February 26, 2017 (Innsbruck, Austria)
Grant and I arrived in Innsbruck from Switzerland on February 21st after our weekend trip to Zermatt. The train ride over was about 3 and a half hours and was a nice leisurely ride, passing through magnificent mountain ranges and valleys. Unfortunately, a lot of the mountain tops were obscured by a low fog that had floated in and settled, but I imagine the scenery is breathtaking.
We made it to Innsbruck and settled into our apartment rental. The location is excellent, near the train station, and within walking distance of the Old Town section. So we were excited to learn our way around town.
On the day we ventured out, the weather was still on the edge of winter wanting to finish out the season. Unlike wet Ireland in the winter, Innsbruck really felt like it was perched on the verge of Spring. We walked out and were immediately greeted by a sweeping backdrop of the Tyrolean Alps. The mountains frame Innsbruck like a nicely framed Rockwell painting, with the quaint and cozy atmosphere to match. Innsbruck is smaller than the last two cities we lived in, population is 131,000, and lies in western Austria in a region called Tyrol, in the Alps. We chose this location as we thought it would be the Mecca of winter sports. And I was looking forward to immersing myself in the flavor of the city as well.
Walking down Leopold Strasse, we were greeted by the Triumphal Arch (Triumphpforte), a structure dating back to 1765 and commissioned by Empress Maria Theresa. This arch was built to be framed by Nordkette mountain nicely.
Next we moved on to the Old Town square with column, called called St. Anne’s Column, surrounded by shops that have made their homes in the nicely-preserved buildings.
One of the main attractions of Old Town Innsbruck, The Golden Roof (Goldenes Dachl) is a famous landmark that was completed in 1500 to commemorate the marriage of Emperor Maximilian I to Bianca Maria Sforza. The roof contains 2,738 fire-gilded copper tiles. It was from this balcony that the royal couple observed many town events and festivals.
Next to Old Town, running parallel to Leopold Street is the eponymous River Inn, which Innsbruck get’s its name from. It was nice to see the colored buildings on the other side of the river.
We’re looking forward to what new things the city will reveal to us in the coming weeks.
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