In 1967 I visited Innsbruck on our last family holiday. I can remember 2 things about the town; The Golden Roof on the Royal Box where Emperor Maximilian watched various tournaments below and the Ski Jump tower, built for the 1964 Olympic Games. The first is still exactly as it was back then. I expect they have re-gilded the tiles but it fitted with my memory. The second, the Ski Jump Tower was not as I remembered because it was rebuilt in 2001 to bring it up to date for the modern jumpers. The Tower now has a café at the top which means you get a really good coffee with a fantastic view of the graveyard right there at the bottom of the jump!
One or two buildings are outstanding from the outside, the Helbling Haus, or wedding house, is one, but many of the buildings are very plane on the outside but go inside and you will be blown away. The first of these was the Dom, very stark outside but a mass of Baroque decoration inside. The next is the Hoffburg built as a castle in the 15th century, turned into a palace by Emperor Maximilian in the 16th century and then turned into a Palace fit for a lady by Empress Marie Theresia in the 18th century (sorry strictly no Photos).
Emperor Maximilian’s last resting place is in the Hofkirche just over the road from the Hofburg, it may be a simple building but the sarcophagus is a work of art in itself. It is guarded by 28 giant statues including one of King Arthur of whom Maximilian was an Idol.
Sorry some of the photos are crummy, but the rain played its part again, so I’m off to see what you get in half an hour for €100!
