You may have seen glimpses of it in the famous Bollywood flick ‘Ae dil hai mushkil’, where Ranbir Kapoor wooed Aishwarya, Rai and if that didn’t compel you to pack your bags and bask in the glory that Innsbruck offers, we can give you lots of other reasons to do so. For starters, the region boasts of 800 years of urban history with a scenery that is inextricably intertwined with a spectacular landscape of forests and mountain peaks, and designer shops and arcades that will only leave to bewildered with choices. Innsbruck is brimming with stories, anecdotes and attractions… Have you discovered it yet? If not, it’s time to make that choice….
Priyanka Saxena Ray
Anyone who comes to visit Innsbruck, the capital of the Tyrol region, will immediately notice the close coexistence of culture and nature. This union is visible all around, even in the middle of the historic city centre with its elaborate buildings, museums and churches: The view down the splendid Maria-Theresien-Street towards the medieval Old Town is always crowned by the majestic Nordkette mountain chain.
Innsbruck’s glittering landmark – the Golden Roof – stands out in the centre of the alpine city. Built by Emperor Maximilian I in the 15th century it shaped the image of Innsbruck ever since. He made the city the capital of an empire that stretched all over Europe and thanks to him Innsbruck is home to the sumptuous Hofburg Imperial Palace, his artfully designed tomb in the Hofkirche Court Church with 28 larger-than-life bronze figures, Hofgarten Imperial Gardens and much more.
Another imperial highlight of Innsbruck – the beautiful Renaissance Ambras Castle from the 16th century with extensive collections of art and curiosities, the so-called “chamber of wonders”, which give romantic and at the same time wonderous insights into medieval times.
The alpine character of Innsbruck becomes visible through the experience of the mountains into the daily city life. The Nordkettenbahn Cable Cars have a station directly within the old town, close to the Hofburg Imperial Palace, and it only takes 20 minutes to whisk you up on 2000m altitude and even higher to great hiking and skiing areas. This interaction between city and mountain is unique and also shows itself e.g. at the Alpine Zoo. It is Europe’s highest altitude Zoo and nestles naturally up against the mountain and is home to more than 2000 animals – bear, eagle and lynx inclusive. South of Innsbruck the Bergisel Olympic Ski Jump Tower offers the possibility to feel like an Olympic ski jumper yourself. At the roof-top restaurant and bar the stunning views across the city await you.
Innsbruck’s urban character is among other things reflected by the numerous summer festivals. The Promenade Concerts feature classical music from all over Europe, every evening from beginning of July to beginning of August, totally for free! The location is the sumptuous courtyard of the Hofburg Imperial Palace in the old town. The Innsbruck Festival of Early Music revives the courtly musical life at the impressive Ambras Castle. Don’t miss out the New Orleans Jazz Festival in July for some fancy urban music.
Swarovski Crystal Worlds
One of the main attractions close to Innsbruck is the Swarovski Crystal Worlds, which belong to the most visited sights of Austria. Crystalline fairy tales and a multi-faceted universe are featured there. Since May 2015 a new era of wonders started: the new Crystal Cloud with 800.000 hand-mounted Swarovski crystals are drifting star-like above a black mirror pool, the innovative play-tower and outdoor play area, opens up new perspectives to the Crystal Worlds’ youngest visitors, and a complete refurbished restaurant offering culinary delights. Don’t forget to also stop by at the fascinating Swarovski Shop in Innsbruck’s historic old town.
Innsbruck is also known as a young and vibrant city. The population is 130.000 plus 30.000 students. This in return means that every sixth person you meet in the streets is actually a student. Such a young city is a lively city, with lots of picturesque street cafés, great outdoor sporting facilities, big shopping malls and handcrafted small souvenir shops that cater to all tastes.
MICE @ Innsbruck
Just imagine – a convention that takes place in the very heart of the Tyrolean Alps, at an elevation of 900 metres above sea level, surrounded by forests and mountain peaks, in the idyllic setting of a perfectly groomed park – and just a mere 10 km drive from Innsbruck! That’s exactly what you can experience when you attend a conference at Congresspark Igls. Since 2007 the completely re-designed convention centre, located on the gentle foothills to the south of the city, complements stylishly the internationally highly acclaimed Congress Innsbruck.
In Igls, event organisers benefit from state-of-the-art equipment and professional know-how as well as of the opportunity to make individual use of the charms of an intimate space, easily adapted to individual requirements. Congresspark Igls can accommodate up to 300 guests in premises that consist of the main ‘Panorama’ hall, two seminar rooms and a spacious, brightly lit foyer perfectly suited to accommodate exhibitions or side events. These facilities are rounded off by a restaurant which seats up to 100 guests and offers exquisite culinary delights.
In a worldwide ranking of convention centres Congress-Messe Innsbruck came second, thanks to its top-of-the-range technical equipment, experienced and dedicated team of staff, professional catering and all-round high quality service. Another valuable asset is of course the convenient location at the very centre of the Alps, easily accessible via international flights to Innsbruck airport as well as by excellent road and railway connections.
Shopping @ Innsbruck
If you like to shop big time and in one spot, this is definitely your kind of place. Having played a pioneering role in local retail history, Innsbruck is home to Austria’s very first shopping centre which remains the largest in the Tyrol region. But it’s not just about size – also attractive architecture with aesthetic, state-of-the-art design by renowned architects is a major drawcard. Explore these all-in-one shopping havens from the city centre to the outskirts of town, easily reached by car or public transport.
When the Rathausgalerien town hall and shopping mall opened in 2002, the city’s administrative centre had undergone an exciting face-lift. Offices are now integrated into an elegant retail space which links together four nearby boulevards and squares, significantly enlarging the available public space. Built to plans by top French architect Dominique Perrault, the complex receives ample light from a high glass roof. Its 37-m tall glass campanile, designed with artistic flair by Peter Kogler, dominates the whole of the inner city area and functions as a viewing tower
As you stroll into Rathausgalerien through the main entrance on Maria Theresien Street, you find a stylish indoor shopping mall with an exciting array of shops, featuring sophisticated women’s and men’s wear, hip garb for young fashionistas, shoes, jewellery and sports clothes alongside home accessories and quirky gift ideas. There is also a Müller store that has pretty much everything, from stationery goods to cosmetics.
Bollywood glitterati @ Innsbruck
Bollywood’s leading director-producer Karan Johar picked Innsbruck as one of the locations for shoot of his much popular movie released last year – “Ae Dil Hai Mushkil” (ADHM). The movie stars Ranbir Kapoor, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Anushka Sharma, spent every free minute exploring the locations and tweeting about their memorable experiences during the shooting. Innsbruck, also known as the ‘Capital of the Alps’ offers a unique combination of Alpine flair, imperial architecture and urban lifestyle, a place where the mountains meet the valley and the city is one with nature. The shooting of ADHM in Innsbruck took place in the city and holiday villages in the surrounding area. From sunny Alpine plateaus and wildly romantic mountaineering villages to family-friendly oases of well-being, ADHM brings alive the perfection of Innsbruck during winter and summer.
Further endorsing Innsbruck as the perfect holiday destination, Ishvinder Maddh, Managing Director, Robinville Intech Pvt Ltd (together with Creative Creatures GmbH co-line Producer), the company representing Innsbruck, Nordkette Cable Railways, Adlers Hotel Innsbruck (that hosted the film crew) and other European touristic regions explained: “Introducing Innsbruck to the Indian audience through Karan’s film is the best way to showcase the brilliance of the ‘Capital of the Alps’, a destination that offers something for everyone throughout the year.”
Karan Johar and the entire Bollywood cast and crew were so charmed by Innsbruck that they went beyond the ADHM locations and were seen soaking-in as much of Innsbruck as regular tourists. Constant tweets from Karan about his experience in Innsbruck and in particular, the Nordkette Cable Railways is bound to take Innsbruck to newer heights.
