(Innsbruck, Austria)
For a relatively small city, Innsbruck has an incredibly large number of things to see, especially historic buildings, museums, and other exhibits. We waited to visit this place until the last day we spent in the area. One can see the ski jump from just about anywhere in town and is definitely a great source of pride for Innsbruck. The ski jump was one of the venues used during the games in 1964 and 1976, was updated to contemporary standards in 2003, and continues to be used for yearly tournaments and events.
On a sunny spring day, we began the walk from the center of town. Shortly after crossing the main road to the south there are two churches at the base of the hill, the Wilten Basilica and Wilten Abbey. Wilten Basilica was originally constructed in the mid-1200s and rebuilt in its current Baroque style in the 1750s. Wilten Abbey was founded in 1138 and also updated to the Baroque style in the mid-17th and 18th centuries. There is a museum at the Abbey, but visits are by appointment only. We will have to schedule a longer visit the next time we are in Innsbruck.
Wilten Basilica:
Wilten Abbey:
Both buildings are gorgeous and definitely worth a visit, but our goal today was to see the ski jump (the modern design, by the way, being a stark contrast to the Baroque design of the basilica and abbey). The jump is on the top of a small hill and it was only a short walk before we were in the stadium bowl staring directly up the jump slope. The uphill walk is not difficult, but the Hop-on-Hop-off bus and some of the regional buses also stop near the stadium.
After paying the entry fee, we were admiring the view of the city below and the stadium itself when the sprinklers on the turf at the bottom of the jump came on. I thought this was very strange but only paid minor attention while I continued looking around the stadium bowl. From this position, you can see the jump tower and about half the slope, while the bottom of the slope is hidden from view. After about 30 seconds or so the sprinklers turned off and as I was pondering exactly what was happening I was surprised by a jumper suddenly flying over the hill and landing almost directly in front of me.
Video of a ski-jumper practicing his jumps:
We rode the inclined lift to the tower base with the jumper and hurried to the top so that we could watch him jump again. It was a bit breezy that day, but he was practicing nonetheless. The jump itself has a set of tracks for summer use, while the landing area (apparently) is watered to provide less friction before each jump.
The tower has an open viewing platform at the top and a restaurant/café on the main floor. There is also a small platform to the side which is directly above the slope, giving you a sense of what the skiers see every time they jump.
The views are fantastic from the top and makes a great complement to the view from Nordkette. We enjoyed a coffee break at the café and enjoyed the vistas for a while before we continued our adventures.
Adjacent to the entrance to the ski jump is a museum dedicated to the history of the region. Check back soon for more about the second half of our day!
Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2017