We had an amazing week traveling to Austria to see some friends in Innsbruck. Innsbruck, the capital of the Tyrol region, is nestled deep in the Alps and dates back to the Stone Age. In the 4th century the Romans established Veldidena station, an army training facility and since the city has served as home for Maximilian I, Ferdinand II, Leopold I, Mozart, and Napoleon. It’s striking beauty and grandiose nature has attracted kings, popes, outdoor enthusiasts, and this week, the McNeills and Benedicts.

Monday: 

Early on Monday morning we headed to Tegel Airport to catch a flight to Munich where we would rent a car and drive to Innsbruck to meet our friends, Thomas and Sarah. As per usual in Europe the flight was short and we were in Munich in about an hour. Once on the ground we went to pick up our rental car to head to Innsbruck. Doreen was a little apprehensive since neither of us have driven in nearly 7 months and we were about to take on the Autobahn.

Luckily we would ease onto the Autobahn by way of some country roads due to a detour suggested by Doreen’s parents. About 2 weeks prior they had spent some time at a lake outside of Innsbruck and recommended stopping to take in the view and have a drink by the water - so we did. On the way there the views were absolutely spectacular. With each pass around the mountain was a picture perfect village set below a magnificent mountain with lush green grass as far as the eye could see.

About an hour after we started we got to the lake for a brief break in the drive. The water was turquoise and everyone was out playing water sports enjoying the day. The mountains spiked up to the clouds and almost looked unclimbable. We enjoyed our stop and then headed back on the road.

When we arrived in Innsbruck we checked into our hotel and then headed out to explore and have some dinner at a local beer garden just off the Old City centre. It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed every part of the travel.

Tuesday:

We started the day early because in the Alps the weather can change in the matter of minutes. Our hotel has some rich history and has been around for nearly 200 years. The breakfast hall is the best reminder of this since the majority off the hotel has since been remodelled. However, the original wood carved ceilings and decorations in the hall are original and very beautiful.

For our first activity we decided to take a gondola up the Northern side of the valley. Most activities in the Alps require a ride up the steep mountain faces before any area for outdoor sports can be reached. On the way to the gondola we drove through some really beautiful mountain villages. It’s really impressive how the culture as well as the landscape are so well maintained.

The ride up was gorgeous and around 2/3 of the way we heard the faint sound of muffled bells ringing - the kind cows wear. We thought we were hearing things because the elevation was too great for cows but we were wrong. At the top of the mountain and scattered all over were small herds of cows eating the grass and taking naps on the mountain side

As we hiked up the hill we paused for a minute at the little lake to take in the views and see the tree house obstacle course that is supossed to be for kids but seems to be more for adults.

After saying hello to the cows we headed to a little spring at the top of the mountain for a brief break and some great views. For our first hike we decided to walk to lunch. The Alps are littered with little cottages that provide refreshments and beverages dating back 100s of years. We set forth on what we were told was a 60 min hike that was stroller friendly. There was nothing stroller friendly about this hike. At times the rocks were small pebbles and the area was flat but more often the terrain was steep and the rocks were the size of your fist. Although our travel stroller is “Mountain Buggy” brand it was not equipped for the the alps. About halfway to the chalet we decided that we should turn around and head back. The grade was getting worse and the rocks were getting bigger. We knew that post lunch Logan would fall asleep and there was no chance we could carry him and the stroller up the hill - as it was Chad had to carry Logan on his shoulders up the grade for about 500 yards before Logan could walk or be pushed again.

Once we got back to the main chalet we sat and had lunch and as usual were impressed with the delicious food overlooking the awesome vistas. We also took the opportunity to explore around basecamp before heading back down the gondola. 

It was a good thing that we turned back because we got an update call from Thomas and Sarah. They were set to arrive earlier than expected and wanted to join us on our Castle tour. We met at Schloss Ambras to take in the local history.

The Castle was built in 1563 by Archduke Ferdinand II as a gift for his wife. Ferdinand II was the son of Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor and Anna of Bohemia and Hungry as-well-as younger brother of Emperor Maximilian II. Those that read the blog frequently might recognise Ferdinand II from our Prague adventure as he was the governor of Bohemia and lead the campaign in 1556 to take over Turkey and Hungry. His father’s blood line, the House of Habsburg, controlled the succession of Pope for 100s of years.

Ferdinand II was known as a great military leader and collector of art. The Castle Schloss Ambras was where he displayed most of his collection (still in tact today) and had grand multi day parties and festivals where subjects from all over the kingdom would come to feast, fight for sport, and reenact the great battle against the Turks and Hungarians.

After we had seen all there was to see at Ambras Castle we headed back to the hotel to get Thomas and Sarah checked in and rest before heading to dinner at a wonderful Beer Garden in the heart of Old Town.

Wednesday:

With Thomas and Sarah in-tow we knew that we needed to hike some mountains and that’s exactly what we did to enjoy America’s birthday - concur the alps. The weather was showing rain from noon on so we tried to get after it bright and early. Luckily the weather held through most of the afternoon.

To begin the day we headed to the tram station and took the tram to the base of the Innsbruck Nordketten Bahn Gondola Chain. Congress station was beautiful and modern, like many structures in the area, and the tram was a fun ride over the river and part way up the mountain to a little area called Hungerburg. From there we took the gondola up past the first stop of Seegruben Bahn to Hafelekarhas Bahn at the top of the mountain. With every ride the views got more grand and the mountain gradually gave way to rugged pure granite spikes.

The top of Hafelekarspitze looks like another world. The mountain is mostly bear of vegetation except for some low growing greens and flowers. The views are magnificent but the sharp incline in elevation is ever present with the drastic drop-offs just steps away. We took some pictures and then headed to the top. Logan needed to be strapped in because of the narrow paths and steep drop-offs - there is no forgiveness if you wander or slip in the Alps. It was a short steep hike to the top of Hafelekarspitze and from there we could see the other side of the range and the valley below.

Once we had successfully taken all the silly pictures we could, we headed to the other side of the peak named Seegrubenspitze where we could see mountain goats traversing the terrain and the start of a rock climbing route to the other side of the range.

After we had seen all we could without climbing equipment, we headed back down to Seegrube to hike a circle route where we could clearly see all of Innsbruck and an outdoor amphitheatre to stop and enjoy it. During the winter this is one of the many ski areas in Innsbruck. The steep rockslide areas are turned into lush snow bowls for downhill skiing. With a morning full of hiking we headed to the restaurant for a perfect Austrian meal to complement our surroundings.

On the way up the mountain we past the Alpine Zoo and always planned to come back for a tour. Logan especially wanted to visit because he saw a picture in the brochure of the slide at the spielplatz. After about 100 rides down the slide we started the tour of the zoo. While small, the entire place is perfectly cared for and the enclosures felt twice the size as similar zoos in the States. They didn’t have a ton of exhibits but what they had fit the area and didn’t feel the least bit depressing (some zoos are really depressing). When we were about 3/4 of the way through we finally saw the rain and it poured. We got wet but Thomas and Sarah came prepared with full rain gear from their previous hiking excursions. You really don’t know how perfect they are for each other until you see their unintentional matching outfits (they actually purchased their gear separate from each other).

Once we saw a little break in the rain we made a run for it. We saw the wolves and then headed to the tram for home - unfortunately we just missed the tram so we decided to walk the rest of the way. Walking was the right choice because we wouldn’t have got to experience the beautiful bridges and the sound of a young student practicing their horn in the distance.

After some down time we were in search of the most American food we could find for dinner - we settled for Mexican. Doreen had previously read that an immigrant from Mexico City opened a restaurant in Innsbruck and that the food was excellent. In Berlin, as with most of Europe, finding good Mexican food is a challenge. The food did not disappoint and we all reflected on America’s birthday.

Afterwards we had a nice walk home, saw a Russian Hardcore band, and walked Old Town before crashing from a long day of mountain climbing.

Thursday:

According to the forecast, rain was a 60% likelihood post 1 pm so our outdoor activities needed to fit into that window or else we were going to get wet. Having gotten soaked the day before we wanted to do our best to remain dry so we headed up the mountain early for a 2 hour round trip hike. Most of these hikes are on cat trails which double as cross country ski tracks in the winter months. It’s amazing how many wonderful skiing opportunities there are within a 10min drive from the city centre but that’s also why Innsbruck has hosted the Winter Olympics twice. We took a long chairlift 2/3 of the way up the mountain to the main chalet where we would start our hike. Unbeknownst to us, this was a kids playground. Aside from the massive amounts of outdoor activities there was an area called Kugel Wald which was a maze of tracks meant to carry a large wooden marble (little bigger then a softball) from one wooden fort to another. We’re not sure who liked it more, Logan or Thomas.

After we had our fun it was time to start the hike. The first part was down hill to the valley where we would stop and rest at a chalet before heading back up the mountain. The views were incredible and it was completely different than the hike the day before. Unlike the hike at the top of the peak, this one started nearly 2k feet lower and was entirely within the tree line. We finished just in time to take the chair lift down to the base of the mountain before the rain started.

After a quick lunch at a nice cafe in a small town, our next stop was the Swarovski Kristallwelten. We weren’t sure what to expect. We thought at the very least this would be a giant advertisement for Swarovski and were pleasantly surprised it was nothing of the sort. The entire experience is a half outdoor, half indoor art installation using crystal as a medium. Inside there are different rooms where leading modern artists have created some amazing exhibits.

Outside are some extraordinary installations that showcase the crystal medium with the alps as a backdrop. The lush green grass combined with the amazing views provide an almost surreal experience. We took it all in and left before the rain came in.

Our final evening dinner was spent at the local Tyrol brewery, Stiegl, where we indulged in schnitzel and dumplings. 

Our time in Innsbruck was too short. We could have easily spent another week exploring the city and the mountains. We didn’t even touch some of the major sights like the Gold Roof or Mozart’s child hood home. There are countless churches as-well-as a rich medieval and renaissance history to experience.

It was great to see Thomas and Sarah and we will be back for sure - possibly this winter for some incredible skiing.

Until Next Time,

The McNeills