Innsbruck, Austria

Anyone who visits the Tyrolean Capital, Innsbruck, will immediately notice the close coexistence of culture and nature. Located on Europe's most important transport lines between North and South, East and West and nestled in the mountains of the northern "Chalk Alps" and the Central Alps, the city was and still is a place of meeting, of cultural exchange, trade, science, and - above all more recently - of sport.

This union is visible all around, even in the middle of the historic city centre with its artistic buildings, museums and churches: the view down the splendid Maria Theresien street to the medieval old town with the majestic Nordkette mountain chain providing a stunning backdrop; the view of the baroque Triumphal Arch with the city's spectacular new icon, the Bergisel ski jump, designed by top architect Zaha Hadid.

If you stroll through the centre you learn a lot about the history of the pretty old town: Habsburg Emperor Maximilian I (1459-1519), in particular, shaped the image of Innsbruck at the transition from medieval to Renaissance. He made the city the centre of his empire, which stretched from Spain and Burgundy to Hungary. He was responsible for the building of Innsbruck's symbols, the Golden Roof and the Zeughaus, which is situated in the east of the city and now houses a museum.

New is the funicular railway that goes up to Hungerburg, with a stop at the Alpine Zoo. Since 2007 it departs from Congress Innsbruck in the centre of town, replacing the original funicular that was built more than 100 years ago. The stations of this new facility with their organic shapes designed by Zaha Hadid, architect of the Bergisel ski jump, recall the constant flow of ice and glaciers. At Hungerburg you can board the Nordkettenbahn cable car to continue up to Seegrube (1,905 m) and Hafelekar (2,330 m). Here, Nordpark opens up a true paradise for skiers, hikers, mountain bikers, hang gliders and paragliders, and tempts people up to the mountains with plenty of sun and heaps of snow in the winter.

In summary, it can be said, that the Tyrolean capital with its 130,000 inhabitants is a lively modern city offering extensive sports and leisure facilities and a unique ambience for residents and visitors. For more information, please click here.

Especially we would like to recommend a visit of these locations:

• A ride from Innsbruck downtown up to the top of the mountains
• Bergisel Ski Jump
• Imperial Appartements