For many, Innsbruck is, if not skiing, then snowboarding, it is not for nothing that the city has become the capital of the Winter Olympic Games several times. However, to view it solely as a winter sports destination is a complete injustice. Innsbruck is one of the cultural capitals of Austria and is in no way inferior to Salzburg.
IN THE CENTER OF THE HOFKIRCHE CHURCH IS A SARCOPHAGUS, SURROUNDED BY A BLACK COWL.
Moreover, in terms of architecture, Innsbruck is even more interesting, because Mozart's homeland is solid baroque, and here eclecticism reigns and reigns supreme. Some of the mansions are Art Nouveau, others are burgher heritage, and some shops and restaurants are located in the remains of the fortress wall that surrounded the city until the 18th century. By the way, they took it apart for a reason, but on the occasion of the celebration in Innsbruck of the marriage of the Austrian prince Leopold II to the Spanish princess Maria-Louise, who was very ill-looking. The bride's relatives feared that if the wedding took place in Vienna, where there are a dime a dozen beauties, the princess would fall into despair, so the imperial family of Habsburgs had to arrange a wedding in Innsbruck. The city was completely rebuilt in connection with the festive ceremony, and a triumphal arch was built from the stones of the fortress wall. One side of it is dedicated to marriage,and the second - the death of the groom's father: by a tragic coincidence, Emperor Franz I died right during the wedding celebration.
FERDINAND II CREATED IN AMBRAS CASTLE A MUSEUM WITH PICKS FROM ALL THE WORLD.
City of gold
The main attraction of the city is a house with a golden roof - the residence of Emperor Maximilian I, who ruled Innsbruck in the late 15th - early 16th centuries. Although Maximilian I is a legendary person, because he became one of the founders of the Habsburg state, which owned a good half of Europe, his residence looks very modest by modern standards. Just a house with a balcony decorated with coats of arms and frescoes. The only thing that makes the building stand out is the gilded-tiled roof. A non-trivial architectural trick is a classic example of dust in the eyes. The fact is that at the beginning of his reign, Maximilian I was poor, but he worked tirelessly on the image of a wealthy person. So he ordered to paint the roof of his house in gold, so that the guests who arrived in the city thought that he was fabulously rich. By the way, there is a legendthat a couple of roof tiles are actually gold, and sometimes rogue treasure hunters are found in Innsbruck trying to test their luck. Once some young people, for fun, even managed to snatch all the tiles from the roof, however, a few days later they threw it on the radio with a mocking note: "We must better watch the palaces."
MAXIMILIAN I WORKED ON THE IMAGE OF A WELL-BEING PERSON, THEREFORE HAS MAKED TO COVER THE ROOF OF HIS RESIDENCE WITH GILDED TILES.
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But the Hofkirche Church, built by Ferdinand I according to the personal project of the famous grandfather, is a completely unique place. In its center is a sarcophagus surrounded by a "black retinue" - giant figures cast in bronze. All of them, with the exception of the mythical King Arthur, are real personalities, members of the family of Maximilian I. How the sculptures were made is still not completely clear. It is assumed that at first they were molded from wax, and later cast into pieces from an alloy of bronze with other metals. But the result is impressive! The craftsmen accurately conveyed the embroidery on the dresses of the ladies, and the armor of noble men, and the hairstyles of noble persons. By the way, there is no body of Maximilian I in his own tomb, he is buried in Neustadt, some of his remains are in Vienna, and his heart is in Bruges next to the grave of his beloved wife Maria of Burgundy.
TRAMS IN INSBRUK HAVE APPEARED IN 1889.
Dear Goethe
“If there is no snow in the mountains, this does not mean that there is nothing to do there,” I decide, and on the second day I climb the Nordkettenbahn funicular to the Nordkette mountain above Innsbruck in order to walk along the Goethe trail, which, like a ribbon, encircles the slope of the summit … It got its name due to the fact that "Faust" mentions a certain mythical place where the sky meets the earth. Well - the path corresponds to the poetic description exactly, and the clouds floating underfoot make you remember the old Soviet cartoon, where a hedgehog with a bear cub rode on "white-maned horses". A rumble coming from nowhere leads me out of my dreams. I look around and notice a huge fierce cat lurking behind the stones. He bares his teeth and looks at me unkindly, which is why I immediately accelerate my step. "You're lucky. These are very dangerous wild cats that live in our mountains”,- Frau with a high hair, who works in the cafe Munding, tells me later. "It will scratch one, you will have to put stitches," she remarks, handing me a lemon cake, which I use to seize my fright. By the way, the confectionery Munding is a historical establishment. It opened in 1803 and became the first ladies' cafe in Innsbruck, where women were allowed to come unaccompanied by men.
THE HUNGERBURG CABLE ROAD IS VERY POPULAR WITH EXTREME AMATEURS.
Kings Can Do Anything
"Do you have ghosts?" - I am interested and get advice to go out of town to Ambras Castle, where in the 16th century the Austrian prince, Archduke Ferdinand II lived with his beloved Philippine Welser. The girl was of an ordinary origin, but this did not stop the prince - he secretly married her. When the truth came out, the misalliance made more noise than the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. The couple lived in the castle happily ever after, and Ferdinand II created a museum in Ambras with wonders from all over the world, but I was especially struck that his collection contains the only lifetime portraits of Count Dracula and Columbus. “Sometimes at night in the castle we hear footsteps, as if a couple are walking,” the watchman tells me. - They also whisper, say: "It's sad that life is so fleeting." I was not allowed to stay overnight in Ambras,but they were allowed to wander through the park until dark. I did not find ghosts, but I noticed a couple of peacocks sitting on the parapet like lovers. And I thought that if the spirits of the Philippines and Ferdinand still live in the castle of Ambras, then in the daylight they should take the guise of royal birds. A beautiful legend would turn out, certainly no worse than a true story about the secret marriage of the Austrian archduke to a girl from an ignoble family!
THE GORGE OF THE SPIRIT LOITASH IS CALLED A MYSTICAL PLACE.
Our advice to you …
There are two ways to get to Innsbruck: fly to the city itself or to Munich, the road from Germany here will take two hours.
There is a ski slope on the Nordkette mountain above Innsbruck, so guests of the city can ski without leaving it.
Be sure to get your hands on the sweet souvenir of Innsbruck - the house's tiled chocolate bars with a golden roof.
The city is one of the gastronomic capitals of Austria, there are many restaurants marked by the caps of the restaurant guide Gault Millau, the main competitor of Michelin.
INSBRUK IS FAMOUS FOR ITS CULINARY MASTERPIECES.
In order to use the Nordkettenbahnen ski lift, purchase the Innsbruck Tourist Card. It gives access to public transport and includes tickets to the city's main museums.
YULIA MALKOVA
