Innsbruck is a city in Tyrol, the "cultural capital" of the Austrian Alps and at the same time a sports center. It has hosted the Winter Olympics twice and is often the site of other winter sports competitions, so its sports infrastructure is very well developed. In the mountains around Innsbruck there are several of their own ski areas, and a little further - other alpine resorts. All these resorts and ski areas are linked by a single discount system with many payment options.
Innsbruck has a mountainous continental climate ideal for sports: the winter months are very snowy and quite cool, but not too much - the temperature almost never drops below 5-6 degrees below zero. And in summer it is not hot here, and this is a great time for sightseeing or mountain trekking in the vicinity of the city.
Innsbruck is seriously different from most ski resorts, in which there is nothing to do other than sports: it is the fifth largest city in Austria. He lives his busy life. It has many museums, many historic buildings and hosts the world's largest early music festival in summer.
Districts of Innsbruck
Innsbruck is a small town with a compact center and large ski areas surrounding it. The following areas can be distinguished:
- Old city;
- Hungerberg;
- Wilten;
- Tivoli;
- Amras;
- Wattens.
Old city
The old town is located roughly between the banks of the Inn River and the train station. It is small and can be walked around in a few hours, although if you carefully study all the sights, a few days may not be enough.
The history of the city officially begins in 1234, but in fact, people lived in these places much earlier. The main attraction is the famous "House with a Golden Roof": a 15th century house, the roof of which is covered with polished copper plates and shines brightly in the sun. The house was built for the wedding of Bianca Maria of Milan and Emperor Maximilian I. Now there is a museum dedicated to the Olympics, which took place in Innsbruck. Nearby there is another famous house - the Helbling House, richly decorated with stucco in the Rococo style. Cathedral of st. James, like many Tyrolean churches, is rather modest on the outside - but surprisingly richly decorated. Innsbruck has many museums, such as the Tyrolean Museum of Folk Art. Pay attention to the Bells Museum. It was in Innsbruck that the famous bell workshop of the Grassmayr family was once located, who have been pouring bells for the whole of Austria for many generations in a row.
The main shopping in the city center is centered around the pedestrian streets of Duke Friedrich and Maria Theresa. One of the most luxurious stores is Frey Wille, opened in 1961, and sells jewelry and leather goods. The Arkadenhof shopping complex is located in a historic building. There is also a huge modern shopping center Kaufhaus Tyrol - it is located just south of the historical part of the city: this is a classic shopping center with hundreds of shops of different companies. It is also worth stopping by the riverside Markthalle farmers' market. Here you can buy homemade cheeses, Tyrolean pies, beer from local breweries - in short, if you are interested in culinary souvenirs and organic products, then you should buy here.
Lovers of attractions should be the first to settle in the Old Town. The ski areas are far from here, the hotels in the center are usually not focused on athletes and you will have to get to the slopes with all your equipment by public transport - it can be difficult. But if you are interested in cultural and entertainment recreation, then the old city will be the best choice. The Hilton Innsbruck has the largest casino in Austria. Instbruk is a respectable city, there are quite a few bars with live music, there are ethnic establishments and folk bars, but there are no large youth discos with popular DJs.
Hungerberg
Hungerberg is an area located in the mountains. It is connected to the city center by a funicular, which was built in 1906. In 2005-2006, it was extensively renovated with the participation of the best European designers and architects and is now one of the city's main attractions.
The funicular has 4 stations, and then you can change to the cable car that connects the city center with the Nordkettenbahn ski area. The highest lift station, Hafelekar, is located at an altitude of 2269 meters. The architect of this project was Zaha Hadit, known for her ultra-modern works in the style of constructivism.
Parallel to the funicular, there is a hiking trail, along which you can climb the mountain, and a ski tunnel, through which you can ski down from it. The Nordkettenbahn ski area includes 14 kilometers of slopes on all three levels, from blue to black. This is the most accessible ski area for guests of the city - it is closest to the center.
The Alpine Zoo is located at the second station of the funicular. It lies 750 m above sea level and is dedicated to the nature of the Alps. The zoo was founded in 1962, now it contains more than 150 different species of animals and birds. Animals have spacious enclosures, above or inside of which there are comfortable viewing platforms. There are beavers, bears, lynxes, sables, foxes. A separate exposition is a freshwater aquarium with mountain fish and local amphibians.
There are several hotels in the area that are geared towards skiing visitors. They usually have ski equipment rental offices.
Wilten
Wilten is a district that lies in the south of the city, quite far from the center. Therefore, it is quiet here, there are quite a few tourists. But there are attractions here. Here is the Vilten Basilica, built in 1751-1755. - rather modest on the outside, but richly decorated in the Rococo style on the inside, with a carved altar from the 14th century. In this area there is a monastery founded in 1136. The buildings that can be seen today are a Baroque complex built in the 17th century. The basilica has preserved paintings by Kaspar Waldmann from the early 18th century. In the church you can hear the organ music from 1675.
But, perhaps, the main reason to settle in this area is not the sights, but the proximity to the second ski area of Innsbruck - Mount Bergisel. The famous Bergisel ski jump is located here. The springboard itself has existed at this place since the beginning of the 20th century, it was rebuilt several times, and the last reconstruction was undergone in 2002. It took about 15 million euros. There is an observation deck on the trampoline - even if you are not a ski lover, it is worth climbing there at least for the splendid views of the surroundings. There are lifts, a lift and a 455-step staircase. There is a view restaurant upstairs.
Wattens
Wattens is a suburb of Innsbruck, 15 kilometers east of the city. Public transport goes there, as well as special shuttles, the price of which includes a visit to the main attraction of this suburb - the Swarovski factory and the museum attached to it. The interactive museum is more of an attraction and spectacle than a traditional educational exposition. Here are the world's largest and world's smallest crystals, the world's largest kaleidoscope, the world's largest Swarovski store. The museum itself is located inside a green hill, and the hill is in a picturesque park. If you go further east along the highway, you can easily reach the medieval silver mine in Schwaz, now turned into a museum. Here you can see mines with a depth of almost a kilometer, their equipment, ride in a trolley.
There are also several hotels in Wattens where you can stay, and most of them offer either ski equipment rental or storage facilities - just 2 kilometers away was the Fegelsberg ski area. Shuttles also run from the resort to it. The town of Wattens is small, there is no serious shopping (except in the Swarovski store), but there are several grocery stores.
Amras and Tivoli
These are two residential areas lying southeast of the city center. It is interesting to watch how the historical buildings are replaced by modern, and then semi-rural. There are both traditional Tyrolean houses and modern buildings. For example, Tivoli hosts the Olympic Center and the Tivoli Stadion Tirol, opened in 2000, which will host more than 17,000 spectators. A little to the east is the Ambras Castle, built in the 16th century for Ferdinand II. Now it has been turned into a museum: here you can see the portrait gallery of the Habsburgs, the interiors of the 18th century, in addition, it is here that the summer festival of early music is held.
But in general, these areas are not touristy, so it is always quiet here. The shops close early and are closed on Sundays at all, but there are many inexpensive cafes with local cuisine. Innsbruck is not a cheap city, but in these areas life is generally more budgetary than in the center. You will have to get to the ski slopes from here, but this is the situation in the whole city - all the ski lifts are located quite far from it. The nearest ski area here is Eagles. There are not many hotels here, but they are interesting. For example, the Ramada Innsbruck Tivoli, which is built directly opposite to the Olympic Center and is decorated in the form of a black ship - it is impossible to forget this silhouette.
