Golden Roof Innsbruck: Museum, Hours and History

Gilded Copper, Not Gold

The City of Innsbruck, which runs the museum, counts 2,657 gilded copper shingles on the roof of the oriel. Each shingle is copper with a thin gold layer on top.

The oriel sits on the south facade of the Neuhof, the building on Herzog-Friedrich-Strasse that faces down the main lane of the Old Town. Stand at the far end of the lane for the full view of the roof, the balcony and its carved reliefs in one frame. The shingles catch the most light when the sun is on the facade.

Maximilian I and Innsbruck

Maximilian I ordered the oriel for the south facade of the Neuhof, and the work ran from 1497 to 1500. A balcony with a gilded roof over the busiest lane in town was a statement of power that every merchant and traveller passing through could see.

His presence in the city does not end there. In the Hofkirche, a short walk away, his tomb is surrounded by 28 larger-than-life bronze statues, the Schwarze Mander, eight of them women. The Hofburg runs an exhibition named Maximilian1 about him. Seeing all three together gives the roof its context.

What You See Inside the Museum

The Golden Roof Museum fills the building behind the balcony and tells the story of Maximilian I and his era. It is a small museum, so it fits easily into a morning. A combined ticket adds the City Museum, and a second combo adds the climb up the City Tower, which suits a family morning in the Old Town.

Outside Free, Inside Ticketed

Walk up Herzog-Friedrich-Strasse at any time of day and the roof is there above you. Early morning, before the museum opens at 10:00, is a good time for photos. In the Christmas market season the stalls and a 20 m real Christmas tree stand right in front of it.

You need a ticket only for the museum, which takes you into the building behind the balcony. The Per Pedes Welcome Tour of Innsbruck Old Town is the cheapest way to hear the story with a licensed guide, at $21 for 1 hour.

Opening Days and Closures

This table lists the museum's regular hours and every closing day the City of Innsbruck publishes for the season, so you can check a December visit before you go.

Plan Around Monday

On a Monday, see the roof from outside and spend the day at the Hofburg, which opens daily from 9:00 to 17:00 with last entry at 16:30. The City Tower next door opens at 10:00 too, so a Tuesday to Sunday morning can cover the museum and the tower before lunch.

Golden Roof Ticket Prices

This table compares the museum tickets and combos as the City of Innsbruck lists them, with the City Tower's own adult price from Tirol for reference.

Which Ticket to Buy

If you plan to climb the City Tower anyway, the three-way combo at €10.50 beats buying the museum and the tower one by one at €6.00 and €4.50. Families should compare the €12.50 family ticket with the City Tower family ticket at €18.80. The Innsbruck Card covers 22 museums and attractions, including the Hofburg, and costs €79 for 48 hours, so it pays off only if the rest of your day includes the Nordkette or other paid sights.

City Tower

The City Tower at Herzog-Friedrich-Strasse 21 was finished in 1450 and stands 51 m tall. Climb 133 steps to the viewing platform 31 m up for a look down onto the Golden Roof and across to the Nordkette. Adults pay €4.50, students and youth €3.00 and children 6 to 15 pay €2.00.

It opens 10:00 to 17:00 and stays open until 20:00 from June to September and from 15 November to 23 December. Only 25 people go up at a time, so expect to wait your turn at busy times.

Hofburg and Hofkirche

The Hofburg is a 3-minute walk from the Golden Roof. The Imperial Apartments plus Maximilian1 combo costs €16.00, and children up to 19 enter free. It closes for maintenance from 11 January to 7 February.

The Hofkirche opens Monday to Saturday 9:00 to 17:00 and Sunday 12:30 to 17:00. A single State Museums ticket costs €9, and under 19s go free.

Up the Nordkette

The Altstadt valley station of the Nordkette sits at Rennweg 3. From Congress station the Hungerburgbahn reaches Hungerburg in eight minutes, the first leg up to the Top of Innsbruck.

Old Town Walks Compared

This table compares the guided walks around the Golden Roof by price, length and what each one includes, using each listing's own figures.

Which Walk Suits You

The Per Pedes walk meets at the tourist office at Burggraben 3, takes up to 35 people and costs $21 for 1 hour. The private City Highlights walk is priced per group up to 10, so it works out well for a family, and passes the Golden Roof, the Court Church and St James Cathedral. The History and Strudel Walk runs 2 hours and suits travellers who want a coffee stop built in.

None of them include the Golden Roof Museum ticket.

The Old Town Market

The market has 65 stalls, a 20 m real Christmas tree and a viewing platform. Trading stops at 20:00 and the market closes at 21:00. It ends on 23 December, so a visit between Christmas and New Year finds the lane quiet again. The museum is also closed on 1 December and from 24 to 26 December.

To see the markets with a guide, the Innsbruck Christmas Markets Guided Tour takes 2 hours from $125.04 and includes a mulled wine or hot drink and a Kiachl.