THE PERFECT CYCLING BASE

Innsbruck is well prepared for visitors all year round. Its called 'capital of the alps' for good reason, and it's twice hosted the Winter Olympics. Summer weather is great for cyclists: usually hot and dry, with deliciously cooler air up in the mountains. and mild evenings fine for sitting outside. Nightlife is lively and varied, partly thanks to a large student population, and there's a vast range of places to eat and drink after your day's riding. English is widely spoken, though even a small understanding d German will help turn you from a burist inb a traveller. The historic old town can be conveniently explored on foot. Getting around the city is easy thanks to regular buses and trams, and a network of cycle paths around the largely flat centre. (It's easy to hire bwn bikes if you don't fancy risking your precious road machine.) lmstuck is wry well connected by train and bus if you wait b explore the wider area with a bike or walking boots, and Switzerland, Germany and Italy are all day-trippable. Accommodation comes in all forms, from good-value hostels that can take biting groups, b luxury spa hotels. The Bike City website has a long list of hotels specially set up for cyclists, offering secure bike storage, healthy meal options, in-house route advice and local tips, use of tools and takeaway toolkits. It also lists lire opportunities: chidren's likes, town trundlers, e-tikes, MTEts, and road bikes up to professional quality. Austrian cuisine is made for cyclists. Coffee and cake here is something special, and there are plenty of local specialities, from knOdeln (delicious dumpings) to kaiseischmarren (pancake dessert) washed down with superb regional Mite wines. For an after-ride treat, visit Imsbruckt Eretnisoase at the Olympic Centre, a complex of indoor and outdoor hot pools, flumes, saunas and steam rooms. Flying from Bristol to Innsbruck is quick and inexpensive, wth return summer flights drect from London or Manchester for £150 or less. Arrival is spectacular as you drop into the valley surrounded by the Tyrolean mountains. Bringing your own bile? The airport is right by the centre, just a brief ride away. Cane and see for yourself why Imsbruck is Europe's new bile city!