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A BEAUTY UNDERSCIBABLE
There is just something in the air of Austria that leaves you craving more
Avisit to Austria, a tiny European nation, is like a breath of fresh air. Surrounding yourselves with the calm stillness of the mountains and the trees — this visit, in a way, is like reconnecting with nature.
We reached Innsbruck well after mid-day had passed. While train connectivity is fantastic throughout Europe, there are some downsides to it as well, especially when you are lugging around heavy suitcases with you. Dragging those suitcases all the way to our hotel was quite a tedious task for us.
Innsbruck is a charming city — an easy mix of the urban as well as the natural. You don’t need to stay here for too long to figure out that the quality of life this place offers to its inhabitants is well above par. After the bright colours and the golden sunshine of Italy, stepping into Austria felt as if I’d stepped into a cooltoned Instagram filter. Muted colours everywhere, all easy on the eye, Innsbruck felt like the ideal place to relax and rejuvenate, right in the lap of nature.
We kicked off our sightseeing tour with a visit to the Swarovski Crystal Worlds, a ‘theme park’ of sorts, with all kinds of Swarovski crystalembedded artefacts on display. A dazzling experience and a must-visit, indeed. Our hotel was conveniently located in the heart of Innsbruck, a buzzing tourist hotspot in its own right — the Maria Theresien Strasse (Street). The St Anne’s Column and the Chapel of St George are just some of the old monuments of the city’s past that can be found coexisting seamlessly beside modern structures such as boutique design hotels, cafes and shopping centres.
At the Old Town, once you’ve had your fill of souvenir shopping along the streets laden with shops selling trinkets of all kinds, look around and you’ll find the place abuzz with tourists clicking snaps of what looks like a ‘golden roof’. Which is exactly what it is. A gleaming landmark, the Golden Roof (or Goldenes Dachl) was constructed by the Habsburg Emperor, Maximilian I, and is now a famous landmark in Innsbruck. The roof is made of ‘fire-gilded’ copper tiles, which lends it the gleaming effect. The emperor and his wife used the balcony during ceremonies, feasts and other royal events and festivities.
Right opposite this, stands a resplendent building, so pretty you couldn’t possibly take your eyes off it — the Helbling House. It was named after Sebastian Helbling, who owned the building from 1800 to 1827, and is a great example of a mix of Gothic and Baroque styles of architecture.
Evenings in Innsbruck are best spent strolling around its compact city centre. While Innsbruck is highly popular for its alpine skiing during the winter months, wandering around the scenic Inn river, also known as Inns, is a great way to spend time during the summer. The bridge built over this majestic river connects two parts of the city and overlooks a row of pastelcoloured buildings you’ll often find on the postcards of Innsbruck.