Innsbruck

After a wonderful stretch of visitors, we decided we wanted to get out of town for a weekend on our own. We headed to the region of Tirol the farthest region west bordering Switzerland. We hopped a train and headed all the was across the country to the city of Innsbruck.

Upon arrival, it is hard not to notice the amazing scenery of the region. Known for skiing, Innsbruck hosted the '67 and '76 winter Olympics and at first look it seemed like an ideal place to host the games. The Inn river runs through an impressive valley surrounded by mountains with a steep vertical accent. Once we got situated at our hotel, a place along the river, we wandered around the charming old town. A famous city center features a building adorned with a gold roof. We took the time to observe the quaint streets and cafes along them and enjoyed a meal at an Italian place where we could sit out side in the sunshine and people watch.

The following morning we awoke to a beautiful day allowing us to walk around town and do some window shopping. We then headed up to the Olympic site and took a gondola up to the top for some spectacular views. Then we headed into the small town of Igls where we had a lunch in the picturesque little village and then back into town. Once in town we hit a few tourist stops, most notably the Hofkirche, and inside is a mausoleum built for Maximilian I. It was quite amazing with 28 life-like bronze statues surround the ornate tomb. We found a wonderful place for dinner that evening and finished a wonderful day with a night cap in a man-made beach bar. Sand and palm trees with a backdrop of striking mountains. Our third day was the nicest of them all and we took great advantage of it by taking the Nordkettenbahn up to Seegrube where we had a breathtaking view of the entire valley. Several hang gliders and para gliders readied themselves as we began our decent down to town. A wonderful hike with vistas at every turn and the sun shining down from a bright blue sky. It could not have been more perfect. After a wonderful hike and a meal we headed to the train station to head back to Vienna. A wonderful first impression of the city of Innsbruck and the region of Tirol, one that definitely inspires other trips out there in the near future.