Taking in the Marvelous City of Tyrol

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Mountain ranges converge in picture-perfect Tirol (also spelled Tyrol). The place easily captures quintessential Alpine scenery. In the northeast and southwest are superb ski resorts.

In the southeast, separated somewhat from the main state since part of South Tirol was ceded to Italy at the end of WWI, lies the protected natural landscape of the Hohe Tauern National Park, and Grossglockner (3797 meters), the country’s highest peak. Back further west, in the middle of the main state, Innsbruck is the region’s jewel.

Location

The state is split into two parts – a larger called North Tyrol (Nordtirol), and the smaller East Tyrol (Osttirol) – by a 20-kilometer (12 miles) wide strip of the Alpine divide where the neighboring Austrian state of Salzburg borders directly on the Italian province of South Tyrol. With a land area of 12,683.85 square kilometers (4,897.26 square miles), it is the third largest state in Austria.

North Tyrol borders on the federal state of Salzburg in the east and on Vorarlberg in the west, in the north it adjoins the German state of Bavaria, and in the south Italian South Tyrol (Trentino-Alto Adige/Sudtirol region) as well as the Swiss canton of Graubunden. East Tyrol also borders on the federal state of Carinthia in the east and on the Italian Province of Belluno (Veneto) in the south.

The state’s territory is entirely located in the Eastern Alps at the important Brenner Pass. The highest mountain in the state is the Groglockner within the Hohe Tauern range at the border with Carinthia, and with an elevation of 3,797 meters (12,457.35 feet) it is also the highest mountain of Austria.

Climate

Tyrol is a federal state in the Austrian part of Tyrol (the other part is situated in Italy) and is located in the south western part of Austria. The capital is Innsbruck with a population of 115,000 and well known as a winter sports resort and the crossing to Italy. Tyrol borders Germany (Bavaria), Switzerland (Graubunden) and Italy (South Tyrol and Belluno).

The scenery is characterized by imposing mountain ranges such as the Grossklockner (3,798 meters at the border of Tyrol and Karinthia) and is very popular among winter sport lovers. During the summer you can go hiking, mountain biking and mountaineering. The climate here is influenced by the Mediterranean Sea, the European continent and the North Atlantic Ocean. Winters are sunny, summers may be cloudy. Heavy showers may appear out of nowhere; be sure to bring a rain jacket. During the summer temperatures are between 15-25 degrees Celsius.

Transportation

Driving your own vehicle is certainly the most efficient way to see much of the country with the personal freedom to choose where you want to go. The road network meets internationally high standards, even though Austrians have a habit to complain about certain motorways (highways) to be permanent construction sites. This is partly due to frost damages that are a recurring obstacle in maintaining roads.

Lying 4km west of Innsbruck’s city Centre, Innsbruck Airport, caters to a handful of national (Vienna and Graz) and international flights (London, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Palma and Antalya), handled mostly by Austrian Airlines, British Airways, Easy Jet, Niki and Lufhansa.

The main road and rail route in and out of Tyrol follows the Inntal (Inn River), with the east–west A12/E60 cutting the province into almost equal halves, entering from Germany near Kufstein and exiting west of St Anton in Vorarlberg. The A13 connects Tyrol with Italy, crossing the Brenner Pass directly south of Innsbruck.

What to See

Tiroler Landesmuseum Ferdinandeum

This treasure-trove of Tyrolean history and art moves from Bronze Age artifacts to the original reliefs used to design the Goldenes Dachl. Alongside brooding Dutch masterpieces of the Rembrandt ilk, the gallery displays an astounding collection of Austrian art including Gothic altarpieces, a handful of Klimt and Kokoschka paintings, and some shocking Viennese Actionist works.

More specific to Tyrol are the late-baroque works by fresco master Paul Troger, Alfons Walde’s Kitzbuhel winterscapes and Albin Egger-Lienz’ somber depictions of rural life in postwar Tyrol.

Hofburg

Demanding attention with its imposing facade and cupolas, the Hofburg was built as a castle for Archduke Sigmund the Rich in the 15th century, expanded by Emperor Maximilian I in the 16th century and given a baroque makeover by Empress Maria Theresia in the 18th century.

The centerpiece of the lavish rococo state apartments is the 31m-long Riesensaal (Giant’s Hall).

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This is adorned with frescoes and paintings of Maria Theresia and her 16 children (including Marie Antoinette), who look strangely identical – maybe the artist was intent on avoiding royal wrath arising from sibling rivalry in the beauty stakes.

Volkskunst Museum

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Next door to the Hofkirche, Volkskunst Museum presents a fascinating romp through Tyrolean folk art from hand-carved sleighs and Christmas cribs to carnival masks and cow bells.

On the 1st floor is a beautifully restored Gothic Stube (parlor) complete with low-ceiling, wood paneling and an antique tiled oven.

Pfarrkirche St Nikolaus

This graceful 13th-century church is best known for its Waldaufkapelle, home to Florian Waldauf’s grisly collection of 45 skulls and 12 bones, picked from the remains of minor saints.

Each rests on embroidered cushions, capped with veils and elaborate headdresses, reminiscent of spiked haloes; the whole effect is both repulsive and enthralling.

Schloss Ambras

Picturesquely perched on a hill and set among beautiful gardens, this Renaissance pile was acquired in 1564 by Archduke Ferdinand II, then ruler of Tyrol, who transformed it from a fortress into a palace.

Don’t miss the centerpiece Spanische Saal (Spanish Hall), the dazzling armor collection and the gallery’s Velázquez and van Dyck originals.

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Schloss Ambras is 4.5km southeast of the Centre. The Sightseer bus runs every half hour between the castle and central stops like the Hauptbahnhof and Hofburg.

Bergisel

Rising above Innsbruck like a celestial staircase, this glass-and-steel ski jump was designed by much-lauded Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid. Its 455 steps or a two-minute funicular ride to the 50m-high viewing platform, with a breathtaking panorama of the Nordkette range, Inntal and Innsbruck. Tram 1 trundles here from central Innsbruck.

From May to July, fans pile in to see athletes train, while preparations step up a gear in January for the World Cup Four Hills Tournament.

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Images:

(1) http://images5.fanpop.com/image/photos/31700000/Tyrol-Austria-austria-31748795-1600-1200.jpg
(2) http://www.planetware.com/photos-large/A/hofburg-2.jpg
(3) www.burghauptmannschaft.at
(4 www.innsbruck.info