Golden Roof Innsbruck 30.12.24
A walking tour of Innsbruck this morning. As with the majority of our trip the sun is shining and therefore it is not as cold as we feared it might be. Indeed it is pleasant weather to be wandering around although equally glad to return to the warm if somewhat small hotel room at the end of the morning.
Innsbruck, essentially due to the Brenner pass immediately to the south, has always been the gateway between northern and southern Europe and was therefore a key point to control over long periods as it was possible to extract money from those passing with goods for trading in both directions.
Originally at the heart of Habsburg Empire the city then came under the Archdukes of Austria. A period as part of Bavaria followed until return to Austria in 1814. However being such an important trade route has led to the city always been prosperous even if owing allegiance to new rulers.
A key sight in the city and indeed its symbol is the “Golden Roof” which was completed to mark the wedding of the Emperor Maximilian I to Bianca Maria Stroza in 1500 with the balcony being used by the Emperor and his new wife to observe the festivals, tournaments and activities in the square below. The Emperor was King of the Romans from 1486 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1508 until his death in 1519. He was a particularly able warlord. This was a period when the ruler has sway over much of what is now Italy and Germany whilst marriages led to his grandson taking the thrones of Castile and Aragon – showing just how far the tentacles of the Hapsburg empire stretched.
Innsbruck Cathedral 30.12.24
We are also able to go inside the Cathedral which was constructed following some earthquakes between 1716 and 1724 when it was dedicated. In December 1944 Innsbruck suffered significant bomb damage which caused destruction of parts of the Cathedral and was restored by 1950 becoming a Cathedral in 1964. Further repair and reconstruction work was undertaken between 1991 and 1993 with a new dedication service in October 1993.
We decide that a trip up in the local ski lift holds little attraction following the heights achieved yesterday. Prior to arrival much has been made of the light show in the gardens but when we pass it on the walking tour we see that it appears mainly geared towards children and so decide against going out in the evening. During the day the snow is melting slightly but after dark it freezes and again and one of the party has a fall when they do visit the illuminations and that proves to us it is better to be safe than sorry – we thought that it might be slightly slippery and bound to be worse if it freezes slightly having thawed during the day. We did not want to come back from the holiday bruised and bandaged. I have no doubt that it is worth seeing – but we would prefer to avoid any accidents.
And for reference here is the brochure description:
We wake up with the wintry mountains looking on to festive Innsbruck. The gentle bustle of picture-perfect streets and the seasonal weather combine to charming effect on this enchanting day full of anticipation.
After breakfast, we enjoy a guided walking tour of beautiful Innsbruck, followed by a leisurely afternoon during which we can explore further.
With a remarkably picturesque medieval centre, the town is dotted with impressive buildings, including Herzog-Friedrich-Strasse. Here, a shimmering golden Habsburg roof, the ornate Hölbling house and the imposing 14th-century watchtower look out over buildings with arched arcaded frontages.
When it goes dark, LUMAGICA Innsbruck invites you to take a literally illuminating walk in the Hofgarten – for the fifth time in a row. Rainbow (colours), flowers and butterflies as well as abstract elements and interactive light installations line the approximately one kilometre long circular path.