Take a stroll, do a bit of shopping, meet friends, sit at one of the many outdoor cafés, admire the magnificent Baroque architecture and savour the city panorama. This is Maria Theresien Street today. But when the street was founded over 700 hundred years ago, there were only a few farm houses here in the New Town. Life still revolved around the Old Town, which was surrounded by powerful medieval city walls and was only accessible from Maria Theresien Street through the St. Jörgen Gate. Today, this marks the start of Herzog Friedrich Straße – the road that leads to the Golden Roof.

However, is wasn’t long before members of the aristocracy began building homes just outside the city gates. The location was much more practical thanks to its close proximity to the local rulers of the time – and the new townhouses were also much more comfortable than the draughty old castles outside of town. During the Baroque period, many of these new houses were converted into magnificent palatial residences. And they are still a delight to behold today, for example Palais Gumpp, the seat of the Tyrolean government, or Palais Trapp directly opposite with its enchanting inner courtyard and café.

Historic and modern
St. Anne’s Column, the Chapel of St. George in the Federal State Parliament building and the Triumphal Arch are also impressive monuments to the city’s past that are seamlessly integrated alongside the modern architecture of the Kaufhaus Tyrol and Rathauspassage shopping centres. In 2009, the street itself was also transformed into an elegant promenade and pedestrian zone with granite paving, wonderful benches for taking a break from shopping or sightseeing and stylish street lights made of brass and wood that create islands of light in this pedestrian zone.

Shopping and coffee breaks
The many pavement cafés, outdoor restaurants and magnificent buildings combined with wonderful shops and the indoor Kaufhaus Tyrol and Rathauspassage shopping centres make Maria Theresien Street the perfect place to stroll, linger, browse or shop.

Our tip: The view from St. Anne’s Column to the north, showcasing the impressive peaks of the Nordkette mountain range towering majestically over the Golden Roof. The panoramic views also continue to the south, where the Bergisel Ski Jump, one of Innsbruck’s most modern landmarks, sits in front of the Serles and Habicht mountains.