The Innsbruck Market Hall

The Markthalle stands on the Innrain, on the bank of the Inn, and it is where Innsbruck shops for food rather than where it takes visitors. Under one roof there are cheese counters with Tyrolean grey cheese and hard mountain cheese, butchers selling Speck and the thin smoked Kaminwurzen, bread, fish, flowers, fruit and vegetables, and a scattering of stalls doing coffee and small plates. Farmers from the surrounding valleys sell outside along the river on Saturday mornings. It is small next to the Vienna markets and the whole thing takes half an hour to walk, but the produce is regional and the prices are the ones locals pay.

Highlights

• The cheese counters - Tyrolean grey cheese, alpine hard cheese and fresh curd from valley dairies.
• Speck and Kaminwurzen - cured ham and the thin smoked sausages people carry when walking.
• The Saturday stalls - farmers setting up outside along the river.
• The terrace - the river frontage looking across to painted houses and the Nordkette ridge.

When to go

Open Monday to Saturday, closing early on Saturday afternoon and shut all day Sunday. Mornings are when everything is stocked and the outside farmers' stalls are there. Avoid the last hour, when counters start packing down. It works best as a stop for supplies before heading into the mountains rather than as a destination in itself.

Practical notes

It is a functional hall, and the building is plain concrete rather than a historic market house. Choice is limited next to big city markets, and some counters close on weekday afternoons. Prices for Speck and cheese are not bargains. Seating is scarce at midday when office workers come in, and the surrounding streets are hard to park in.

Nearby

The old town, the Inn bridges and the Nordkette cable car station are within ten minutes.