If you’re planning to visit Innsbruck, Austria, this Christmas, we’re going to show you the best Christmas markets to visit in 2026, what to eat and drink, and the must-see sights around the city. We’ll also share why we recommend renting a car to explore some of the beautiful villages nearby, including our favourite Christmas day trip just 30 minutes away.
Christmas in Innsbruck Austria
Innsbruck is situated in western Austria, right in the the Austrian Alps, surrounded by mountains and beautiful little villages. It also has its own airport, Innsbruck Airport, which is just a short drive from the city centre.
We actually did a road trip around this part of Austria and neighbouring Germany, using Mittenwald in Germany as our base, where we also spent Christmas Day. Innsbruck was the closest airport for our trip, but if you’re planning to stay in Innsbruck, it’s a great place to fly into because you’re very well situated to explore the surrounding areas.
We highly recommend renting a car if you can, because there are so many beautiful places to discover nearby. Public transport is available, like trains and buses, but having a car gives you much more flexibility, especially during winter when it’s cold outside. You can drive through beautiful forests, stop at lakes along the way and explore little villages that are harder to reach by public transport.
And speaking of beautiful villages, at the end because we’re taking you to Seefeld in Austria for a Christmas day trip that we highly recommend. It was absolutely magical, full of snow!
Christmas Markets
Innsbruck has several Christmas markets to explore, from the Old Town all the way to the Bergisel Ski Jump.
When we visited Innsbruck on the 31st of December, we were able to visit the Maria-Theresien-Straße Christmas Market, as it’s one of the markets that stays open until the 6th of January.
Most of the other markets close on the 23rd of December, so we unfortunately missed quite a few.
We really enjoyed the Maria-Theresien-Straße market. It’s set along the street with colourful buildings and the snowy mountains in the background. There are stalls selling all sorts of food and drinks. We’ll show you what we ordered a little later.
There was also a section with stalls selling Christmas gifts and decorations, and one of our favourites was the Käthe Wohlfahrt Christmas hut. They’re a famous German brand known for their traditional Christmas decorations. Inside you’ll find everything from beautiful ornaments to decorative pieces for your home. Many of the items are handmade and hand-painted, and some even have moving mechanical parts. Käthe Wohlfahrt will be returning in 2026, so definitely have a look inside!
Even though we only managed to visit one of the markets, we really enjoyed it. And if you’re visiting during December, you’ll have plenty more to choose from!
Christmas Markets in Innsbruck 2026/27
These are the dates available as of October 2026. Dates or times may change, and we’ll update this page as soon as we have any new information.
1. Old Town Christmas Market
📍 Golden Roof, Old Town
📅 Nov 13 – Dec 23, 2026
🕒 Daily, 11 AM – 9 PM
2. Marktplatz Family Market
📍 Marktplatz, beside the Inn River
📅 Nov 13 – Dec 23, 2026
🕒 Daily, 11 AM – 9 PM
3. Maria-Theresien-Straße Market
📍 Maria-Theresien-Straße
📅 Nov 25, 2026 – Jan 6, 2027
🕒 Daily, 11 AM – 9 PM
4. Hungerburg Panorama Market
📍 Hungerburg, accessible by funicular
📅 Nov 20, 2026 – Jan 6, 2027
🕒 Mon–Fri, 1 PM – 7 PM (1 PM – 6 PM from Dec 25)
Weekends, 12 PM – 7 PM (12 PM – 6 PM from Dec 25)
5. St. Nikolaus Christmas Market
📍 Hans-Brenner-Platz, across the Inn River
📅 Nov 20 – Dec 23, 2026
🕒 Daily, 4 PM – 9 PM
6. Wiltener Platzl Christmas Market
📍 Wiltener Platzl
📅 Nov 20 – Dec 23, 2026
🕒 Daily, 4 PM – 8 PM
7. Kaiserweihnacht at Bergisel
📍 Bergisel 2, near the Bergisel Ski Jump
📅 Nov 13 – Dec 20, 2026
🕒 Fridays, 2 PM – 8 PM
Saturdays & Sundays, 11 AM – 8 PM
Note: Bergisel also has special opening dates on Dec 7 and 8.
Christmas Market food & other traditional dishes
Sausage with Bratkartoffeln
At the Christmas market, we ordered sausage with Bratkartoffeln, which are German-style fried potatoes. They’re thinly sliced potatoes fried in butter or fat, and they go really well with the sausage.
Kaiserschmarrn
For dessert, we ordered Kaiserschmarrn, which is a very popular Austrian dessert that you’ll also find in Germany. It’s basically a fluffy, caramelised pancake torn into bite-sized pieces, dusted with icing sugar and served with a fruit compote or jam. Ours came with raspberry jam, and it was delicious. It’s one of our favourite treats in this part of Europe, and it’s definitely something we recommend trying at a Christmas market. It’s buttery and sweet, with a little tartness from the jam.
Kiachl
At Christmas markets, also lookout for Kiachl, which is a traditional fried dough pastry from Tyrol. You can have it sweet, usually with cranberry jam, or savoury with sauerkraut. There are often stalls offering different toppings, from traditional options to more modern combinations, so it’s worth trying if you come across it.
Käsespätzle
Another dish to try is Käsespätzle. These are soft little egg noodles mixed with melted cheese and topped with crispy fried onions. It’s hearty Alpine comfort food, perfect for a cold winter’s day, and you’ll find it in many traditional restaurants around the region.
Wiener Schnitzel
You can also try Wiener Schnitzel, which is traditionally made with a thin piece of veal that’s breaded and fried until golden and crispy. It’s usually served with potatoes or potato salad and a wedge of lemon, which adds a bit of freshness to balance the richness. You’ll find it on the menu at many traditional Austrian restaurants.
Apfelstrudel
And if you love apple desserts, you have to try Apfelstrudel, or Austrian apple strudel. It’s a thin pastry filled with apples, often served warm with vanilla sauce, which is almost like a light custard. It’s a lovely dessert to finish a meal with, or you can enjoy it at a cosy café with a coffee. Just keep in mind that the strudel itself usually isn’t very sweet, and most of that sweetness comes from the vanilla sauce. So, if you prefer desserts that aren’t overly sweet, you’ll probably love this one. But if you have a real sweet tooth, it might not be your favourite!
Glühwein & Glühmost
Now, let’s talk about drinks. Like most European Christmas markets, you’ll find Glühwein, which is an absolute must-try if you love wine. It’s hot, spiced wine, usually red or white, although you can sometimes find rosé too. It’s infused with spices like cinnamon and cloves, often with citrus such as orange. We absolutely love it, especially on a cold winter’s day.
This time we decided to order Glühmost at the Christmas market, which is hot mulled apple cider. It’s made by heating fermented apple or pear cider with winter spices. It’s a great alternative if you’re not a fan of wine. The one we had was delicious.
Top thing to see in Innsbruck
1. See the famous Golden Roof
One of the first things you should see in Innsbruck is the Golden Roof, which is probably the city’s most famous landmark. It’s located on Herzog-Friedrich-Straße in the Old Town, and it has 2,657 gilded copper roof tiles.
It’s such an iconic part of Innsbruck that we even bought a magnet of it for our trip! During Advent, brass musicians also play traditional Christmas music from the balcony beneath the Golden Roof. It really adds to the vibe when you’re visiting the Old Town Christmas market. Just check the schedule for your travel dates to make sure you don’t miss them.
2. Walk through the fairy-tale streets
While you’re exploring the Old Town, make sure you walk through Mariengasse and Riesengasse, also known as Fairy Tale Alley and Giant’s Lane. Along these historic streets, you’ll find oversized figures of famous fairy-tale characters, including Pinocchio, Rapunzel and Hansel and Gretel to name a few. It’s so much fun to see.
3. Take the Hungerburgbahn
The Hungerburgbahn is a funicular railway that takes you from Innsbruck’s city centre up to Hungerburg in around eight minutes. You can catch it at the Altstadt station on Rennweg, close to the Old Town. At the top, you’ll get beautiful views over Innsbruck and the surrounding mountains.
An adult return ticket currently costs around €14, although prices can change.
The railway operates throughout the year, with winter 2026/27 services scheduled from 20 November 2026 to 25 April 2027. Check the official website for the latest operating hours and ticket prices.
4. Visit Innsbruck Cathedral
If you enjoy visiting churches and cathedrals when travelling around Europe, make sure you stop at Innsbruck Cathedral, also known as St. James’s Cathedral or Dom zu St. Jakob. It has a beautiful Baroque interior, with ornate decorations and impressive ceiling paintings. We love visiting these historic buildings because each one has its own character, and this one is well worth a look. You’ll find it at Domplatz 6 in the Old Town.
5. Enjoy the views from the Inn Bridge
Finally, take some time to walk across the Inn Bridge and enjoy the views of Innsbruck’s colourful riverside houses, with the mountains rising behind them. It’s one of the best spots to see how the city sits right in the middle of the Alps, plus it’s a great place to take photos. From here, you can walk along the river before heading back into the Old Town. It’s especially beautiful during Christmas when the surrounding mountains are covered in snow.
Easy day trip from Innsbruck: Seefeld
Seefeld is an alpine town in the state of Tyrol, about 30 minutes drive from Innsbruck. There, we came across a small Christmas market covered in snow in the Dorfplatz by St. Oswald Church. There were outdoor fireplaces, so we warmed up with eggnog and warm buttery pretzels. It was my first time trying eggnog and I wasn’t a fan, but mom really enjoyed it.
We also walked around to see the Seekirche behind the ice rink, which is connected to the Olympia Sport and Congress Centre. In winter, you can enjoy the saunas there or relax on the lounge chairs inside while looking out at the snowy view from the pool.
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