Gasthaus Goldenes Dachl
What to order: the Tiroler Dachl Gröstl (€19.80), the tafelspitz soup with Kaspressknödel (€9.80) or the Tyrolean veal schnitzel (€33.50), and for dessert the Kaiserschmarrn.
Every day 11:00 to 23:00 · Kitchen 11:30 to 21:30
geocalia
Day itinerary · 47.27° N · 11.39° E
Ambras and Swarovski in a day, from an archduke's cabinet of wonders to the Crystal Giant.
Train from Munich, the cabinet of wonders at Ambras castle, Tyrolean lunch on the Hofgasse and the shuttle to the Swarovski Kristallwelten halls in Wattens.
Leaving from
Direct flight to Salzburgo fromAlicante 2 h 45Gran Canaria 5 hTenerife Sur 5 h 15
Add to my trip
Total time12 h with the train
By car1 h 45 each way
From MunichDirect train, around 1 h 45
From SpainDirect flight to Munich
AmbrasFrom €16 online; 10:00 to 17:00, closed in November
Swarovski€25 online; return shuttle, €13
DifficultyEasy
BookingTickets online; table at weekends
The plan
The day at a glance
Any part can be swapped for another without spoiling the day.
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Leave Munich 1 h 45 by train
direct train from München Hauptbahnhof; check the day's timetable on oebb.at or bahn.de
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1
Ambras Castle and its chamber of art and wonders
bus 540 from the main station, about 10 min; opens at 10:00, from €16 online
- 30 min by bus
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2
Gasthaus Goldenes Dachl
bus to the centre; book at weekends
Hofgasse 1, 6020 Innsbruck · +43 512 319590
Restaurant €€Book - 30 min by bus
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3
Swarovski Kristallwelten in Wattens
shuttle from the Congress/Hofburg stop at 14:44; ticket €25 online
+43 5224 51080
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Back home 30 min by bus
shuttle back, at the main station at 17:59
- 1 h 45 by train · direct train to München Hauptbahnhof
Approximate cost
About €45–60 per person
Adds up the activities and meals in the plan at their published prices; travel and accommodation not included.
The route
Ambras Castle and its chamber of art and wonders
How to get there from Spain. The plan leaves from Munich: fly the day before to Munich (MUC), with direct flights from Madrid, Barcelona and other Spanish cities, and sleep near the main station. In the morning, a direct train to Innsbruck. If you prefer to sleep in Innsbruck and arrive by car, the Hotel Bierwirt is next to the castle.
This is the indoor Innsbruck, for a cloudy day or for anyone who has already been up the mountain. In the morning, Ambras castle, where Archduke Ferdinand II gathered in the 16th century armour, portraits and a cabinet of art and wonders that is among the first museums in the world. Tyrolean lunch in the old town and, in the afternoon, the shuttle to Wattens, to the halls of crystal that André Heller designed for Swarovski beneath a hill with a giant's face.
The day, hour by hour
7:55 · Train from Munich. Direct trains from München Hauptbahnhof, of around 1 h 45. Buy the two tickets for the day online beforehand: Ambras is cheaper that way and the Swarovski one is valid for five days.
10:00 · Ambras castle. From the main station, bus 540 takes about 10 minutes. The castle opens at 10:00. Start with the lower castle, with the armoury and the cabinet of art and wonders, and go up to the upper castle and the Spanish Hall, the great hall of the complex. Allow two and a half hours. The online ticket costs from €16.
12:45 · Lunch at the Gasthaus Goldenes Dachl. Go back by bus to the centre, to the Hofgasse. It is open every day and the kitchen does not close until 21:30. To be on time, order one dish: the Gröstl or the spinach knödel.
14:44 · Shuttle to Swarovski Kristallwelten. It leaves from the Congress/Hofburg stop, five minutes from the restaurant, and reaches Wattens in 24 minutes. The day pass with the shuttle costs €38; the ticket alone, €25 online, and the return shuttle, €13, cash only if you pay on board. Inside the hill, the halls of light and crystal; outside, the alpine garden, the viewpoint and the play tower. Allow two and a half hours.
17:35 · Return. The shuttle drops you at the main station at 17:59. Direct train to Munich.
With children
Swarovski has a playground and play tower, and at Ambras castle the armour appeals to almost all ages. Children aged 6 to 13 must travel with an adult on the shuttle. If they tire early, drop Ambras and add the morning at the Alpenzoo.
Time2 h
Change the route
In November, with Ambras closed: the Olympic ski jump, €12, open Wednesday to Monday:
Bergisel Ski Jump
For a light lunch that saves time: savoury and sweet strudel on the Hofgasse itself, open every day:
Strudel-Café Kröll
If you are staying overnight by car: in Amras, next to the castle, with free parking:
Hotel Bierwirt
Where to eat
Where to eat?
Lunch is half the plan: book before you set off.
Strudel-Café Kröll
What to order: a savoury strudel, spinach or vegetable and potato, and a sweet one of apple (€6.40) or curd cheese and sour cherry; if you don't know which, the assortment of three small ones.
Every day 7:00 to 18:30; in summer until 21:00
Das Schindler
What to order: the three-course menu of your choice (€74) with the organic Angus beef tartare, the Schwaz char or the Wiener Schnitzel, and for dessert the Wiener Melange of Topfenknödel and Kaiserschmarren.
Tuesday to Saturday 11:30 to 1:00 · Closed Sunday, Monday and public holidays · Bookings by phone only
Map
The stops, in order
With where to park at each one.
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Getting there
By car or without one?
When to go
When to go to Innsbruck
All year except November, when Ambras castle is closed; that month swap the castle for the Bergisel ski jump. It works just the same on Sunday: the Goldenes Dachl, Ambras and Swarovski are open every day. It is the Innsbruck plan for a cloudy day, because almost everything is under cover.
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Best timeGood timeLow season
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Buy the tickets online
Ambras is cheaper online and the Swarovski ticket can be cancelled free up to 24 hours before.
- 2Don't miss the shuttle
There are only five a day in each direction; the last one returns from Wattens at 19:05.
- 3Bring cash
If you pay for the shuttle on board, they don't accept cards.
We'd skip it
Ambras castle in November: it is closed all month. That month, go up to the Bergisel ski jump in the morning.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How much does the day cost?
Ambras from €16, Swarovski with shuttle €38 and lunch about €25–35. Without the train, between €75 and €100 per person.
Is the Innsbruck Card worth it?
It can be: it costs €69 for 24 hours and includes Swarovski with the shuttle and public transport. Add up what you are going to see before buying it.
Does it work on a Sunday?
Yes. Ambras, Swarovski and the Goldenes Dachl are open every day.
And if it rains?
It is the plan for rain: almost everything is under cover, except the Swarovski garden.
More plans like this
Other days of walking and good food
geocalia.com/en/austria/tyrol/innsbruck/itineraries/ambras-and-swarovski-from-munich
Prices, opening hours and times are approximate: check them before you go. Each place has its own page on Geocalia.