Innsbruck

Earlier in the year, Huck raged through the Alps in a fit of extreme sports gonzo journalism. When we stumbled across Innsbruck, Austria, we knew we’d struck gold. Unlike stuffy Alpine resort towns, Innsbruck is a bustling city in its own right, with plenty happening off the slopes. Its sizeable student population means there are plenty of places to party – any night of the week – and a big arts scene, from galleries to open air cinemas.

But Innsbruck’s main attraction is the abundance of mountain action that surrounds the city. You can hit the incredible Nordkette from a gondola station in the heart of the town and the rest of the slopes are just a short bus ride from the city centre. What’s more, in summer the awesome winter sports facilities double as some of the gnarliest mountain biking trails in Europe.

Which is great because Huck are already looking for an excuse to go back. After hitting the powder in a big way, we had an awesome time in the city, had a number of adventures that are not fit to print, but best of all, made a lot of friends. What follows is our guide to the best Innsbruck has to offer.

Nordkette
Nordkette is just a gondola ride from the city centre, so you can hit the slopes minutes after leaving your hostel. It has a great snowboard park and scores of downhills that double up as incredible mountain bike trails in the summer. It’s also home to Cloud 9, an igloo bar that hosts parties on the mountainside twice a month.

Kühtai
Kühtai is a short bus ride out of Innsbruck but well worth the journey, with eight black runs and a killer snowboard fun park.

Die Börse
Die Börse is the place to get all your swag. These friendly dudes will hook you up with all you need in the way of ski and snowboard equipment. They also hire out bikes and longboards during the warmer months.

Landhaus Platz
We heard a lot of tales and urban myths about Landhaus Platz, but one thing’s for certain: the sweeping concrete structures forms are ideal for shredding. There’s also an amazing deli round the corner on Maria-Theresien-Straße.

The Arches
If you head out for a drink in Innsbruck there is a pretty high chance that you’ll end up under its notorious arches a few hours later. Situated on Ingenieur-Etzel-Straße, between Museumstrasse and Dreiheiligenstraße, the drinking holes on this stretch are the last places to close in town.

Outdoor Cinema
We missed out on this one, but in August, the courtyard of the Zeughas becomes an outdoor art house cinema. Films are screened in their original language with German subtitles, so if your Deutsch isn’t up to scratch you should be able to find something to watch.

For all the info you’re going to need, head over to Innsbruck Tourism.