Wanderlust Travel Magazine (UK)
Innsbruck’s royal history and elaborate architecture means that it’s not just for winter thrills
Innsbruck is an Alpine delight – Tyrol’s capital is a two-time host for the Winter Olympics. But the city is an engaging visit in the greener seasons too, boasting the diverse architecture and cultural treasures befitting a one-time royal power centre, with a spectacular mountain backdrop to boot.
1
1
Dom St Jakob
Originally built in the Gothic style, Innsbruck’s St James’ Cathedral was converted to Baroque in the early 18th century. Regarded as the most magnificent Baroque church in North Tyrol, it was severely damaged during the Second World War and rebuilt in the 1950s, when the church acquired the equestrian statue of St James that sits on top of the building. The 18th century Baroque interior is the work of Munich artists, the Asam brothers. The local town houses, with their rich stucco ornaments, reliefs and frescoes, provide the backdrop to the cathedral.
2
Goldenes Dachl
The Golden Roof is one of Innsbruck’s most popular attractions. In about 1500, the tall oriel window, with its 2,657 gilded copper tiles, was added to this (former) residence of the Tyrolean rulers, creating a viewing box from which Emperor Maximilian I could observe life on Innsbruck’s main square. Highlights include the six coats of arms under the first-floor windows and the second-floor balustrade, decorated with reliefs. The building also contains the small Maximilianeum, a museum of the emperor’s life.
3
Altes Landhaus
This house, built in 1725-8 and today the seat of Tyrol’s provincial government, is one of Austria’s most arresting secular structures, with an attractive inner courtyard and colourful elevations. Though closed to the public, the most opulent room is the Rococo conference hall. As you ramble further along Maria-theresienstrasse, you’ll find the Annasäule (St Anne’s Column) rising in front of the Neues Rathaus (new town hall).
4 Hofburg
In the 1460s, Archduke Sigismund embarked on a project to build a princely residence in Innsbruck. His Gothic castle, extended by Maximilian I, survived for several centuries and to this day the castle dungeons feature the original late-gothic vaults. A major remodelling took place in 1755, under Maria Theresa, when plans for a Rococo south wing were prepared. The most beautiful of the state rooms on the second floor is the Riesenhalle (‘The Giants’ Hall’), embellished with white-and-gold stucco and a ceiling painting depicting the triumph of the House of Habsburg-lothringen.
5 Herzog-friedrich-strasse
One of the city’s loveliest streets, its main historic sights include the Rococo Helblinghaus (No 10), the Gothic old town hall and its adjacent Stadtturm (city tower), with a viewing terrace. But many of the other houses along the street also warrant a closer look. The four-storey Ottoburg (No 1) has four oriels stacked on top of each other and late-gothic interior vaults. The Baroque façade of the Palais Claudiana, a former government building, hides some beautiful rooms including the ’Hall of Claudia de Medici’, with a late Renaissance coffered ceiling.
The choicest of Innsbruck’s Christmas markets is also held on this street.
6
Tiroler Landesmuseum Ferdinandeum
Together with the former armoury of Maximilian I at Zeughausgasse (a 10minute walk away), this 19th-century building houses the collection of the Tiroler Landesmuseum (the Tyrol State Museum). The museum has galleries devoted to the natural environment, history, art and handicrafts, and it is also home to a library. Among its most precious exhibits are Gothic panel paintings, sculptures by Michael Pacher, and works by old German and Dutch masters – Lucas Cranach the Elder, Rembrandt, Pieter Bruegel the Younger and others. The museum also exhibits more recent Austrian art, including works by Klimt, Schiele and Kokoschka.
7 Hofkirche
The court church was built by Ferdinand I to house the cenotaph of his grandfather, Emperor Maximilian I. The cenotaph was designed by Maximilian himself and, although his plans were never fully realized, the ensuing structure, completed in 1584, ranks as a Renaissance masterpiece. It stands in the centre of the church, alongside a kneeling figure of the emperor, and is guarded by 28 largerthan-life bronze statues, while reliefs on the side panels depict scenes from the emperor’s life. Maximilian’s body, however, is not present; it rests in Wiener Neustadt in Lower Austria.
8 Wilten
In the south-eastern suburb of the district of Wilten stands a grand basilica, built in 1751–6 on the foundations of a former chapel. The church was intended to provide a worthy setting for the picture of Our Lady Under the Four Columns, which miracles were attributed to. It was designed by the architect Franz de Paula Penz and the interior has been kept in the Rococo style, with the altarpiece using a gold, pink and yellow colour scheme. The nearby abbey has a church built in the 12th century, devoted to St Lawrence but according to legend, the abbey was built by the giant Haymon, in atonement for the murder of another giant, Thyrsus; both are commemorated by statues. The abbey was rebuilt in Baroque style in the 17th century.
9
Schloss Ambras
On the south-eastern city limits, this castle was once the symbol of Tyrol’s power and glory. In the 12th century it was the seat of local rulers. The present 16th-century building consists of a lower castle with entrance gate and spacious courtyard, and an upper castle built on the site of an earlier structure. The two parts are connected by the early Renaissance Spanish Hall. Visitors can nose around the Rüstkammer (Arsenal), the Kunstund Wunderkammer (Chamber of Arts and Marvels), and the gallery with Habsburg portraits by artists such as Lucas Cranach and Diego Velázquez. 10 6
10 Bergisel
The hill of Bergisel, in the south of the city, is a popular place for weekend walks. Historically, this hill was the site of a battle fought by Andreas Hofer and his army of insurgent highlanders, who defeated the combined occupying forces of Bavaria and France in 1809; a monument to Hofer and the Kaiserjäger museum serve as reminders. Das Tirol Panorama, a museum on top of Bergisel, holds theRi es en ru nd gemäl de, a panoramic painting of the Battle of Bergisel. It also hosts temporary exhibitions alongside its permanent collection of Tyrolean artefacts. If you’re visiting in January, one of the annual competitions in the prestigious Vi er sch an zen tour nee( Four Hills’ Ski-jumping Tournament) is held at the vertiginous Bergiselschanze.