Stunning attractions in beautiful Alpine city are unlocked with tourism card
Ascending gracefully into the Austrian alps in our cable car we're impressed by the walkers below who have opted to mountaineer their way up this 2,637m slope.
Surrounded by stunning vistas on all sides and with the view of Innsbruck below I'm tempted to return at some point with my hiking gear and join them to fully soak in every nook and cranny.
But with countless attractions to visit here my plodding will have to wait - I'm eager to see everything this city (the capital of the Tyrol region no less) has to offer.
And as we reach the top station of Nordkette (Hakelkar) and the massive craggy wilderness of the Alps comes into full focus we get a sense of the task in store.
Fear not though - we have opted for the Innsbruck Card - guaranteeing free entry to 22 museums and attractions, one upward and one downward journey on selected lifts and cable cars in the region, free use of public transport and free use of the Sightseer hop-on hop-off bus for either 24,48 or 72 hours.
But that's not all - it also means we can visit a host of attractions - and as we ponder the mysteries of creation in the restaurant staring out from the top of Nordkette we're also busy planning our best route.
I should pause here to wax a bit more lyrical - because the view really is something special - the vastness and drama of the peaks are something to behold.
Rhapsodising complete we hop on the next cable car down and set our sights on Swarovski Crystal Worlds.
Using the free transport and entry with our card we dive into the immersive experiences on offer at this attraction – opened in 1995 to mark the centennial anniversary of the company’s founding.
Dazzling exhibitions in the 'Chamber of Wonder' are quite the feats of creativity - there's a huge range of artistic installations that beguile and delight. I feel lost in a psychedelic dreamland - how do people come up with this stuff?!
The garden is also a treasure trove of impressive art installations and we're feeling pretty cultural as we chart our course to further our bohemian education at the Court Church.
Here stand 28 life-size bronze figures which watch over the hugely ornate tomb of Emperor Maximilian I - a man who obviously inspired a send off to end all send offs!
The next morning we still have time to visit the Alpine Zoo thanks to the flexibility of the Innsbruck card, which is valid for your selected time period from the first time you use it.
We've sampled some highlights but are keen to return - for there's plenty left for us to explore such as the Imperial Palace, City Tower, Bergisel stadium & ski jump or Ambras Castle Innsbruck.
Perhaps next time we'll get a 48 hour Innsbruck Card and dive further into this fascinating city.
For more information visit: https://www.innsbruck.info/en/sightseeing/innsbruck-card.html