We think we have mountains here in the UK, but in reality ours are only pretending. Consider the fact that the highest mountain in the United Kingdom is Ben Nevis, which stands at just over 4,400 feet, in many countries that’s just a hill!
Try flying into the beautiful Austrian city of Innsbruck as I did recently for a short break and you’ll know exactly what I mean when I talk about mountains. Just a short two hour flight away from the UK are the beautiful Austrian Alps and the approach to Innsbruck airport is truly breathtaking, apparently pilots need to have special training to land there because of the conditions created by the mountains. Your flight takes you down the valley, with stunning Alpine Mountain ranges on both sides and that approach gives you an idea of what is to come.
Innsbruck, is the fifth largest city in Austria and the capital of the Tyrol region, but you don’t feel as though you are in a city when you get there, far from it. Transfers from the airport to the city centre are short, less than fifteen minutes by private taxi (cost approximately €12), and with it being a small airport it is very easy to navigate through, unlike some airports I could mention!
A winter destination
Innsbruck is a city that many of you will probably associate, like myself, with winter sports. And, having held the Winter Olympics twice, first in 1964 and then again in 1976, you would be quite right to make this connection. But that is to do the city a disservice as there is more to this fascinating city than its reputation as a winter sports paradise.
First of all it’s a university city, hosting around 30,000 students who bring a whole different vibe to the place. But it’s also a centre for culture, has a fascinating history, associated as it is with the House of Habsburg, one of the principal sovereign dynasties of Europe, but it’s also modern and vibrant embracing its surroundings and effortlessly melds the “old” with the “new”.
But as cities go it’s certainly not over-bearing and I would recommend staying centrally if you can. The city is very clean, the traffic is quite light, it’s relatively quiet, but it also means that everything you need to travel around and see the sights is within walking distance and, for the nervous traveller, easy to find. We stayed at the lovely and stylish Hotel Innsbruck, located just across from the Inn Bridge that spans the river from which the city takes its name. The hotel is now in its third generation of family ownership but what makes it so good is that when you walk out of its modern front door, you are immediately struck by the imposing Nordekette Mountains in front of you, more of which later, but you are also just a stone throw away from the hustle and bustle of the beautiful old town, the cultural centre of the city itself.
And talking of contrasting the “old” with the “new” as I was earlier our first destination was the centrally located Imperial Palace, originally built in the 15th Century for Emperor Maximilian I, and considered the third most important historical building in the whole of Austria. During July each year, and this year is the 27th consecutive year this has happened, the inner courtyard is turned into an open-air concert venue that hosts daily performances. On the programme there were some 35 different symphony orchestras, brass bands and chamber music ensembles from all over Europe performing including the band of the United States Marines, the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra and on the night we visited, the Inn Wien Ensemble.
It’s a beautiful way to spend a couple of hours, especially when the courtyard is bathed in the warm evening sunshine as it was the night we were there, but what’s more, there’s nothing stuffy or exclusive about it. Tickets are deliberately priced at an extremely modest, and heavily subsidised €5 per person whatever the concert, making it both a treat and a bargain for a night out!
But as I’ve already said it’s the mountains that dominate, and it’s not often that you associate mountains with cutting edge design, but in Innsbruck you do. Dominating the city skyline is the Bergisel Ski Jump, an all year round facility that is well worth a visit. It is striking for the very fact that it was designed by the world renowned architect, Zaha Hadid who is well known for other contemporary buildings including the Aquatics Centre used at the 2012 London Olympics and The Riverside Museum in Glasgow.
The ski jump facility contains a viewing platform with panoramic views across the city in one direction and the mighty Alps in the other, but what is special is that it lets you get up close with the actual jumpers themselves. On a visit to Bergisel you can actually sit exactly where the competitors sit just before they take their lives into their own hands and launch themselves down the hill and trust me, it’s not for the faint hearted! The fact that the city cemetery is located just at the bottom of the ski jump was not lost on me!
But that’s not the only connection between the mountains and Zaha Hadid. Rising from the centre of the city to the top of the Nordkette, Innsbruck’s highest mountain is an impressive funicular and cable car system that transports you from the city centre to a height of over 7,400 feet in a matter of 20 minutes or so. But what’s the connection? Well, Hadid designed the state of the art stations that you pass through as you ascend towards the summit.
A trip to the top is well worth it, the views are spectacular, the air is clean and crisp and there are plenty of walking routes for those that want to explore and spend a day in the mountains. Don’t feel energetic? Well don’t worry, make the trip anyway and enjoy a leisurely lunch in the restaurant that sits at the top.
Everything that glitters
Just a short bus ride from the city centre you will find the small market town of Wattens, an unremarkable little town except for one thing, its home to one of the largest jewellery brands in the world. It is where, way back in 1895, Daniel Swarovski started his eponymous crystal company.
And a trip to the visitor attraction, Swarovski Crystal World, is well worth it. Packed full of some of the company’s most famous designs and creations you will find plenty to keep you occupied. It also has attractive gardens that you can walk around and just sit and relax in as well as having an excellent restaurant and coffee shop on site. Getting there is easy as there is a regular shuttle bus from the city centre.
Plenty for all
But that’s not all there is to do, there is plenty more, in fact much more than I can describe here. The best way to find out is to plan your own visit – you won’t be disappointed!
Andrew Silk, Mature Times Editor.
Fact Box:-
Andrew was a guest of Innsbruck Tourismus and the Austrian Tirol. Flights were arranged by Jet2 who operate flights to the city from Birmingham, Bristol and Manchester. He stayed at the centrally located Hotel Innsbruck and travelled around the city using The Innsbruck Card which for a one-off fee gives you free entry to all the attractions mentioned.
