Do-it-yourself Innsbruck
Day 2
Crystal Worlds to Schloss Ambras
Today, we’ll be doing a lot less walking courtesy of Swarovski and the Sightseer. First up on our list of touring goodies is the Crystal Worlds theme park from Swarovski. Then, at midday, the Sightseer bus will chauffeur us to the world-famous ski jump you’ve heard so much about and, depending on your age, perhaps even remember watching on TV the many death-defying competitions held here during the Winter Olympics of 1964 and ’76. From the ski jump we’ll hop back on the Sightseer to Innsbruck’s principal bell foundry, also a museum. This brings us to our fourth and final destination, Schloss Ambras, a culturally unique estate that is home to Austria’s oldest grouping of museums. (Note: Below I’ve listed a couple of lunch possibilities; look for “food” just above the Olympic ski jump entry.)
From Innsbruck, catch the Swarovski shuttle bus (not the Sightseer) at the main train station at 9:00 (or Museumstrasse at 9:04) and ride it to Swarovski’s Crystal Worlds (Kristallwelten) theme park. (Double check pick-up times with TI or staff at your accommodations.) The shuttle bus takes 25 min and is free with the Innsbruck Card, otherwise it will set you back 8.50€ round trip (buy ticket from driver; price is for bus fare only, it does not include entry into Crystal Worlds).
Swarovski Crystal Worlds (Kristallwelten), daily 9:00-18:30, last entry 17:30, (closed for routine maintenance Nov 7-18, 2011), adult 9.50€, youth 11yr and younger are free, or free with Innsbruck Card, www.kristallwelten.com. Expect a visit to take at least an hour, but if you’re coming by shuttle bus from Innsbruck, your total visit will take three hours (30 min to/fro and the bus departs every two hours). After picking up your admission ticket, go to the landscaped face spouting water and enter on its left side. To get an overview of the park, head to the lookout behind the face. Afterward, find your way through the hand-shaped maze. Note: Swarovski’s production facilities are off-limits to the public; you can only visit the Crystal Worlds theme park that is centered around a contemporary exhibition set within the landscaped face. Also important to note; the Swarovski crystal sold in the gift shop is not discounted.
In 1895, Daniel Swarovski (1862-1956), an industrious 33-year-old glasscutter, believed that “crystal brings joy to man.” This as his credo, Swarovski established a crystal works in the Tyrolean village of Wattens (15 km east of Innsbruck), where pristine conifers, tall cornfields, and snow-peaked mountains gorgeously frame the site. Today, Daniel Swarovski’s legacy is synonymous with the finest crystal and an enormously successful family business, now an empire, selling 2.66€ billion worth of product in 2010 and having more than 28,000 employees worldwide with stores in more than 40 countries and manufacturing sites in 18 of these (www.brand.swarovski.com); some 5,000 employees work at the company’s headquarters in Wattens. According to a recent study of Europe’s most lucrative brands Swarovski placed about 65th within Europe (Sept 2010, www.eurobrand.cc), making the crystal manufacturer Austria’s second most profitable brand, behind the energy drink Red Bull (that is valued at 11.97€ billion). To mark the 100th anniversary of Swarovski in 1995, the Crystal Worlds theme park opened next to its headquarters and production facility in Wattens. This year, around 700,000 of us are expected to visit this temple of crystal and inspiration. Will you be one of ’em?
A gem of an attraction, Crystal Worlds is a beautifully manicured park containing a labyrinth of glittery rooms located within a grassy knoll cleverly designed as a face spouting water and fittingly called The Giant. Inside, mood lighting conspicuously captures the brilliant three-dimensional world of crystal. Off the bat you’ll see the world’s smallest cut crystal stone (.00015 carat) as well as the largest (called the “Centenar”), having a whopping 300,000 carats! From the entrance hall the tour wends at your own pace through a maze of modernly inventive exhibitions that range from hypnotic to wildly psychedelic. (Abusers of lucy in the sky with diamonds may have flashbacks here.) Highlights include the world’s largest kaleidoscope, a crystal forest, the ice passage, an entrancing mirrored dome, and the chamber of “55 million crystals” designed by Brian Eno (renowned English musician and art professor). Your journey will conclude in the showroom, or gift shop, where the latest creations of Swarovski are for sale (and typically not discounted). Beware; this could be costly! But to your advantage, if you spend 75€ or more, you qualify for tax-free shopping. If you spend 8€ or more, show your *paid admission ticket and you’ll receive a refund of 2€. (*Discount not valid with Innsbruck Card.) GPS: N47 17.703 E11 36.055. To get there, Swarovski is located 15 km east of Innsbruck, 2 km off the A12 autobahn. Drivers, on-site parking is free, exit Wattens and follow brown Kristallwelten signs. Railers, there is no train. Instead, from Innsbruck, a Swarovski shuttle bus (not the Sightseer) departs four times daily for Crystal Worlds, starting from the main train station (Hauptbahnhof) at 9:00, 11:00, 13:00, 15:00 and stopping at *two other points within Innsbruck (*Museumstrasse :4 min after the hour and Löwenhaus :8 min). Shuttle bus takes 25 min (each way) and is free with the Innsbruck Card, otherwise it will cost 8.50€ round trip (buy ticket from driver; price is for bus fare only, it does not include entry into Crystal Worlds).
From Crystal Worlds, ride the 11:30 shuttle bus back into town and get off at the Hauptbahnhof, scheduled to arrive at 11:50 (notify the driver that your aim is to connect with the Sightseer). Once here, be quick because the Sightseer heading (direction Schloss Ambras) to our next destination, the Bell Museum (bus stop Basilika Wilten), is scheduled to depart the Hauptbahnhof at 11:51 typically from bay A in front of where the shuttle bus stops (note the Sightseer will not wait if the shuttle bus is late. If you miss the Sightseer, either catch the next one scheduled at 12:31 or ride the shuttle bus into town to its next stop on Museumstrasse and pick up the Sightseer at the nearby Ferdinandeum stop heading direction Schloss Ambras at 12:23). Note: If you prefer to visit the Bell Museum another time (or if it’s closed), stay on the Sightseer and skip to the hand below for the next set of directions to the Olympic ski jump at Bergisel.
Bell Museum, locally Glockenmuseum (buttercup yellow building on corner, Mon-Fri 9:00-17:00, Sat also May-Sept 9:00-17:00, adult 6€, youth 6-14yr and students 4€, or free with Innsbruck Card, allow at least 30 min for a visit, www.grassmayr.at). Bell enthusiasts will relish this small yet unique museum by the Grassmayr family, bell makers since 1599, or 15 generations. Learn the history of the bell and the process of its production. Clang big and small, aluminum and bronze, bells in the sound room to hear the wide tonal differences. Strike the large bell full of water and stick your finger in? Check out the broad circular floor patterns that measure the largest bells in the world, starting with the massive 200-ton Zar Kolokol seated in Moscow, running adjacent to Austria’s 21-ton giant, Pummerin, hanging inside the north tower of St. Stephan’s Cathedral in Vienna. Peek through the Kein Zutritt (no entry) door for an insider’s view of the foundry where workers cast new bells every day. 
To get there, the museum is located at Leopoldstrasse 53, corner of Olympiastrasse (Sightseer drops off nearby at Basilika Wilten), within a 15-min walk of Bergisel.
From the Bell Museum the next stop on the Sightseer is Bergisel (Tirol Panorama), a 5-min walk from the Olympic ski jump. After stepping off the bus, note the Sightseer pick-up times to our final destination, Schloss Ambras, (keeping in mind that the Schloss is a large cultural estate deserving of at least 90 min of your time). Note: Although the Sightseer drops off in front of the “Tirol Panorama” museum complex, visit these museums after the Olympic ski jump (unless weather is a factor) so you can better time your next Sightseer pick-up.
Bergisel, or Mount Isel, is also a hallowed site, locally known as the “hill of heroes,” where the freedom fighter Andreas Hofer led Tyrolean militia to victory against a military alliance backed by Napoleon; (you’ll learn all about this legendary battle in the new Tirol Panorama museum complex listed below). Across from the Sightseer bus stop is a memorial to Hofer on the actual battlefield site (and the nearby wooded reserve is still used as a shooting range). The French executed Hofer in 1810; you saw his last resting place at the Court Church. GPS: N47 15.045 E11 24.062. To get to Bergisel from Innsbruck, ride the Sightseer bus direct, or take tram 1 (then 5-min walk uphill to Bergisel). Drivers, follow signs to Bergisel, parking available at new Tirol Panorama museum, 3.40€/90 min.
From the Bergisel (Tirol Panorama) Sightseer bus stop, the ski jump is a 5-min walk (pass the Hofer memorial and follow the crowd uphill).
Within the stadium grounds are two opportunities for food: just inside and right up the steps in the blue section is a café/snack bar (May-Nov) serving sandwich rolls, pizza slices, drinks and whatnot to customers at sunny tables outside, or atop the ski jump tower is the spectacularly scenic restaurant Café im Turm encased in glass giving the impression of dining on a cloud (fortunately the prices are on the affordable side of sky-high, tel. 0512/5892-5930, open same hours as ski jump). Note that the Tirol Panorama museum complex also has its own appetizing restaurant (moderately priced, daily 10:00-17:00, June-October 9:00-18:00), having 110 places inside and seating for some 50 guests outside on the terrace in summer. Picnickers, consider unpacking your goodies at the ski jump near the Olympic rings in view of Innsbruck.
Olympic Ski Jump at Bergisel, (closed for routine maintenance Nov 7-18, 2011; daily 10:00-17:00, June-Oct 9:00-18:00, last entry 30 min before closing, adult 8.50€, family 16.50€, students ask for a discount, or free with Innsbruck Card, expect a visit to take 45-60 min, www.bergisel.info). 
If you look to the hillside at the south end of town, you’ll see the new Bergisel ski jump. Completed in 2002 by London-based Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid, who also designed the Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, the ski jump was reconstructed (for 15.6€ million) on the same location as the original ski jump used for the 1964 and 1976 Winter Olympics. The new stadium can hold upwards of 28,000 spectators, but on June 27, 1988, some 60,000 Christians packed these stands to hear Pope John Paul II deliver Mass. For competitive events, fans are allowed open seating within the respective colored sections that represent the various price categories. The red-painted section is the most expensive, from 20€/person. Walk above the blue section to find the Olympic rings together with the names of all the medal winners and the two dishes that held the Olympic flame. The views from here are sensational, but even more so from atop the ski jump. To get there, hop on the mechanized cabin that climbs to the base of the tower (but first activate the cabin by pushing the Kabine Rufen button. Once inside, push Bergstation to send it to the top. When you’re ready to come back down, push Talstation). At the base of the tower, step into the elevator and press 3 for the panoramic viewing terrace. When finished absorbing the eye-popping views, walk down one level to the restaurant: Café im Turm. At the back of the restaurant, step outside to get an up-close perspective from which the jumpers are unleashed (pictured). The track is 98-meters long with a 35-degree slope. Within a handful of seconds, the jumper will reach an unnerving 90 kph (56 mph). If there is even a slight miscalculation, the jumper could end up in a cemetery like the one thoughtfully positioned just beyond the stadium. Yikes! Note: August and September are the best months to happen upon jumpers in training. (Picture of jump tower courtesy of ©Innsbruck Tourism.)
Within the new 25€ million museum complex Tirol Panorama (Mon-Sun 9:00-17:00 last entry 16:30, adult 7€, student/senior 4€, family 14€/22€, combo-ticket with Olympic ski jump 11€, or free with Innsbruck Card, allow at least 45 min for a visit) are two worthwhile museums located across from one another and connected via an underground passage. The museums—Giant Oil Painting (Riesenrundgemälde) and the Kaiserjäger Museum—captivatingly juxtapose contemporary architecture with traditional 19th-century style to showcase two storied histories profoundly rooted in the Tyrolean heritage. On March 12, 2011, politicians, historians, VIP guests, and members of the public turned up to celebrate the grand opening of Tirol Panorama. Its modern glass-encased main building nestled onto the scenic hillside of Bergisel is an architectural attraction to behold. Patrons on warm sunny days lounge on the café terrace taking in the mountain-fresh air and breathtaking vistas of the Tyrolean capital and beyond.
Step inside the new glass-and-steel structure and (besides the cashier) you’ll find an exhibition on the history of Tyrol as well as the featured Riesenrundgemälde, meaning Giant Oil Painting, completed in 1896. The massive painting is a 10,000 sq.ft. cyclorama depicting the Third Battle of Bergisel, when the freedom fighter Andreas Hofer led some 15,000 Tyrolean militia to victory in 1809 against an equal number of professional soldiers (French, Bavarians and Saxons) backed by Napoleon. The Bergisel setting for the painting is especially significant because it is here at this site where the battle raged and local heroes died for the liberty of Tyrol!
Meters away from the new edifice and connected via an underground passage is the architecturally grand Schützenhaus (House of the Marksmen), dating from 1880. This elegant 19th-century building accommodates the intriguing Kaiserjäger Museum dedicated to the Habsburg emperor’s Tyrolean infantry regiment, locally Tiroler Kaiserjägerregiment (1816-1918)—a must-visit for military buffs (allow 60-120 min, non-buffs can walk through in 15 min). Vivid paintings of decorated soldiers in uniform and men in battle adorn the walls. Pistols, medals, rifles, uniforms, flags and bayonets fill the showcases. Look for the brilliance of the Pour le Mérite (a.k.a. the Blue Max, a prestigious medal given for valor) and examples of Germany’s Medal of Honor, the Iron Cross (1st and 2nd class). A pictorial exhibition illustrates the struggles of World War I and you’ll encounter deadly weapons used in the war.
From Bergisel (Tirol Panorama) ride the Sightseer to Schloss Ambras, your last stop. Note: From Schloss Ambras the last Sightseer departure back into town is typically 18:15 (if you miss this, you’ll either have to procure a cab or walk 10 min to tram 3 heading into town every 7-15 min until roughly 23:15 from Amraser Strasse).
Schloss Ambras, daily 10:00-17:00 (Aug till 18:00), last entry 45 min before closing, and closed the entire month of Nov, adult 10€, student/senior 65+ 7€, family 18€, youths (18yr or younger) are free, or free with Innsbruck Card, Dec thru March price is discounted (7€/5€/12€) because Portrait Gallery is closed, www.khm.at/ambras. Expect a visit to take anywhere from 1.5hr to 3hr. Plan for at least 90 min—just to walk through the museums will take an hour and the gardens are über-pleasant to roam. Gardens are open from sunrise till dusk and free to enter. After touring the first wing of the residence, walk across the gardens to begin part two. To orient yourself, study the map of museums and grounds on the right before entering the ticket office; the Schloss brochure also has an illustrative map on its reverse side. Note: Although the museums are in English, a 2-hour audio guide is also available at the ticket office for 3€. (Picture of Schloss Ambras courtesy of ©Innsbruck Tourism.)
Situated 4 km southeast of the Old Town, Schloss Ambras was converted from a humdrum castle in the 16th century to a Renaissance super-palace by Archduke Ferdinand II for his wife Philippine Welser (you saw both of their tombs in the Court Church). But it is likely the Habsburg archduke gifted these palatial digs to Philippine for his own benefit because it is here in this stunning bucolic setting highlighted by manicured gardens and 64 acres of pristine parkland inhabited by wandering fowl and colorful peacocks that Ferdinand kept his enormous collections of art and weaponry and precious objects, all of which can be seen today in one of Europe’s oldest museum quarters. Most impressive is the Habsburger Portrait Gallery (Porträtgalerie), in which the walls are awash with more than 200 representations of the greater royal family painted by European masters such as Cranach, Tizian and Rubens. Elsewhere, rooms stocked with medieval armor shed light on the weightiness of knighthood during the Middle Ages.
That’s a wrap, folks! Congratulations on a tour well done. As a final suggestion, crown your alpine adventure with a toast: Take the Sightseer to the Triumphpforte (Triumphal Arch) then stroll five minutes straight along Maria-Theresien-Strasse to St. Anne’s Column. Adjacent, treat yourself to a drink at the tremendously scenic 360° wine bar and lounge (see next paragraph). Life sure is a beach in the Alps.
Situated on top of a downtown shopping center, the 360° wine bar and lounge (Mon-Sat 10:00-01:00) is highly recommended. Absorb magnificent panoramic views of Innsbruck and beyond from your seat. Romantics and realists can relax outside on a soft cushion, sip wine and savor life in this grandiose alpine setting. You won’t find many downtown lounges more scenic than this one. Period! To get there, enter the Rathaus Galerien shopping mall (next to St. Anne’s Column) and walk straight to the end, then go right to the elevators on the right. Ride either lift (Aufzug) A or B (second pair of elevators) to the 7th floor (Café Lichtblick).
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Excursions
Hall in Tirol, click here.
Scenic tram ride: If you have extra time (60 min round trip), hop on tram 6 meandering through the picturesque environs of Innsbruck to Igls Bahnhof (22-min trip, tram 6 departs “Bergisel” daily :13 past every hour until 17:13, May-Sept also 18:13 and 19:13, normal fare required or included with Innsbruck Card and 24hr-Ticket). This excursion is so “local” that the other passengers will think you’re lost. I implore you, however, to ignore the odd stares and hop on the electrified tram 6 like you belong. You’re in for a treat, one that rolls along the hillside above the autobahn and Innsbruck, through an enchanting forest, past local swimming holes and quaint Tyrolean houses (especially on the left at Aldrans). If you’d really like to set this excursion apart from any other, combine it with a ‘cable car ride into the Alps’ (see entry below). Either way, to get back to Innsbruck, take bus J departing from the main road through the village of Igls or from in front of the Patscherkofel cable car station (15-min trip back to Maria-Theresien-Strasse or Museumstrasse in Innsbruck, departing daily twice per hour typically :15 and :45 past the hour until 19:15 then hourly from 19:30 thru 22:30). From Igls’ quiet, country Bahnhof (train station) to the cable car is an enjoyable 10-min walk; follow sign Patscherkofel Seilbahnen straight into town then on the main road go left up the hill to the station. (Picture of tram 6 courtesy of ©IVB.at.)
Olympic Bobsled and Luge: see next entry.
Cable Car into the Alps, (daily 9:00-12:00 & 12:45-16:30, July/Aug till 17:00, round trip adult 18.70€, student 15.20€, or free with Innsbruck Card, www.patscherkofelbahnen.at). From the picture-perfect village of Igls, 5 km south of Innsbruck, a cable car will lift you to the (Olympic) Patscherkofel ski area (1,952m/6,400ft) boasting far-reaching views of the valley and an up-close eyeful of edelweiss. In summer, the mountain blossoms with botanists, nature lovers, and hikers wandering the plethora of trails. At the docking station is a scenic viewing terrace, and a short uphill hike leads to the Schutzhaus, a traditional-style chalet dishing up Tyrolean specialties. Picnickers will discover plenty of picturesque opportunities to unpack the basket. But another treat awaits you on this summit: edelweiss. 
The shown picture is of the actual edelweiss you can find in the Alpengarten (GPS: N47 12.657 E11 27.090), Austria’s highest botanic garden (June-Sept 9:00-16:00, free entry). In this 5-acre reserve (maintained by the University of Innsbruck for research) are more than 400 species of alpine plants, many legally protected. To get there, follow signs Alpengarten up the hill, past the Schutzhaus and down into the garden. Descend the steps. By the landing after about the 12th step, you’ll find the pictured edelweiss. Note: Edelweiss is a nationally protected flower and illegal to pick. Switching gears, the suburb of Igls is also famous for its Olympic Bobbahn, site of thebobsled and luge track used in both the 1964 and 1976 Winter Olympics. The track, affectionately referred to as the Ice Channel (in winter), is 1.27 km long and has 14 hair-raising curves. Interested? Like an Olympian, you too can experience the 110-kph (68-mph) rush of this frozen conduit on a 4-person bob (2 guests + 2 pro pilots) typically weekends Dec-Feb (95€/person, age limit 14yr or min height 130cm/4.2ft, res required: tel. 0512/3383-8221, www.olympiaworld.at); or less blinding but Olympic just the same and ideal for groups, consider the 6-person bob (5 guests + 1 pilot) swooshing down a shorter section of track (800 m, 10 curves) at speeds up to 90 kph, or 55 mph (typically Dec-Feb, Tue & Thur, 30€/person, age limit 12yr, res not required); or bob on wheels in summer on a non-frozen track (typically July/Aug Wed-Fri 16:00-18:00, 25€/person, age limit 12yr, res required: tel. 05275/5386). Note: Check times and prices with TI or directly with the bob organizer. Racing isn’t just limited to Innsbruck, Berchtesgaden also has a championship bob you can brave. To get there from central Innsbruck, either experience the ‘scenic tram ride’ (see entry above) or catch bus J direction Patscherkofel for the cable car station (or bus J direction Olympiaexpress for the bobsled) and enjoy the picturesque journey to the end, 20 min (bus departs daily every 30 min from Schmelzergasse, Maria-Theresien-Strasse, Museumstrasse, and Sillpark).
Click here for Accommodations Innsbruck.
Click here for do-it-yourself Innsbruck, Day 1.
Click here for Introduction Innsbruck.
(This page was last updated June 2011)
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