Innsbruck, for all its charms, is not a hub for haut cuisine and it is not located in a wine region. So what can I recommend to a Master of Wine from overseas who will be in Innsbruck for a few days before continuing on to explore the wines of Alto Adige?
A hearty continental breakfast is part of Tyrolean hospitality, so he will likely leave his hotel or pension well-fed. The morning could be spent discovering Innsbruck’s gorgeous old town – it’s lovely arcades, the Golden Roof and a pedestrian zone with numerous cafés and boutiques. He should certainly take a look at the Hofkirche with its impressive cenotaph and bronze statues. Lunch is recommendable at the Viennese-style Café Central which has very good and typical Austrian cuisine and Austrian wines by the glass at reasonable prices in a pleasant atmosphere.
Innsbruck has not only some impressive old architecture, but the star architect Zaha Hadid has also left her mark with the Bergisel ski jump, which is just a 20 minute walk from the old town, and the hybrid funicular Hungerbergbahn. From the café at the top of the Bergisel ski jump he can enjoy a 360° view of the Inn Valley, the city, and the surrounding Alps. For a real Alpine feeling he should take the stunning Hungerbergbahn up to the panorama cable car and take that to the very top of the Hafelekar mountain for a truly breathtaking view that spans from Germany to Italy. In my opinion, the best dining in Innsbruck is currently at Restaurant Sitzwohl, where my acquaintance can enjoy a good wine list and Austrian cusine with Mediterranean touch. Sitzwohl is open Monday through Saturday from 8:30 AM – 2 AM.
The next morning he could take a picturesque 50 minute train ride to Kufstein to visit the Riedel Glas headquarters. I think he would enjoy the tour of the production facility and observing them producing the Sommelier series of glasses. The multi-media Sinfonie show is kind of funky, but I have a love/hate relationship with the also a separate place to purchase 2nd and 3rd quality items and sometime you will come upon a very lucky find there.
Located right next to the Riedel shop is the Wein & Co shop, a wine merchant with perhaps the largest selection of Austrian wines as well as other selected wines from around the world – another place I spend a lot of money. Kufstein itself is a lovely city – it reminds me of a miniature Salzburg with its fortress castle overlooking the Inn river. The old town is quite a little jewel and has several interesting shops and boutiques.
Once back in Innsbruck in the afternoon, he should crown his visit to the Tyrol with Schloss Ambras. There are always interesting exhibitions and events going on there and it is a fabulous place to discover the history, culture, and art of the region.
Other impressive places to visit not far from Innsbruck are Salzburg and Kitzbühel. Both Kitzbühel and Innsbruck have several superb restaurants and despite there being other attractions as well, you could spend days just discovering the creations of highly decorated chefs! But those are two more future blog entries…
Meanwhile this is the view from the top of the mountain on a recent hike near home: