Onward to Innsbruck

We checked out of our hotel at 8 am, in time to catch our train to our next city, Innsbruck. As the Salzburg Card is still valid, we took a bus to the Salzburg train station. We waited for the train in the OBB lounge, which serves some simple breakfast and drinks. Since we had breakfast at the hotel, we only had some drinks in the lounge.

We arrived at Innsbruck at around 10.45 am. The first thing on our minds was to get the Innsbruck Card, available for sale at selected hotels or the tourist information centre in the old town centre. Like many cities in Austria, the Innsbruck Card (€69 for a 48-hour card) allows access to most tourist attractions and all public transport in Innsbruck. In my research, while planning this trip, the attractions we plan to visit would cost us €94.50. We thought the Innsbruck Card was value for money, as it also included all public transport within Innsbruck. From my research before our trip, I learned that the Word & Press shop at the train station sells the Innsbruck Card. We checked with a friendly staff member at the shop and were informed that they do not sell Innsbruck cards. The staff told us we could get the card from Ibis Hotel, which is next to the train station. After getting our Innsbruck Card from Ibis Hotel, we headed for our hotel, about a 5-minute walk from the train station. We were relieved that the hotel granted us early check-in. We settled into our rooms and visited our first sight in Innsbruck.

Swarovski Crystal Worlds: The Art of Crystals

We returned to Innsbruck train station, where we caught the 12.40 pm bus to Swarovski Crystal Worlds (return trip from Innsbruck by shuttle bus costs €12). One of the benefits of the Innsbruck Card is that it not only gave us access to many attractions in Innsbruck, including Swarovski Crystal Worlds, but it also covered the bus ride to this attraction. The ride from the train station to Swarovski Crystal Worlds (costs €26) took about 28 mins. We were initially quite neutral about visiting the Swarovski Crystal Worlds, thinking it was an exhibition to promote the brand’s products. The front of the museum was a face with water flowing out of the mouth. I thought the face looked creepy.

The indoor exhibits of Swarovski Crystal Worlds have numerous crystal art in different shapes and sizes displayed across the 18 chambers. Some of these exhibits showcased the crystals hanging from the ceiling or mounted into the walls, but most of the displays have these crystals turned into artworks and some as part of the clothing (mainly for celebrities). When I saw these crystal-made garments, I wondered why anyone would wear these uncomfortable-looking clothing. After looking at the first few chambers, the wow factor dissipated. We rushed through the rest of the exhibits and walked towards the exit. My friends and I were lukewarm about these exhibits and spent only 1 hour through the 18 chambers. We weren’t interested in the rest of the park, where we skipped the outdoor grounds comprising a maze and a crystal forest. We waited for the 3.35 pm shuttle bus back to the city. I find the price was not worth visiting, maybe except for crystal enthusiasts. I wouldn’t have come here if not for the included from the Innsbruck card.

Night Stroll in Innsbruck

It was about 4 pm when we returned to Innsbruck, and we wanted to find some food as we only had breakfast. We explored the city of Innsbruck, hunting for food and some shopping. The city of Innsbruck is compact and very walkable. The walk from the train station to the old town, where most of the attractions in the city are located, took about 15 mins. There are restaurants and cafes dotted around the city, with more choices of cuisines for food. We started our hunt for luncheon from the train station and strolled into Maria-Theresien-Straße, the main street in Innsbruck, where most of the shopping and restaurants are housed in baroque-styled buildings. Along the Maria-Theresien-Straße, we saw the Triumphpforte, an archway built by Empress Maria Theresa in the 18th century using the stones from the old city gate. This archway marks the entrance to Innsbruck city. Further towards the Altstadt along Maria-Theresien-Straße, we spotted St Anne’s column (Annasäule), built in 1703 to mark the liberation of Tyrol from Bavarian troops. At the top of St Anne’s column stands the statue of St. Mary. We walked further along the Maria-Theresien-Straße and arrived at the Golden Roof. At night, the Golden Roof lost its “golden glitter”, revealing its bronze nature. The buildings around the Golden Roof had a strong baroque architecture style. Most of the shops in Innsbruck close at 6 pm, this part of the town seems quiet. We settled for dinner and returned to our hotel.