A strong contender for the unofficial title: ‘capital of the Alps’, the handsome city of Innsbruck has a plum location beneath Austria’s Nordkette mountain range, making it a jumping-off point for hikers eager to explore the Alps above 2,000m. Here’s where to get a peek of the peaks from town.

 

From the funicular

The Zaha Hadid-designed Hungerburg  Funicular / Image: © www.guentheregger.at

Dreamed up by the late British-Iraqi starchitect Zaha Hadid, the Hungerburg Funicular climbs a dizzying 1,905m above Innsbruck offering ace views of the city, nearby nature park, and shimmering mountains in the distance.

From your table

Pretty Innsbruck is framed by the Alps / Image: Adobe Stock

Lichtblick is quite literally a high-end restaurant, serving posh Austrian nosh fully 10 storeys up, with unbeatable 360-degree mountain and city rooftop vistas – the perfect setting for a top-level liaison.

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From the ski jump

The soaring, not-for-the-faint-hearted Bergisel Ski Jump tower hosts death-defying summer and winter events, and also provides perhaps the most striking viewing platform in the whole city via a short life ride or, if you’re feeling fit, 455 steps.