Co-Working Spaces: where to work as a digital nomad in Innsbruck

People ask me how I afford all my travels. It’s easy, by working. Fortunately, I have the privilege of being able to work remotely. Having a good work-ethic while travelling, however, is much harder than the work itself. Every morning the mountains are calling, but so are the deadlines. Home office may sound great, and I’m not saying that it isn’t, but it’s easy to lose focus. That’s why I looked for different places in Innsbruck where I can go and get my work done. Co-work spaces, public libraries and some other odd places where they have free Wi-Fi and an electricity plug.

Co-working spaces in Innsbruck

Co-working spaces come in different vibes and sizes. And the vibes are an important part to me! If you want to be able to be productive, meet new people and connect with co-entrepreneurs, the right co-working space can bring your business to the next level. You’re only one shared coffee away from that next project!

A quick Google search brings me to coworker.com, a website featuring co-work spaces in your area. Innsbruck seems to have eight; I visited three. One of them – InnCubator –  is not mentioned on the website, but definitely worth mentioning in this blog.

Raum13 – Like at home but not at home

Raum13 is located on the Maria-Theresien-Straße in a reconstructed monastery right in the very center of the city. They opened their doors in 2013 and are now one of the more established co-working spaces in Innsbruck. Herwig Zöttl, co-founder of Raum13, explained to me that he felt like there was a lack of co-working spaces in Innsbruck, and that’s why he started it. I would say they are a rather small co-working space, but that made it quite a personal and enjoyable office. They paid attention to the interior design, having an open lounge and kitchen area also used as meeting room.

A look into the meeting room with Herwig peeking from behind the door. © Raum13

Herwig brought up the concept of “co-workations”. I love this term! Instead of just having your laptop with you on a holiday, working from the hotel lobby which he considers a “workation”, why not join a co-work space? Interact with people and enjoy the community feeling while working.

InnCubator – Innovate in an optimal environment

InnCubator is more than just a co-working space. It is a collaboration between the University of Innsbruck and the House of Commerce, offering a program called INCC that helps startups with promising ideas to grow. They even have access to a professional hi-tech workplace to build prototypes. The co-working area itself is very spacious with lots of light. The work area is divided in some smaller offices for the alumni scale-ups, and a bigger room with desks for the startups and solo entrepreneurs. Good and creative vibes at InnCubator!

As you can see, the main room at InnCubator is very spacious and lets in plenty of light. The coffee was good too! © InnCubator

Das Wundervoll – Co-working for the imaginative

Das Wundervoll opened in October 2018 in the Pradl neighbourhood and is an entire stand-alone building newly renovated to become a co-working space and creative hub. With their 4 floors and around 800m², they are the biggest co-work space in Innsbruck. Currently only the ground- and first floor are fully furnished, but they plan to open up the two top floors soon. Their focus lies on self-employed solopreneurs and start-ups from all creative industries.

I like how they used pastel colours to create this cozy and creative atmosphere.

Working from Public libraries in Innsbruck

Libraries are a place where everyone respects the silence and you can work without being interrupt. Somehow, being surrounded by so many books also makes me feel more educated and literate.

Haus Der Musik

These are the desks inside the library. The building is brand new with lots of light and great facilities.

Near the Congress, there’s a (new) modern building called Haus Der Musik (House Of Music). It’s a lively home for music and theater. On the top floor (5^th) they have a library open to the public, with some desks, free Wi-Fi and electricity. My friend Yasin told me about the place. A library is always a quiet place, which is good if you need silence to focus. You also have a beautiful view on the Nordkette through the windows, which makes your stay more enjoyable when it’s Kaiserwetter outside, but you have a deadline by tomorrow. They have a few giant balconies where you can go to get some fresh air, have your lunch in the sun, or just to enjoy the view.

The view from the outside balcony on the west side of the building. Stunning.

Stadtbibliothek Innsbruck

I love the reflection of the Nordkette on the building.

The city library or Stadtbibliothek in Innsbruck recently moved to a newly designed building right behind the train station. A very modern and open space, allowing you to sit at a desk using free electricity and WiFi access. They also have lockers which makes it convenient to leave your stuff while you go out to grab lunch.

The desks are spread throughout the library in little island like these.

When culture meets co-working

Treibhaus

Treibhaus is a house of culture, music, leisure and community. There is a spacious bar downstairs that turns into a restaurant in the evening. Most of the tables near the walls have access to electricity and the WiFi is good. Of course, you need to be able to work with people walking around. I personally really enjoy working in public places like this with stuff going on around me while working.

Working in Treibhaus means a vibrant atmosphere and with a bar available you can’t feel guilty when having a beer while working.

It’s hard for me to speak as a local, because I’m not, but I’ve been here long enough to know Treibhaus is a pretty local place. Even though it’s situated right in the center of town, it stands apart from the “tourist trail” with no signs showing you how to get there. Make sure to bring some cash when you come here because they don’t accept cards, and have a look at the events they host. You might come here for more than just work!

Die Bäckerei

I have now visited the Bäckerei twice and I’m still not sure how to describe this place. Imagine walking into a building that doesn’t show on the outside whatever it might hold on the inside, opening the door and having this café/lounge bar with self-service on the left, walking ahead going through door frames without doors, staircases on 4 different sides, glass walls that currently hold no glass, secret offices and desks hidden behind corners, a big room with a lonely couch in the middle and a plant next to it, another few steps further take you somewhere in a corner going down into an office space with a single person working while having a dog in a basket on her desk, looking left and seeing more desks surrounded by plants with drawings and pictures on the walls, going back down and hearing a saxophone played by a guy who is standing in what seems like a small library.

If I confused you, good! If I inspired you to go see it for yourself, even better.

This is the Bäckerei on the outside. I didn’t include pictures from within because I want you to go see it for yourself!

I want to visit the Bäckerei more often – the creative and vibrant vibes I felt here were so inspiring. Erm, I was talking about co-working spaces, right? Having desks spread all over the building, Christoph – the guy who showed me around the first time – told me the crew at the Bäckerei recently realized the whole building is basically a co-working space. And don’t get me wrong, they do have a lot of desks with people actually working, communicating and sharing ideas. More than a co-working space, this is a community work space.

Hopefully I sparked your interest to come and have a co-workation in Innsbruck. From personal experience I can promise you Innsbruck is the perfect place to come spend your Winter – or Summer – while working and enjoying the creative vibe that is brewing in so many different places throughout the city. See you soon!