of Austria’s Tirol region is the gateway to the Austrian Alps. But most skiers and snowboarders never stop there. In this Innsbruck snowboarding review find out how we got on in Axamer Lizum, Kühtai and Nordkette. We also ask, does Innsbruck offer the best snowboard city break on the planet?
We arrived early evening on the back of three days snowboarding in Stubai, Schlick 2000 and Mieders/Serles. These resorts are all accessible by buses from the city and included on the same lift pass. The Ski Plus City Pass provides access to 296 km of slopes in 12 ski areas across Stubaital, Innsbruck and the Oztal Valley.
There are six ski resorts in the immediate Innsbruck area, we visited Axamer Lizum, Kühtai and Nordkette. We did not make it to Rangger Köpfl, Muttereralm or Patscherkofel. None are huge but in combination they probably offer the best snowboard city break on the planet.
In 2018 I visited Innsbruck and enjoyed a powder day snowboarding in Patscherkofel. With more than 1,000 metres of vertical and 20 km of pistes (60% red, black 30% and blue just 10%) Patscherkofel is well worth a visit. It is particularly good for more experienced snowboarders, or if other local ski resorts are closed.
On the first day in Innsbruck we got up bright an early and hiked across town in our ski gear to the train station. We were surprised at getting some weird looks along the way in our winter wear.
We soon realised why, as the bus to Axamer Lizum crossed town and passed very close to our hotel. This was our fault as we were hungover and didn’t check the bus lines on google maps!
The 412 bus runs every hour and takes about 45 minutes from Innsbruck train station directly to the resort. The Axamar lifts reach from 1,560 to 2,340 metres and there are 40 km of slopes to explore. Most are red runs with a few blues and a black slope, plus a selection of enticing unpisted ski routes.
You can take a long blue from the top to the bottom, or a selection or reds. Either way its enough to get your legs working. We had fairly good conditions with sunshine and a little powder off the edge of the pistes. Lower down the pistes were quite icy, but for most of the elevation they were in perfect condition.
Up top we found fun powder off the edge of blue #1 and the black when coming down from Hoald. We also found good powder and plenty of open terrain off the Pleisen chair on the far right of the piste map. In this area there are great views down towards Innsbruck although it was mostly shrouded in cloud.
Unfortunately the Birgitzköpfl lift on the far left of the ski area was closed. This gives access to some unpisted ski routes that look fun. But it is south facing and we could see a lot of bare patches. Even without that, Axamer Lizum delivered a fun day out during this Innsbruck snowboarding review.
Day two we headed to Kühtai, at 2,200 metres it is the highest ski resort in Austria. With 90km of slopes (combined with neighbouring Hochoetz) it is the largest ski area in Innsbruck area and helps make it the best snowboard city break. Topping out at more than 2,500 metres it is as snow sure as they come.
The direct bus route 4166 takes about an hour from Innsbruck. They run every 90 minutes but are more frequent at the start and end of the day. The Village of Kühtai is spread out in a valley with lifts heading up either side. There are essentially six different high points with multiple routes down.
You’ll find more black slopes here than most ski areas, plus plenty of reds. Consequently there is a real lack of blue slopes, there are a couple, but none that are top to bottom without a section of red. You’ll find a beginners area with lower blues, but progression from there is fairly steep.
That said many of the reds were not difficult, often they were not that steep except in small sections. But then as advanced snowboarders we perhaps don’t notice the more difficult sections that may derail a beginner. Hochoetz looks more suitable for progression by beginners and nervous intermediates.
For the most part we had a clear day but the weather was changeable with cloud cover and some periods of poor visibility. We got around the entire Kühtai area but did not make it to Hochoetz. There is lots of open space between runs and there was still powder to be enjoyed a couple of days after it last snowed.
It is nice to have a town in the centre of the ski area with all runs leading back down to it. The only downside is the runs are not that long. But that means you do lots of them! We took every major lift, some more than once, and it makes a nice circuit to rotate around the valley.
On our final day in Innsbruck we headed to the Nordkette, the ski area accessed straight from the city. The first stop on the Hungerburgbahn wasn’t far from our hotel. The funicular sit on rails and it is more like a train station than a ski lift stop. The Hungerburgbahn passes up through the city to the Seegrubenbahn cable car.
After two telecabin style lifts we were soon at the top at Hafelekar with incredible views of the city. The intention was a nice long run down to the only chairlift. However, it is all unpisted ski routes from the top and most of them were closed.
Conditions were not ideal and no-one else was taking the freeride routes. I have wanted to try these routes since i wrote about a freeride city Break in Innsbruck, and have now been thwarted twice. It was the right decision not to snowboard down, but it would be epic in good conditions.
Once we explored the couple of pistes it was clear we had made the right decision. There were lots of very good snowboarders playing around on side hits. If they were not enjoying the freeride terrain then clearly we made the right call, which was backed up by the off-piste being icy.
Snowboarding directly above the city was very cool. And for essentially having just one blue slope that leads to one red piste it is a very cool little area. There were quite a few groups of snowboarders and freeskiers around going big off the numerous side hits. We joined them but went small in comparison!
It was the final day of this Innsbruck snowboarding review. We had a train to catch to St Anton in the afternoon so we only stayed at Nordkette for couple of hours. But in that time it was clear the freeride could be incredible and snowboarding straight from the city with incredible views is an incredible experience.
The four star Das Innsbruck Hotel is very impressive. Located next to the river in the middle of the city you can’t get a better location. It is next to the Inn Bridge, which gave Innsbruck its name, and is built on the foundations of the former city wall making it a living breathing part of Innsbruck’s history.
The hotel is clearly very popular with international visitors as we spoke to people from all over the world. In particular there were large American tour groups, who surprisingly had no idea you could ski here.
The hotel oozes class and stylish alpine charm which is evident in the staff, rooms and communal areas. My room was lovely with a very comfortable Austrian twin bed, useful desk and a hanging chair. The bathroom is plush with a very powerful shower.
One of the advantages of staying at the Das Innsbruck Hotel during a snowboarding city break is the incredible spa and wellness facilities. There are two areas, the golden pool with a family sauna which is great for relaxing. Plus the full Austrian sauna and spa experience with ice bucket, infra red treatments, multiple saunas and more.
The breakfast was an incredible buffet spread over more space than most ski apartments. Plus you could order many items fresh. There was everything you could possibly want and many you’ll never have considered. Although they did not have most of the vegan options on the menu which was a shame for my buddy. But we did not go hungry.
On one evening we had a lovely meal in the restaurant. However the waiter was slightly rude about my friend being vegan. We put it down to him trying to be funny but it being lost in translation. The menu for a meat eater was great, I had three very tasty courses and left the restaurant over full.
While there was a vegan starter of Tomato soup there were no mains or deserts. They did make a special vegan main dish but it was just layered veg with a side of garlic bread. So he was left hungry! To be honest it’s a shame that such an impressive cosmopolitan hotel in a big city is not getting the vegan options right.
Innsbruck is a city where rich history is combined with modern culture. The cobbled streets of the Old Town, iconic Golden Roof and ornate colourful baroque buildings make it visually appealing. But the city also buzzes with a youthful energy thanks to its university.
We climbed to Stadtturm (city tower) for the best view within Innsbruck. We also explored bustling markets and walked past many elegant boutiques. The city has a thriving arts and culture scene with everything from opera houses to galleries and museums to seasonal festivals.
But if like us uncultured snowboarders you just want a lively night out you can certainly find that. There are quaint pubs, big beer halls and late night bars to find. We ended up having a night out in what must have been a student night as large bottled beers were just €2.50!
You can also indulge in almost any food you fancy. From Tyrolean specialities to international dishes, the flourishing gastronomy scene is very impressive. We ate at the following restaurants:
Firmly in the traditional bracket, but with an upmarket twist the Weißes Rössl is the place to go if you want high quality Tyrolean dishes. I had a delicious trio of dumplings followed by Gröstl (roast potato, eggs and bacon dish). They cater very well to vegetarians and have a few vegan dishes too.
Probably my favourite meal in Innsbruck was at Restaurant Olive which is a completely vegan and plant based establishment. We needed a little help with the translations, but the food was not just tasty but beautifully presented. I am not vegan or vegetarian, but with food of this standard there is no need to eat meat!
What an excellent few days staying in Innsbruck and exploring the surrounding ski resorts. Axamer Lizum and Kühtai are both excellent and Nordkette is so convinient and would be incredible in powder. I know from past experience that Patscherkofel is well worth a visit too.
I also really recommend Schlick 2000 and Stubai. Both are on the same lift pass as the Innsbruck resorts and are easily reached on public transport.
The city is beautiful, the setting stunning and there is so much to do. Whether you want to get your culture points in or join the locals for a night on the town Innsbruck won’t disappoint. Add to that great food, plus of course the airport less than 10 minutes away and you really can’t go wrong!
Das Innsbruck Hotel is super impressive, in the perfect location and made us feel very welcome. The food was tasty and the only slight blip was the vegan side of things. The spa is incredible and breakfast options are off the scale.
So to conclude this Innsbruck snowboarding review, is it the best snowboard city break destination? It is certainly the best I have been to and I cannot think of another in European city that comes close.
I hope you found this Innsbruck snowboarding review useful. Is it the best snowboard city break on the planet? Let us know your thought in the comments below. To find out more visit: www.innsbruck.info
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