Innsbruck

Built on the Inn River, Innsbruck was the home to the 1976 Winter Olympics. The town is picturesquely placed against mountains and ripe with street cafes and surrounding areas that look like something out of the movie Heidi. Beside the Tirolean capital, Innsbruck is the center of another internationally renowned ski complex comprising six major resorts. Innsbruck has a well known Ski complex that has six major resorts. There are numerous buildings and places of tourist interest in Innsbruck, Austria.

" Innsbruck 's Newest Landmark "
The pristine Bergisel Ski Jump, soaring high above Innsbruck on the wooded Bergisel Hill, is a sight to behold. A well known historic site, the tower stands 47 meters tall and provides breathtaking views of the surrounding areas. In 1925, the first ski jump was organized here. The Innsbruck Ski Jump was the venue of the Olympic Ski Jumping competitions in the years 1964 and 1976.

The newly renovated Bergisel Stadium plays host to the annual Four Hills Tournament in January and to a Summer Grand Prix Jumping Event every year. It now can facilitate 28,000 viewers. Visitors can enjoy all the stadium amenities including gondola, elevator, panoramic café, and vantage spot on the jumping platform.

Built in the early 15th century by Archduke Friedrich IV as the residence of the Tirolean sovereigns, the Golden Roof actually is the three-story balcony on the central plaza at the heart of the Old Town. It was made of gold to honor the wedding of Maximilian I and his wife. The main access road of the Old Town is the broad strip of Herzog-Friedrich-Strasse, which eventually opens out into a central plaza lined with arcades. The late Gothic oriels are crown with 2,738 gold-plated copper strips. It was put up for Emperor Maximilian I to serve as a royal box where he could sit in lavishness and enjoy games in the square below.

Alpinist Association Museum is the collection of Alpine art layering two centuries. The museum’s displays include several historic mountaineering equipment, relief and friezes, mountain hut models and examples of Alpine cartography.

Rather than play host to a range of exotic creatures, this haven only contains animals which originate from the Alpine region. Visitors to the ALPINE ZOO can see over 2,000 different animals ranging from the tiny golden cockerel weighing a mere 5 grams, to mammoth bison and the bearded vulture with a wing-span of over 3m. Otters play in the water and various weird and wonderful fish can be viewed in the extraordinary cold-water aquarium.

The Castle was built by Archduke Ferdinand II of Austria (1529-1595), Count of Tirol, in the 16th century. It's divided into a lower and an upper castle set in the remains of a medieval fortress. This was Ferdinand's favorite residence and the center of his court's cultural life.

The lower castle was planned and constructed by the Archduke as a museum for his various collections, including arms and armor, art, and books, all of which can be seen today. The Wunderkammer (Gallery of Wonders) contains a display of exotic objects like coral, ivory, a rhinoceros' horn and other artifacts brought back to Europe by the early explorers. The upper part of the palace houses the Habsburg's Portrait Gallery, an awe-inspiring collection of works by the likes of Lukas Cranach, Anton Mor, Tizian, Van Dyck and Diego Velásquez. The Castle's most striking and precious feature is the George's Altar of Emperor Maximilian I.

The Nordkettenbahn Cableway whisks skiers and ramblers all the way up Nordpark-Seegrube, 1,905m above sea level. The view over the Inn Valley and Innsbruck is breathtaking, particularly from the Seegrube Restaurant. Should those heights not be dizzy enough, there is also the option of carrying on to the 2,334m high Hafelekar Top Terminal, from where there are uninterrupted panoramic views of the Zillertal, Stubai and Ötztal Alps. Superb views are provided northward into the Karwendel Alpine Park, the biggest Nature Preserve in the Eastern Alps.

In the summer, you can ride up to the Hafelekar Top Terminal and hike along the scenic Goethe Trail until you reach the quaint Pfeishütte Mountain Hut. In the winter, the Nordpark-Seegrube Resort caters to skiers & riders of all ability levels-from impeccably groomed slopes with views of Innsbruck , to the steeps that will keep your head down.