Todd and the kids went skiing again on Sunday, so I had him drop me off at the Garmisch-Partenkirchen train station for an 8:00 train to Innsbruck, Austria. Why not? I had previously been to Innsbruck when I was 12, and had wanted to revisit ever since we moved to Germany because I have zero memory of my last visit. This is the main reason why I decided to start this blog. Even though my kids won't remember most of these experiences, they will at least have this somewhat wordy and visual reminder of the fun times we had in Europe.
Well that's not a bad way to start the day.
Traveling through the Alps down to Innsbruck is very easy on the train. I bought a ticket using the DB Bahn app, and you just show the conductor your phone and they either just say, "OK" or they scan it. Then you can relax and enjoy the views!
I may not enjoy winter sports, but I definitely enjoy the mountain views!
Little towns line the valleys between the tall mountains between Garmisch and Innsbruck.
My first stop was to be the Imperial Palace in Innsbruck. It's an easy walk to the palace from the (somewhat sketchy) train station (but really... what European train station isn't sketchy!?) Right next to the palace is the Hofkirche, which was closed because they were having Sunday services. This was only a sign of things to come for me and my day in Innsbruck. The Emperor Maximilian's tomb is here, which dates back to the early 1500s, but he is not buried in it. He's actually buried in a town south of Vienna, but there wasn't room at the St. George Chapel for a big memorial, so they built it here instead.
The Imperial Palace is one of three main palaces used by the Habsburgs in Austria. The other two, Hofburg Palace and Schonbrunn Palace are located in Austria, and I've already been to both of those! So I was very excited to get to see yet another palace of the Empresses Maria Theresa and Elisabeth (even though the latter only stayed here one night!) But I decided to grab a cup of coffee down the road first, since I was freezing.
The Imperial Palace is the outer wall of the old town area of Innsbruck.
I grabbed my cappuccino and made my way to the entrance of the palace aaaaaaand.... this. I mean, if I'm not a true Griswold, I don't know who I am. I checked the website prior to my visit and there was no mention of this. "The Moose out front should've told you!" Ugh.
So, cool. I got to see the courtyard.
Now begged the question: "What am I going to do with my day, as seeing the Imperial Palace had been a large part of my plans?" I decided to stroll around the old town area.
Oh my stars, this building! The placard at the Hölblinghaus says, "It is most likely that Anton Gigl from Wessobrunn, a stucco plasterer who moved to Innsbruck around 1723, gave this 15th century Gothic townhouse its exuberant Baroque façade. The name of the house goes back to Sebastian Hölbling who owned it from 1800 to 1827."
One of the most notable sights in Innsbruck is the Goldenes Dachl, or the Golden Roof. It was finished in 1500 as a tribute to the wedding of the Emperor Maximilian I to Bianca Maria Sforza. The couple used to wave at the crowds in the main square from this balcony. There are 2,657 fire-gilded tiles on the top of the balcony. I know what you're thinking: Wait, I thought they were made of gold!? Nope! Just copper!
The Innsbruck airport is VERY close to the downtown area. Today's landing pattern was east to west, and right over the old town area.
One thing I noticed about Innsbruck was it's love for color. I think in one day I saw every color of the rainbow and it's pastel sidekicks.
I know I should have climbed the Stadtturm and it's 133 steps, but I was still a bit bummed about the Imperial Palace being closed. Some tourists were waving at us from the top though! I also knew that I was going to the Olympic ski jump later, and that I would have great city views from there.
I kind of love the Hölblinghaus and my wide zoom lens. I kind of want to eat it since it looks like a pretty cake.
Still one of the best tools for a camera is a wide zoom lens.
I really love the Goldenes Dachl, but check out that bright turquoise building in the background! Whoa color!
This picture is from the very spot the city gets its name. This is the turquoise blue Inn River. And I'm standing on a Brücke, or bridge. Inns-Brücke. Or Innsbruck. The Inn River's most upstream point is in Switzerland, near St. Moritz. It flows down through Austria and eventually drains into the Danube near Passau, Germany. Innsbruck is the largest city on the Inn River.
The Colorful Houses of Innsbruck. Get the best picture from the Marktplatz across the Inns River (morning views.)
The Ottoburg tower looks like something out of Alice in Wonderland. Kind of out of place but I kind of love it. It was first mentioned in 1476 (a mere 500 years before I was born!) but after the first princely owner Rudolf of Anhalt died in 1515, it was owned by various wealthy (but not royal) middle class families.
Looking down Herzog-Freidrich Straße toward the Goldenes Dachel, from the Ottoburg tower.
Stucco details on the Hölblinghaus.
Looking back toward the mountains the Goldenes Dachl. In typical Austrian fashion, you can see the ornate iron signs above the businesses. Even the McDonalds sign is nice!
The north end of Maria Theresien Straße looking south with the colorful buildings and unique architecture. The Old Hospital Church on the right is a pretty shade of pink. This church was built around 1700 on the site of an old hospital.
The birds know. The birds always know.
St. Anne's column along Maria Theresien Straße was built very early in the 1700s to celebrate the expulsion of the Germans from the city in the Spanish War of Succession on St. Anne's Day. Interestingly, that's Mary at the top of the column, of course as Mary's birth was the subject of the Immaculate Conception.
Snow at the higher levels of the Alps and the colorful streets of Innsbruck.
I walked farther down Maria Theresien Straße and snapped this picture, which I think might be one of my favorites from the trip.
I walked back over to the Imperial Palace and decided to jump on the Hop On Hop Off bus around Innsbruck. I know, you can go ahead and judge me for that, but they really are a great introduction to any city. You get an audio guide in about a billion languages and you can rest your dogs and sit on a nice, warm bus on a cold day. I also knew the bus was going to take me to the Olympic ski jump sight, which was outside of the city (and not walkable). On the bus, I got to enjoy the incredible architecture of Innsbruck.
My favorite color! My favorite color! Sorry for the blur, these were all taken from the bus!
Just past the lavender house was the rest of the rainbow row. Again, sorry that's it's blurry but isn't it magical???
On the way up to the Olympic Ski Jump, we passed the Wilten Basilica. I would have liked to have gone into this one because it has a beautiful Rococo interior. Next time! I'm sure my kids would enjoy it! HA!
Even if you have no interest in Olympic history, you must go up to the Bergiesal Ski Jump simply for the views!
The Bergiesal Ski Jump was host to two winter Olympics - 1964 and 1976. It holds 28,000 people and the tower itself is 50 meters high.
The 6-year-old in me still loves rainbow colors. Especially on a black and white day.
This panorama gives a good idea of how big the jump is. The jump record was 138 meters by Michael Hayböck in 2015.
It's only €9.50 to take the funicular to the top (and all of this was built in 2001 so it's pretty new). You have great views and a restaurant at the top.
It's lunch time so why not! Nice views and a tasty Austrian beer to go along with the currywurst I had for lunch.
After a lunch break, I went to the top for the very BEST views of Innsbruck and the Inntal Valley.
Panorama from the top! It's heart stoppingly beautiful.
The Bergiesal Ski Jump overlooks the Wilten Monestary, the Hauptbahnhof and the Sill River, which runs parallel to the Hauptbahnhof train lines and empties into the Inn River (which is in the distance but you can't see in this picture.)
Ok, ok just ONE more picture looking toward eastern Innsbruck and the Pradl neighborhood.
But, but, but... I just couldn't get enough of these colors!
The Olympic rings and (in this photo) two of the three flame holders still stand in Innsbruck. The third flame holder is behind me.
The outcome of the 1976 Olympic games. I spotted a couple of U.S. medals in there!
Olympic Rings of Innsbruck.
I hopped back on the bus at the base of the hill (they give you a booklet with the times of departure so it's super easy) and finished my tour of Innsbruck. We passed by the Triumphal Arch on our way back to the old town area. It was built in 1765 and the southern side (which I am facing here) is dedicated to the Empress Maria Theresa's son's wedding. The northern side is more of a memorial to her husband Francis (Franz) I, who died the same year. It must have been bittersweet.
I'm really not used to seeing modern architecture here in Europe. Sure, some cities have more than others, but this was out of place yet really fun! I love how the façade angles and the windows just go with it!
And now back to your regularly scheduled architecture.
Many bay windows and colors.
Innsbruck is probably one of the most colorful cities I've ever been to!
The Colored Houses of Innsbruck are across the Inn River from the Old Town area (afternoon views.)
I exited the Hop On Hop Off bus at my original pick up location at the Imperial Palace and walked back into the Old Town area, spotting lovers in a shadowed tunnel.
I know, you've seen this one before. But now it's afternoon and the shadows and clouds are different.
I imagine in the summer time, Maria Theresen Straße is super packed. But I kind of enjoyed the somewhat empty thoroughfare.
One cool place I wanted to visit in Innsbruck that WAS open (thank GOODNESS!) was the Audioversum. This little (but great) museum is all about the ear and hearing. Embarrassingly, the first stop in the museum is in a little glass case of emotion where you get to scream to your hearts content and see how high up on the decibel level you can get to. I actually made it to 100 db but couldn't capture it in a photo. And trust me, that isn't as loud as I can holla. I was just embarrassed because I knew all the people standing outside of the booth could hear me!
The next room has a series of familiar loud noises that you can turn on with the touch of your hand, and the noise of that object at the its normal decibel level will sound. I loved this thunderstorm!
This exhibit was really cool. If you placed your forehead on these objects that were playing Ode to Joy, and you plugged both of your ears, you could still hear the song through the vibrations that were being sent into your forehead.
This was a little exhibit about hair cells, and how by bending down on these little "hairs," you could hear music. The hair cells on the left only allowed you to hear very deep sounds within the song. When you bent the hair cells way down on the right, you could only hear very high pitched sounds. And somewhere just past the hair cells on the right, you could hear the song perfectly. I really liked this museum! It wasn't very big or expensive, but a nice way to kill an hour and to learn a bit about the anatomy of the ear and how it works!
I went for one final stroll through the city on my way back to the train station. I love the classic architecture styles on the white building on the left, and the strange mix on the Miller building on the right. I spotted another jet flying into the Innsbruck airport.
One last picture of a jet landing at the Innsbruck airport over beautifully painted buildings.
After an uneventful train ride back, I took a cab from the Garmisch train station to Mukkefuck (no, I'm not kidding. That is the actual name of the restaurant) to meet up with my family for dinner. Todd and I both agreed this looked like Leslie Chow from The Hangover. I'm pretty sure this was unintended!
The best part about my trip to Innsbruck was that despite having been there as a kid, I literally STILL have no memory of any of it even after having visited again. I kept waiting for a trigger, but it never happened. So it was like seeing the city for the first time! Naturally, I have to come back because I've got to visit the Imperial Palace at some point. Perhaps I'll save this for a summer trip and enjoy the Palace Gardens as well.
Until next time, Innsbruck!
