Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
B1
Sleeping
C2
Eating
B3
8
Himal
C1
Drinking & Nightlife
C1
B3
Entertainment
C2
History
Innsbruck dates from 1180, when the little market settlement on the north bank of the Inn
River spread to the south bank via an eponymous new bridge - Ynsprugg.
In 1420 Innsbruck became the ducal seat of the Tyrolean Habsburgs, but it was under
the reign of Emperor Maximilian I (1490-1519) that the city reached its pinnacle in
power and prestige; many of the emperor's monuments, including the shimmering
Goldenes Dachl, are still visible today. Maximilian was not the only Habsburg to influen-
ce the city's skyline: Archduke Ferdinand II reconstructed the Schloss Ambras, and Em-
press Maria Theresia the Hofburg.
Two world wars aside, Innsbruck has enjoyed a fairly peaceful existence over the cen-
turies. More recently, the city held the Winter Olympics in 1964 and 1976, and the
Winter Youth Olympic Games in 2012.
Sights
Many of the sights in Innsbruck close an hour or two earlier in winter (generally from
November to early May).
