What is the Innsbruck self-guided walking tour?
The Innsbruck self-guided walking tour is an audio-narrated walk led by the World City Trail app on your phone: it guides you from stop to stop and, at each one, tells the history, legends and curious details of the place in front of you. The whole outing runs to about 2 hours, 24 minutes of it on foot across 1.8 km and 10 stops. Maria-Theresien-Straße and the old town lanes lie close together, so far more of your time goes on looking up than on walking.
At the Triumphal Arch you learn why its two sides tell different stories: it went up in 1765 for the wedding of Archduke Leopold, yet its north face mourns Emperor Francis Stephen, who died that same year. Saint Anne's Column recalls the Bavarian troops driven out of Tyrol in the War of the Spanish Succession. Under the Golden Roof the narration turns to its 2,657 fire-gilded copper shingles and finds Maximilian I in the reliefs, between his two consorts and a court jester. At the Court Church comes the tale of the tomb he planned for himself, with the bronze Black Men around it: 28 of the 40 he wanted.
- Durationabout 2 hours
- Walkingabout 24 min · 1.8 km
- Stops10
- LanguagesEnglish, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Dutch
Your walk, stop by stop
Stories on the spot
History, local legends and fun facts are told right where they happened, by voice or as text, so you can look at the building while you hear about it.
Navigation built in
Each leg opens in Google Maps; all the legs together add up to about 24 minutes on foot and 1.8 km.
Stop and resume
Step into a café or a museum halfway through. The app remembers the last stop you reached, and you continue when you are ready, even days later.
Local tips, your order
Recommendations for regional food and shops come with the narration, and the starting point and sequence of stops can be changed in the app.
See the route and attractions →
How it works
- Book online Choose the number of people. Your booking reference arrives by email straight away.
- Get the app Download the World City Trail app from the App Store or Google Play and enter your booking reference.
- Walk when you like Start whenever you are ready, walk at your own pace and pause any time. No guide, no fixed schedule.
Made with these walkers in mind
First trip in Innsbruck?
The walk connects the main sights in a sensible order and explains each one, which makes the centre easy to understand from day one.
Independent travellers
No meeting point and no group to keep up with: stay put wherever a detail grabs you, and walk on once you are ready.
Families with children
The young ones get legends, the grown-ups get history, and anyone can tap pause.
Good to know
- Bring a charged smartphone with mobile data; a power bank helps.
- No entry tickets needed: everything happens outside the buildings. Going inside is optional and paid separately.
- Family friendly; children must be accompanied by an adult.
- Not suitable for wheelchair users and difficult with strollers.
- Groups of up to 5 work best; larger groups split up, one ticket per person.
- Every purchase helps support stray cats and dogs in Greece.
From Maria-Theresien-Straße to the Cathedral of Saint James
10 stops · about 24 min walking · start: Triumphal Arch (Triumphpforte) · finish: Cathedral of Saint James (Dom St. Jakob)
The tour sets off at the Triumphal Arch, where Maria-Theresien-Straße ends in the south, and takes in Eduard-Wallnöfer-Platz, Saint Anne's Column and the Ferdinandeum before reaching the old town. There the City Tower and the Golden Roof stand a few steps apart, followed by the Hofburg, the Court Church, the Leopold Fountain on Rennweg and, last of all, the Cathedral of Saint James. Every story is told from the street, and the app lets you begin at whichever stop you prefer.
Open the route map ↗
1Triumphal Arch (Triumphpforte)Start
The Triumphpforte closes the southern end of Maria-Theresien-Straße and was built in 1765 for the wedding of Archduke Leopold. Modelled on the Arch of Constantine in Rome, its north side commemorates the death of Emperor Francis Stephen that same year.
Read the full story →
2Eduard-Wallnöfer-Platz
This square, home to the Tyrolean state government buildings, was built in the late 1930s and is named after former governor Eduard Wallnöfer. Its many ramps and obstacles have made it a favourite with skateboarders and BMX riders.
3Annasäule (Saint Anne's Column)
The Annasäule was erected after the last Bavarian troops were expelled from Tyrol during the War of the Spanish Succession, and it was consecrated in 1706. Cristoforo Benedetti of Trento designed it in red Kramsach marble, and a statue of the Virgin stands on top about 13 metres above the street.
4Tyrolean State Museum Ferdinandeum
The Ferdinandeum was founded in 1823 by a Tyrolean museum society and is named after Archduke Ferdinand. Its collections range from prehistoric and Roman finds to Gothic and modern art, including works by Michael Pacher and a music room with instruments by Jakob Stainer.
5City Tower (Stadtturm)
The Stadtturm was built between 1442 and 1450 in the late Gothic style as part of Innsbruck's old town hall. At 51 metres it still dominates the skyline, and its viewing platform at 31 metres is reached by 133 steps, with no lift.
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6Golden Roof (Goldenes Dachl)
The Golden Roof is an oriel, or bay window, added between 1497 and 1500 to a residence built in 1420, for Maximilian I. Its roof is covered with 2,657 fire-gilded copper shingles, and its reliefs show Maximilian with his two consorts, a chancellor and a court jester.
Read the full story →
7Hofburg
Work on the Hofburg began in 1446 under Archduke Sigismund, and the palace was rebuilt in the Baroque style for Empress Maria Theresa between 1754 and 1776. Its main façade on Rennweg was designed by Nikolaus Pacassi, and Franz Anton Maulbertsch painted the ceiling fresco of the Giants' Hall in 1775 and 1776.
8Court Church (Hofkirche)
Work on the Court Church began in 1502 on a tomb planned by Maximilian I for himself. Its cenotaph shows him kneeling life-size on the lid, surrounded by 24 reliefs from his life and by bronze figures of his ancestors, known as the Black Men, of which 28 of the planned 40 were completed.
9Leopold Fountain (Leopoldsbrunnen)
The Leopold Fountain on Rennweg was built between 1622 and 1630 for Archduke Leopold V, whose equestrian statue was meant as a symbol of his claim to power. The fountain took its present appearance only in 1893, and it is named after the archduke who commissioned it.
10Cathedral of Saint James (Dom St. Jakob)Finish
The cathedral of Saint James took its present Baroque form between 1717 and 1724, to a design by Johann Jakob Herkomer, who died in 1717 and was succeeded by Johann Georg Fischer. Cosmas Damian Asam painted its frescoes, and the church became a cathedral only in 1964.
Read the full story →
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