Why Innsbruck is the perfect destination
Austria
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Ringing of bells between the city and the glacier
In Innsbruck, snow-covered mountains appear again and again between historic buildings.
Photo: Thomas Sbikowski
Skiing, shopping or a stroll through the city? All of this is possible on a winter holiday in Innsbruck and the surrounding area. Our author tested the offer on site.
Today is another big day for Peter Grassmayr. With practiced movements, the experienced bell caster hooks the sling of the hall crane into a light gray church bell and gently strikes the 1,800-kilogram work at the lower edge. A long, deep tone sounds in the heart of the traditional Innsbruck company and lures some visitors from the associated museum into the large hall. “A whole cascade of sounds is hidden in a bell,” Peter Grassmayr tells his guests. “The striking tone that we hear from the church tower is then a mixture of different frequencies.” The Grassmayr family knows a lot about bells, because the Tyrolean foundry has existed since 1599 and is now run by the 14th generation. Grassmayr bells are ringing in over 100 countries today and even the Dalai Lama has already received one. Tour guide Elisabeth Grassmayr reveals where the works of the traditional foundry can be heard in the Tyrolean capital of Innsbruck.
A good starting point for a walk through the historic old town is the tourist information in Burggasse. “We are here in the former stables on the moat,” says Peter Grassmayr’s mother. The 81-year-old married the first bell founder 59 years ago, shows history and has been showing interested visitors her city for over 35 years. “However, the ditch was filled up on the occasion of the wedding of Maximilian I. After all, the party should not be disturbed by the smell.” The works of the emperor characterize the center of Innsbruck. In 1500, for example, he had the Golden Roof built with 2,657 fire-gilded shingles, showing every visitor the wealth of the city. A few meters further, the Imperial Court Church is worth a visit. Here Elisabeth Grassmayr purposefully heads for the large hall with 28 life-size bronze figures. “Maximilian wanted to have his loved ones around him when he died and had the costly companions specially made,” reveals the tour guide. “The construction took after his life, but still three decades and the sarcophagus in the middle is empty.” Maximilian preferred to be buried in Wiener Neustadt.
The colorful row of houses on the Inn is a popular photo motif during the day. Even at night it draws everyone’s attention.
Photo: Thomas Sbikowski
At the end of the tour, past the Imperial Palace and the City Tower, we head to Maria-Theresien-Strasse, which is surrounded by magnificent baroque buildings. Where just a few farmhouses stood more than 700 years ago, countless shops and cafés now tempt you to shop and enjoy a leisurely break. Another popular photo spot is the colorful row of houses on the Inn, above which the partly snow-covered mountains of the Nordkette rise. “We Innsbruckers grew up skiing,” recalls Harald Froidl, who drove the “Sightseer” hop-on hop-off bus to the famous Bergisel ski jump high above the sports and Olympic city that day. “After school we went straight to the slopes, and the many students in town still take their skis to class today.” Elisabeth Grassmayr is also still sporty at over 80 and completed 60 ski tours in the last winter season. “If the snow conditions are good, I can then ski down to my house on the outskirts of town,” says the tour guide happily. On the other hand, snow is guaranteed from October to early June on the Stubai Glacier, whose valley station is only a 45-minute drive from Innsbruck.
Only 45 minutes away from Innsbruck, the Stubai Glacier invites you to go skiing.
Photo: Thomas Sbikowski
In the largest glacier ski area in Austria, 35 runs of different levels of difficulty ensure variety. There are also a dozen variants next to the piste and a snow park where the stars of the scene regularly meet. At the end of the Stubaital, the modern Eisgratbahn takes you up comfortably, and the Eisjochbahn takes you to the apex in no time. “It’s worth going up to the Top of Tyrol viewing platform at 3,210 meters,” advises Michael Gstrein from the tourism association. “Here you can see the entire Stubai Alps as far as the Dolomites.” Sporty, he waves down the number 1 descent and stops at the Eisgrat restaurants, which include the highest three-toque restaurant in the world and a pasta factory with a show kitchen .
While eating, he reports on the Ski plus City card, which is valid for a large number of sights and cultural offerings in Innsbruck, but also for 13 ski areas, such as the Stubai Glacier. “Vacationers can also ski in the morning and go to the museum in the afternoon,” says Michael Gstrein, giving an example. “The bell foundry is also included in the pass.” Here, visitors finally find out that the latest Grassmayr bells are ringing in the Innsbruck Jesuit Church in the immediate vicinity of the Imperial Court Church.