Innsbruck Innsbruck is the capital of the federal province of
Tyrol in western Austria. It is situated on the Inn at the mouth of the Sill River in the Eastern
Alps. Tyrol originated as a family
name, derived from a castle near Meran (now Merano, Italy). By AD 1150 scions of the
family were counts and bailiwicks (land agents) for the bishops of Trent. In 1248 the
counts of Tyrol acquired extensive lands from the bishop of Brixen (Bressanone, Italy) and
by 1271 had practically replaced the ecclesiastical power in the area. In 1342 the Holy
Roman emperor Louis IV the Bavarian married Margaret of Carinthia, heiress to the
Tyrol,
to his son after declaring her marriage to a member of the House of Luxembourg null. In
1363, however, Margaret's death left the Tyrol, by previous arrangement, to the Habsburgs,
who retained it until 1918. After World War I, Italy obtained the southern Tyrol, with its
sizable German-speaking majority, and retained it after World War II, despite objections
by Austria.
Innsbruck was first mentioned in 1180 as a small market town belonging to
the Bavarian counts of Andech, it developed rapidly because of its strategic position at
the junction of the great trade routes from Italy to Germany via the Brenner Pass and from
Switzerland and western Europe. The bridge (Brücke) over the Inn originally
carried this traffic and gave the city its name and its insignia. Innsbruck was chartered
in 1239, passed to the Habsburgs in 1363, and in 1420 became the capital of Tyrol
and the
ducal residence under Frederick, the duke "of the empty pockets." Napoleon gave
the city to the kingdom of Bavaria in 1806, and during the War of Liberation (1809) four
battles were fought around Berg Isel, a hill (2,461 ft [750 m]) immediately to the south,
by Tyrolian patriots led by Andreas Hofer against the Bavarians and the French.
The old town has narrow streets lined with medieval houses and arcades. One
of the most famous buildings is the Fürstenburg, with a balcony with a gilded copper
roof, supposedly built by Duke Frederick and refashioned by the emperor Maximilian. Here
he would sit imperiously watching the passing citizenry. Other notable landmarks include
the Hofburg (1754-70, on the site of a 15th-century ducal residence) and the Franciscan,
or Court, church (1553-63), containing the mausoleum dedicated to Maximilian I and the
tombs of Hofer and other Tyrolean heroes. The university was founded by Emperor Leopold I
in 1677, and its great library was a gift of the empress Maria Theresa in 1745. There are a number of museums in Innsbruck
worth a visit including the Ferdinandeum, with prehistoric, industrial-art, and
natural-history collections, the Tyrolean Folk Art Museum and the Museum of the
Imperial Rifles. The
Museum of Folk Art near the Imperial
Church is one of the
most beautiful of its kind in Europe. With ever changing exhibits a visitor can really
come to appreciate the distinctive Tyrolean culture. Like its neighbor Switzerland,
Austria has many great railway trips. The extraordinary Museum of
Local Railways organized
a special exhibition on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the
Achenseebahn Railway. 14 museums altogether invite you to linger for a while and can be
easily reached with the "Museum’s Tram", Line 1, since they are all
situated along one line.
The world famous Imperial Church contains
the tomb of Emperor Maximilian I with 28 larger than life-size bronze statues adorning the
tomb of the "last knight" and representing the emperor’s relatives. The
great variety of Innsbruck’s cultural and nature program can be enjoyed at
particularly reasonable prices with the Innsbruck Card since the holder gets free local
transportation as well as admission to all museums in Innsbruck, the Ambras Castle and the
fabulous Swarovski Crystal Worlds. The Innsbruck Card costs ATS 230 for 24 hours, ATS 300
for 48 hours and ATS 370 for three days, which is without any doubt a real bargain price. Innsbruck is one of the most popular tourist and health resorts and
winter-sports centers in central Europe. The Olympic Winter Games were held there in 1964
and 1976. The famous ski jump can still be seen from the center of town.
