Sethu NazeerInnsbruck: Summer tourism is the last thing one associates with the snowy city of Innsbruck with a population of just over 1,27,000 (as on 2015). Shaking off its hangover from past glories as a Winter Olympic Games host, the capital of the alpine region of Tyrol in Austria turns into an empyrean land of the sun during summer.
Mieming Plateau with its sweeping fields and lush meadows, dotted with quaint little hay barns and interspersed with countless flat walking paths, has the longest summer in Tyrol. The rushing streams, wonderful mountain huts, refreshing lakes and the tranquillity of nature in Innsbruck and its Holiday Villages are a spectacle to behold.
The wide, open space located at ideal altitudes of 850 m to 1000 m above sea level with exceptional sun exposure make the inhabitants of Innsbruck flock to the Mieming Plateau for leisure and recreational activities. The town of Innsbruck, with its many cultural highlights and shopping options, is a mere 35 minute drive away; in just 20 minutes you get to the bustling little market town of Telfs.
Experiencing the summer solstice in Innsbruck is nothing short of a plunge down the proverbial rabbit hole, where one would be transported into a surreal state of ecstasy. With an uncanny line-up of leisure, recreational and adventure offerings, summer tourism in the Capital of the Alps is every globetrotters envy
Over the years, much effort has been devoted towards offering a wide choice of attractive holiday options in the villages of Obsteig and Mieming. Among the leading hotels which have pioneered in this field are the Kinderhotel Lärchenhof, the Familien-Landhotel Stern, the Hotel Holzleiten and last but not least, the Alpenresort Schwarz.
The region is a sports-mad city in the middle of the Alps. Hiking and climbing, swimming and cycling, walking, riding and golfing: the sport opportunities in summer in Innsbruck and its regions are almost limitless.
Karin Seiler-Lall, CEO, Innsbruck Tourism, says: “Our focus this year is our marquee events – UCI Road World Championships (September 22-30), Crankworx Innsbruck Official Alpine Whip-Off Championships (June 13-17) and IFSC Climbing World Championships (September 6-16).”
Aptly named climbers’ paradise, Innsbruck and the nearby Sonnenplateau Mieming and Tirol Mitte region feature more than 600 climbing routes, five climbing crags, five via ferratas, two family-friendly climbing parks and eight ice climbing routes. There are various local organisations which make sure that the Tyrol’s climbing routes meet the required safety standards.
Just recently, the expert mountain guides of Alpinschule Innsbruck (ASI) and the Innsbruck section of the Austrian mountain rescue association joined forces to equip the Innsbruck Klettersteig with 2200 m of new rope and 700 anchors. ASI also offers guided tours of select rock climbing routes to maximise the fun of exploring the Tyrol’s vertical world.
“2017 was the best year for Innsbruck Tourism, which grew by 4 per cent compared to 2016. In 2017, we hosted 3.2 million overnight stays from 1.5 million arrivals. Germany is our biggest source market. Other major markets are the UK, Switzerland and Netherlands. Travellers from China, India, Korea and Latin America prefer our Holiday Villages. India is at number 10. We registered a 17 per cent increase in Indian tourist arrivals last year and Indian overnights grew by 18.7 per cent to touch 60,000. Innsbruck tourism will soon launch a Bollywood tour for our Bollywood fans and Indian visitors across the globe,” Karin says.
Andreas Reiter, Manager, International Marketing & Media, Innsbruck Tourism, says, “According to statistics of the tourism board of Austria, the region of Innsbruck was the second most-visited destination by Indian guests during the summer of 2017. The region attracts Indian visitors because of its diverse and lush nature, moderate climate and cultural heritage.”
All guests to the Sonnenplateau Mieming and Tirol Mitte region receive a free visitor pass, which entitles a tourist to a vast array of – mostly complimentary – benefits and special offers, starting with your first overnight stay. During summer, certified hiking guides take you three times per week to the most attractive spots in the area. From June until September, a vintage bus takes you once a week on a sightseeing trip.
One can also discover the pleasures of golf and participate in a free golf trial lesson, available weekly, at Golfpark Mieming, which includes expert tuition by a pro as well as equipment rental. The guest card entitles you to free maps of the region’s mountain biking and hiking routes as well as free rental of hiking poles and Nordic walking poles, in order to explore the vast, sunny Mieming Plateau in detail.
And should you want to take a refreshing dip after your walking tour, free access to public pools and the local swimming lake is also included in your personal pass. Don’t miss out on the reduced rental fees for E-bikes offered by the Hotel Bergland at Obsteig. For a reduced fee of €5/person, you can join a guided E-bike tour and get to know the wonderful world of (almost) effortless cycling and mountain biking.
In addition to these summer specials, your visitor pass features also a variety of benefits that apply all-year round, such as daily free public transport to nearby Telfs and Innsbruck. On Fridays, a leisurely stroll through the city of Innsbruck with a multi-lingual sightseeing tour of the Tyrolean capital is provided, which is included in the guest card. One can also benefit from reduced admission fee to various sights, leisure facilities and other holiday attractions.
For those less inclined to action and adventure, a morning can be filled soaking up the medieval history of the city at the Hofkirche, home to the empty tomb of Emperor Maximilian I. Its 28 life-sized bronze statues were commissioned by the morbidly fascinated Emperor prior to his death but wouldn’t fit in his tomb in the city of Wiener Neustadt, south of Vienna. A new tomb was built for the statues, 300 miles away in Innsbruck, and they now watch over a vacant crypt.
Located on the sun-kissed Sonnenplateau Mieming, a mere 35 minutes drive away from Innsbruck, the 5-star hotel Alpenresort Schwarz ranks among Austria’s most outstanding and renowned spa resorts. Today Franz Josef and Katharina Pirktl are the third generation to continue a visionary family tradition of pampering their guests, and opening up new dimensions of spa pleasures at the multiple award-winning wellness centre ‘SunWelly Spa’.
In the ‘Best Hotel Spa’ category’, the Alpenresort Schwarz has been endowed with one of the most significant awards in the wellness industry and is offered by the Agency for Health and Wellness.
Ishvinder Maddh, MD, Robinville Intech and India Representative, Innsbruck Tourism, says: “The average stay of Indians is only 1.19 room nights, which is comparatively low. This is because they travel as a group from Switzerland to Italy (Venice/Florence). They find Innsbruck’s Holiday Villages offering value-for-money accommodation and Indian palate-friendly food, and generally visit Swarovski Crystal Worlds, as it is only a 15-minute drive. We have to convert their visits to longer duration stays by positioning Innsbruck as a standalone destination. This is our strategy for India.”
Eating one’s way around Innsbruck is a recipe for pure nirvana. Foodies will simply adore the ‘Schmankerlpfad’, a culinary trail exploring the many variations of the ‘Tiroler Gröstl’, one of the region’s most popular dishes. Originally a simple poor man’s fry-up of beef leftovers, potatoes and onions, the Gröstl enjoys today something of a cult status. To provide the perfect ingredients many farmers on the plateau are growing old potato varieties, while others tickle the palates of true connoisseurs with skilfully cured ham and smoked bacon, ‘Speck’, organic sausage, fine spirits and other local delicacies.
The Schmankerlpfad takes you to various production sites and several country inns in the region. Speck Mair in Telfs offers traditional Tyrolean speck and tasty varieties of smoked sausage, and at the Stams Abbey Klosterladen you will be spoilt for choice by a tempting selection of jams, liqueurs, award-winning spirits and other home-made local produce. Special tip: Ask for the hearty stone-oven bread, freshly baked by Brother Franz.
The Fischerstube in Stams offers mouth-watering fish specialties fresh from the pond. Destillerie Thaler will surprise you with the exquisite aromas of its fine spirits, several of them matured in barrels made of oak, acacia or walnut trees. Unique brands such as Alpine Whiskey and Glacier Brandy are sure to tickle your taste buds.
Hospitality has a long tradition in the area and is maintained to this day in the beautiful old country inns, the popular ‘Gasthaus’, featuring wood-panelled ‘Stuben’, local cuisine with a modern twist as well as genuine hospitality combined with first-class service. A fine example is the Familien-Wirtshaus Stern in the village of Obsteig.
Rustic, romantic and cosy are just some of the attributes that describe the pretty Moosalm, a quaint country inn that specialises in authentic Tyrolean fare and mediterranean cuisine. Surrounded by lush alpine meadows and beautiful hiking paths, the Moosalm is a popular resting spot for hikers and bikers and a firm favourite with families with children who simply adore its extensive playground. Before winding up a day’s tour, take a trip on the city’s Nordketten cable car. Its stations were designed by the Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid and offer a modern counterpoint to the city’s medieval architecture. The ride, up to Hafelekar, is no-less arresting.
In this Alpine region, spring brings warm days and chilly nights; in May, highs top 15C, then drop to 4C. In June, July and August, temperatures in Innsbruck average 24C, but it is cooler up on the mountains; there is plenty of sunshine, but the heat can produce short, sharp thunderstorms. Come September, days can still be 24C but showers are fewer, so this is a great time to visit.
Undoubtedly, summer is the best season to visit the Capital of the Alps as the craggy peaks and winding paths and the old-world charm of the city is in its full resplendent self.
Things to Do in 24 Hours
Do you only have one day? This is still enough to experience the main hotspots in Innsbruck. First pick up an Innsbruck Card and then let the exciting adventures in the Capital of the Alps begin. The following are the five unmissable things to do in a day in Innsbruck:
- Explore the Old Town and Maria Theresien Street: the Golden Roof, Kaufhaus Tyrol shopping centre, the Imperial Gardens, etc.
- Lunch on the Nordkette mountain range
- The Imperial Palace & Court Church
- City Tower (viewpoint)
- Visit Alpine Zoo on the way back into town
Bond Connect
One of the biggest attractions getting ready is 007 Elements, the James Bond cinematic installation, a first-of-its-kind in the world, built inside the summit of the Gaislachkogl Mountain in Sölden, which will be opened on July 12.
Alpine Zoo
Innsbruck can also boast of the only alpine zoo in the world, exhibiting rare animals living in the mountainous regions of the Alps.
Entertainment
One of the best performances of authentic Tyrolean folk music and dance is offered by the Gundolf Family in Innsbruck, providing attractive family programmes from April to October.
Rich Heritage
The rich history of the city is replicated in the olden, partly medieval buildings in the ‘Altstadt’ (Old Town) of Innsbruck, which presents old-world charm to the visitors. The famous ‘Golden Roof’ with gilded copper tiles, being the most famous landmark of Innsbruck, can also be found in the Altstadt. At the southern edge of Innsbruck lies ‘Ambras Castle’, a Renaissance building and the home of former Archduke Ferdinand II. Another very important palatial building is the ‘Hofburg’, the imperial palace, built around 1400, which houses five museums providing an insight into Austrian history. The extensive Hofgarten, a huge park with fountains and flowerbeds situated nearby, is a place of beauty and tranquility.
Bollywood Calling
Innsbruck and the mountainous regions of Tyrol with its natural beauty offers itself also as an ideal location for the shooting of films and has been discovered in the recent past by major producers of the Indian Film industry. The successful shooting of the daily Indian soap opera Pardes Mein Hai Mera Dil (My heart lives in a Foreign Land) and the film Tiger Zinda Hai (Tiger is alive) in Innsbruck are greatly contributing to promoting tourism potential of the whole region. Now, Innsbruck Tourism has launched the first Bollywood Tour package.
CLIMBERS PARADISE
Tirol’s biggest climbing website with 5000 routes and free guides – offers information on different climbing disciplines – www.climbers-paradise.com. More than 600 sports climbing routes, six fixed-cable routes, 17 sports climbing areas, two family climbing areas and eight ice climbing routes are outlined for Innbruck and its Holiday Villages, together with The Mieming Plateau &
Tirol Mitte
Golfers Paradise
The vastness of the Mieming Plateau is ideally suited for playing golf with the 27-hole course at the Mieming Golfpark offering the ultimate ‘Alpine golf’ experience. Players doing their rounds on the local nine-hole course enjoy spectacular views onto the Inn Valley below and of the Ötztal Alps from every vantage point. Then there’s the 18-hole champion course and the par-72 course. Avid players and pleasure golfers alike are able to tee off from mid-March until mid-November.
Hike Without Limits
The Mieming Plateau extends an invitation to ‘hike without limits’ to all those with a taste for rambling, walking Nordic style or simply strolling along at a leisurely pace, but also to keen hikers in search for a challenge. Follow the markings for Alpinpark Mieming Plateau and explore some of the miracles of nature as you make your way across the plateau, towards the village of Nassereith.
Biking
Nordic walkers indulge in their passion to their heart’s delight in Mieming Plateau, striding along on sixteen different tracks that extend over 105 km. A special mountain biking map that is available free of charge from all tourist offices in the area, describes 26 fabulous routes for both beginners and experienced bikers. The Genuss Radweg, a 40-km long themed cycle route running between Silz and Inzing, offers you a delightful blend of healthy exercise and culinary pleasures.
Swimming in Nature’s Lap
The bathing lakes and open-air pools in Innsbruck and its Holiday Villages invite you to enjoy the summer. The Rossau bathing lake, known locally as ‘Baggersee’, offers plenty of space for splashing around and bathing. The open-air pools at Tivoli and the Olympic Village are easily accessible by public transport, and in the western holiday villages, Natterer See (Lake Natters) is a gem to behold. There are further swimming facilities in the leisure centre in Axams, the open-air pool in Völs and at Lanser See (Lake Lans).
Adventure & Action Sport
- Paragliding: Indulge in tandem paragliding with experienced certified guides
- Helicopter Ride: From Sightseeing flight, Taxi flight, Gourmet flight to Event flight, Picnic flight and Utility flight, you name it SENNAIR helicopter has it all
- Mountain-Soaring: Explore the breathtaking alpine landscape around Innsbruck and Tyrol in a high-performance sailplane with expert gliding instructors
- Air Ballooning: Experience the thrill of hot air ballooning high above Innsbruck and its stunning mountain landscape
- White Water Rafting: Rafting in the scenic Stubai valley or in the wild Ruetz River is an exhilarating experience. It’s only a 15-minute drive away from Innsbruck
- Bungee Jumping: Take a leap from the Europe Bridge (height of 192 m), one of the most spectacular bungee stations of the world
- Kayaking & Canyoning: Explore the most stunning lakes and rivers in the Tirol on guided kayaking tours.Another unique adventure experience combined with a whole lot of fun is canyoning!
- Summer Bob: Together with an experienced bobsleigh pilot, enjoy an adrenaline-pumping ride down the 1270-m-long Olympic bobsleigh run in Igls
- Mountain Carts: Racy, but safe, slide down the closed off five-km mountain cart track from the mountain station down to the Valley Station
- Off-road Arena Axams: Are you on boring roads day-in, day-out? Then it’s time to hit the offroad track. The experience offers the thrill of a lifetime for biker buffs
