When: 28/3/2013 – 1/4/2013 Where: Innsbruck, Austria Stayed: Best Western Goldener Adler, Old Town
There’s a lot to love about Innsbruck – in fact, I can’t decide what I love most about it. Could it be the15min cab ride from the airport, jaw dropping mountainous backdrop, medieval style buildings in the full spectrum of pastel colours, people who will bend over backwards for you, easy access to numerous ski resorts or is it the restaurant / cafe culture that leaves you paralysed by choice? Why choose a favourite among your children, just accept that it’s got a lot going for it!
Surrounded by mountains and located in a deep valley, Innsbruck sits between zee Germans and the Italians. It’s this location that gives Innsbruck such an incredible and imposing backdrop to the city. Walking through the 800 year old town, you really get a sense for what the city must’ve been like centuries ago. Despite now being swathed in bustling cafes and boutique stores; the old medieval style buildings with their collaboration of Gothic and Baroque architecture provide a real sense of an era long gone. The Golden Roof with its many gold plated copper tiles, sits majestically at the heart of the old town. You can almost picture Emperor Maximilian I perched in his royal box observing the knights and great unwashed below him.
Innsbruck is a well known sporting precinct, most famous for having hosted the 1964 and 1976 Winter Olympics. During our stay we paid the Bergisel Ski Jump a visit – a futuristic looking tower first built in 1925 and then renovated for the ’64 and ’76 Games and then again in 2002. With 365 degree views across Innsbruck, it provides a breathtaking view of the city and incredibly scenic backdrop. The only thing more impressive than the view is the fact that people actually throw themselves off the ski jump for sport!! Peering over the edge and seeing what the athletes see before they launch themselves into the air is mind blowing. There are 455 steps to the top – I’m happy to report we didn’t break a sweat during the funicular ride up. Boom boom.
We stayed at the Best Western Goldener Adler, conveniently located in the Old Town. Immersed in tradition and stories from another time, this family run hotel was so welcoming that we almost felt like an extension of the family. This is consistent with the majority of our experiences in Innsbruck – just feels as though people are keen to help you rather than challenge you as a tourist. For example, the Ski Rental shop will come and pick you up from your hotel to make life easy, and there is a free bus service around town that will take you directly out (and back) to any number of the 8 neighbourhood ski fields to save you hiring a car. Don’t mind if I do!
We only ended up skiing one day while in Innsbruck due to the unpredictable weather and visibility. All of this equals danger and handwork for those of us with tired legs. Our day of skiing was spent at Stubai Glacier – one of Europe’s largest glacier skiing areas. The highest point is around 3200m which means snow is pretty much guaranteed until around June – and some of the views are absolutely spectacular. It’s primarily an intermediate / family ski resort with access to 50km of downhill skiing. Plenty to keep us interested but with a reputation for always having snow, it also presents a pretty packed set of pistes. Unfortunately we ended up in the midst of a white out early afternoon which brought our session to a somewhat early close. Dodging human cannon balls in clear view is one thing, it’s another when you can’t see a metre in front of you!
Back on cobblestones and we wiled away the hours browsing boutique stores, cafe hopping (more apfel strudel than any human should eat), checking out the handmade goodies and sampling food from the Easter markets. Nothing wrong with a little pre dinner bratwurst is there? It’s no great surprise that eating was an absolute pleasure in Innsbruck – the only downside being the fact that smoking hasn’t yet been outlawed. A side of cigarette smoke has never aided my digestion.
We had an outstanding meal at our hotel one night followed by a fantastic experience at die Wilderin another night. Family run by a couple of very passionate locals we were encouraged to finish our enormous starters in exchange for shots of schnapps. Being early in my pregnancy poor Justin took one for the team… Fortunately the food was fantastic and the friendly atmosphere made it very easy to kick back for hours on end. A relaxing way to end our trip and memorable enough to overshadow the line of people 200 deep at the Easy Jet check in desk. Can always rely on a budget airline to bring you back to reality with a swift kick in the backside!
Cathy & Justin Abroad 