Innsbruck

Innsbruck is the capital of the Tirol province and the Austrian Alps. It is also known as one of the best places for skiing vacation in the world. Innsbruck is one very unique city in Central Europe that combines the beauty and mystery of historical imperial capital with the glamor and luxury of a mountain resort. The reason for this is that the city of Innsbruck was for many years the capital of the Hapsburg empire and this made its old town an interesting and remarkable place to visit, while the 2 Winter Olympics that the city hosted in 1964 and 1976 are the reason for the vast winter sports and accommodation infrastructure that makes it a desired winter vacation spot. When visiting Innsbruck the first thing that you need to do is to decide are you in for winter sports at all. If the answer is yes, then pick a visit time in the winter in order to taste all the magnificence of an Alps winter resort, while combining it with a visit in a medium sized historical city with interesting landmarks. On the other hand if you are more in for the landmark and green type of visit select a time of the year accordingly. It is a good idea to get to know the city of Innsbruck in the first days of your visit, as this will give you the possibility to spend the rest of your time doing your preferred activities and enjoying the calm and friendly atmosphere of the city. The major historical landmarks of the city left from the 2 “golden ages” that Innsbruck lived the first around 1500 under the Emperor Maxmilan I, the second in the mid-1700's under Empress Maria Thérèsia, are compactly situated in the old town. Some of them are: the Old Federal State Parliament (Altes Landhaus), the City Hall (Stadtsaal), the rather showy Golden Roof (Goldenes Dachl), the St. Jacob's Cathedral with its twin-towers and the Kaiserliche Hofburg, a grand palace, which is currently home to an interesting history museum. On the “snowy” part of thing there are many options as well. A reasonably priced universal lift pass covers most of the ski resorts in the area including the Olympic villages of Igls and Axamer Lizum and the small villages of Tulfes, Mutters, and the Stubai Glacier. There is also a "Super Ski" special pass available that offers as addition full day of skiing at the known resorts of Kitzbuehel and St. Anton. When you ran no sightseeing or skiing, Innsbruck will keep you entertained with very good shopping and nightlife opportunities. The city has world-class opera, superb museums and all of the modern conveniences that you may find in a contemporary city with over 100.000 inhabitants. And don't forget - there are tons more of attractions, activities and interesting places to see in Innsbruck, visit them and write here at HolidayStreets.com about their beauty and mystery!