Description of the attraction
The Helblinghaus is one of the most famous landmarks in Innsbruck. It is located in the Old Town, on Duke Friedrich's Street, a popular tourist destination. Opposite it is another famous building of Innsbruck - the so-called House with a Golden Roof.
The Helblinghaus was originally an ordinary town house dating back to the 15th century. But only the foundation has survived from this Gothic structure. The house was built on and reconstructed according to the best traditions of the prevailing architectural styles at that time. Now it mixes elements of both Baroque and earlier Gothic, but the dominant in its appearance is the luxurious and fanciful style of the Rococo era. The work on the decoration of the building's facade was completed in 1732.
Helblinghaus is a tall building with four tiers and an arcade gallery on the lowest floor. The side windows are made in the form of bay windows, that is, they protrude quite strongly forward. Moreover, all these windows are symmetrically decorated with exquisite stucco molding, various reliefs and bas-reliefs, figured masks, images of shells, flowers, fruits, angels and other decorative elements typical of the Rococo style. Of particular interest are the small medallions located between the two floors of the house. They are made on various, mainly biblical subjects and depict, for example, the Madonna with the Christ Child and other saints.
The building is crowned with a wavy pediment, in the center of which is a tympanum, bordered by stucco with the same ornaments. All this makes the Helblinghouse look like an ice sculpture or a monumental frozen meringue cake.
