Exploring Innsbruck, Austria Christmas Markets

A few weekends ago I travelled to Innsbruck, Austria with my husband and my daughter to adventure through the famous Christmas markets that are known for their unique traditional and romantic atmospheres, set in Austria’s beautiful alpine region.
We arrived on opening day and quickly unpacked our luggage in a quaint apartment about 10 minutes walk from Innsbruck’s historic center and the famous “Golden Roof.” The weather was crisp and perfect for exploring the city, so we set off with our daughter in thick snow gear with extra blankets just in case of snow.

First, we walked through the Old Town Christmas market, set right underneath the famous Golden Roof, where the smell of Glühwein and Kiachln (hot homemade donuts laced with sauerkraut) immediately welcomed our noses with the feeling of warmth and tradition. Strolling through the market we found beautiful Christmas ornaments, like hand painted glass balls with majestic winter scenes, different handicrafts like knitted wool hats and scarves, incense, candles, and not to mention all of the wonderful winter treats like crepes with nutella, fried potatoes, and candied nuts!! We walked amongst the locals and drank hot Glüwein,  admiring all of the beautiful medieval buildings, then stopped for dinner at an amazing Greek restaurant, Akropolis! We mistakenly did not make reservations which apparently is a MUST during the busy Christmas season, but they made room for us in the back with the promise we would only take an hour! This was perfect for us with a one year old, and we still had plenty of time to enjoy dinner, paired with Greek red wine and some after dinner digestive called “Ouzo” (kind of like the Greek version of Grappa and super INTENSE!!).

The next day we decided to walk through the family Christmas market in the Marktplatz, complete with a carousel, petting zoo, and puppet show for kids!! My daughter loved the carousel, and the tickets were only 2 euro for adults with free access for children under 1!! We let our daughter run around the area a little bit to burn off some energy, meanwhile enjoying more Glüwein of course! Tip** Each time you buy a drink you put a deposit down to get the classic market cups. You can decide to return the cup to get your money back…. OR just collect them all like we do!! I think over the 7 years we have been traveling through Europe, we have collected over 30!!

We ended our night walking through the streets, with fresh snow falling, and a small musical ensemble playing in the background. Our daughter had magically fallen asleep early, so we decided to get dinner at a local favorite in the town center and enjoyed our last evening in Innsbruck as a couple. We had a wonderful time exploring the markets, admiring the medieval architecture, and enjoying the intimate and magical winter atmosphere of Christmas in Austria! I would recommend this trip to singles, couples, or families!! The city is magical and the markets are unforgettable!!

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Written By: Mary Christian | Blog Writer and Travel Enthusiast