our happiest moments as tourists always seem to come when we stumble upon one thing while in pursuit of something else - lawrence block

Innsbruck, Austria is in the heart of the Alps on the western side of the country. In the month spent planning my trek, Innsbruck came up as a stop over between Munich and Salzburg. Anne had visited the city early in her semester and had said it was really nice so I thought it would be an interesting place to visit. Little did I know, it would rank in my Top 3 by the end of the day. I took the first train out of Munich to Innsbruck and arrived early morning. Innsbruck isn't as touristy, or as large, as the other European cities I'd already been to so there wasn't much available in the ways of hostels. Instead, I found a hotel for only $50 in the heart of the attractions...almost everything was a 5 min walk away. Called the Hotel Weisses Kreuz, it was the cutest and most adorable place I've ever been, and had the nicest staff ever. The hotel has been functioning since 1465 and boasts for hosting Mozart and his father for a visit in 1769. The hotel was a 10 minute walk from the train station, but on a beautiful, sunny day it passed by very quickly with sights such as the Triumphforte (Triumphial Arch) to pass the time.

Too early to check in, I dropped my bag off at the hotel's front desk, bought the Innsbruck card (most amazing thing in the world to be discussed later) and headed out sightseeing. I had about 8 hours of daylight left and I wasn't going to waste a single minute. I started with a hike to the top of the City Tower which offered a great overview of the city and surrounding mountains. Innsbruck is one of those cities that sits in the valley between majestic, snow covered mountains. Absolutely gorgeous. The mountains provide the most wonderful backdrop to the buildings and streets of Innsbruck and immediately, I wished I could live there. From the tower, the view of St. Jacob's Cathedral was also great since its surrounded by other buildings so up close, you can't get a full picture.

The Cathedral was actually next on my journey, and once again, a new geographical area made for new design of the interior of the church. This time, pink marble was the dominating factor, yet the balance between the gold of the altar, pulpit and organ and the ceiling frescoes made for a gorgeous place.

Outside, an English-speaking tour was going on and I heard an interesting tidbit about the church. Of the 3 windows on the front of the cathedral, only the center is real. The other 2 were painted on to provide visual balance.

 

 

On to...the Goldness Dachl, or Golden Roof; the city's trademark and biggest tourist attraction. The building was originally built as a residence for Tirolean soverigns, and the balcony with the gold-plated, copper tiled roof was used as a box to observe and enjoy tournaments in the plaza below.

Today, its a museum about Emperor Maximilian I, the golden roof and life in the middle ages. As part of the museum, you can step onto the balcony and with a clever set up of mirrors, you can see the roof from there. Looking out onto the square you also get a nice view of the Helbling House, a mansion that sits on the square and is heavily decorated in stuccos. And it's really pink.

The next block over was the Imperial Palace of Innsbruck, and even though Anne told me it wasn't very interesting, since it was part of the Innsbruck Card, it wouldn't cost me anything but a few minutes of my time to check it out. It was certainly open to the public, but after about 5 minutes of wandering around and trying to figure out where to go after the first 2 rooms, I decided my time would be better spent elsewhere. So I went another block over to the Court Church and the Tiroler Volkskunstmuseum (Museum of Tirolean Folk Art). The church was interesting since it's mainly just the tomb of Maximilian I, not a full-time place of worship. The part I really liked was the 20-something statues surrounding the tomb. Very cool and each distinct from each other.

The adjacent building to the church was the Folk Art Museum, a collection of Tirolean furniture, toys, stoves, fabric looms etc. It was a 2 floor collection and there was a lot to see...all of it really interesting. It was like a flashback/surge into the past where everyone dresses up in cute costumes and lives in cabins in the mountains. I loved it all. A wonderful slice of Tirolean life.

A cool part, which scared me a little, was a motion-sensored door that opened as I walked by and led the the balcony of the Court Church so you can look down on the sanctuary and tomb. There was no sign explaining what the door led to so when it magically opened, it was a little scary and disconcerting. Especially since it closes when you enter the church and with no door handle, all I had was my common sense that it would open again if I stood near it.

nymphenburg palace and Cece's Advice #6

The summer residence for the kings and queens of Bavaria, Nymphenburg Palace is located towards the outskirts of Munich. Reachable by trolley, the palace is still completely in tact though only a few rooms are furnished and open to the public. However, there is an extensive carriage museum and a few outbuildings that are open for visitors.

I begin my self-guided tour in the center of the main palace, and though I don't remember having an audio guide, I can't help but feel that one was included with my ticket. The upstairs of the center room was open and spacious with gorgeous paintings adorning the white and gold walls. Gold and crystal chandeliers hung from the lovely frescoed-ceiling and the sunlight cast a glow throughout. 

To the left there were a bedroom and accompanying study, I think. In the journal I kept I wrote that I liked the beds, so in addition to the Queen's bedroom I definitely remember, this other bedroom had a cool bed. It was all original furniture, mainly baroque, from the olden days which made each room even more unique. The other small wing of the palace that is open to the public includes the Gallery of Beauties. 36 portraits of women from all ranks of Munich society hang here thanks for King Ludwig I. I found each one to be special and I enjoyed spending the time observing each one individually. The queen's bedroom (though I can't remember which Queen is belonged to) is off the Gallery of Beauties and I thought the style of cloth on the walls was pretty neat. The green color scheme was a bit overwhelming but everything did tie together quite nicely.

The Marstallmuseum (Carriage Museum) was in two long narrow rooms on the first floor of the South Wing of the palace. There were tons of carriages for all seasons and occasions...winter, summer, funerals, long-term travel...and I was shocked by the detail carved into each and every one of them. There were even teeny little steps leading into some of the large ones which I found too be really awesome. The collection of sleighs and sleds were also really, really cool. 

Upstairs in the Marstallmuseum was the porcelain collection. Porcelain is porcelain so the painted designs were amazing but it was all just the same for the most part.

The Amalienburg is a 5-7 minute walk from the center of the palace and is a former hunting lodge on the grounds, most famous for its "Hall of Mirrors." Not what I was expecting, the hall is just a large room but it does have mirrors on all the walls. But they're not floor to ceiling so not overpowering. The side bedroom was really cute and the kitchen had some interesting tile work as well.

Walking back to the main palace I got a good look at the central grounds with its large ponds and what I call "European Geese." The "European Geese" look eerily simialr to Canadian geese but they're a lil smaller, light brown and have orange feet coloring.

After Nymphenburg I spent the rest of the afternoon browsing the other various Christmas Markets in Munich. On my way to Tollwood, the sight of Oktoberfest, I passed a small but nothing special about it market and then walked through the market at Tollwood. Tollwood was highly unimpressive and way too commerical. All the items for purchase were not seasonal in the least and could have been bought any time of the year. The sun set once more and it was early to bed for me, as usual.

Cece's Advice #6: If you have the option for an all-female room without spending any more money, take it. Boys snore. Loudly.


This advice is straightforward. No explanation needed. All my immediate family members, male and female snore, so I'm used to it. But that doesn't mean I want to deal with it on my vacation. Therefore I was not excited when at least 2 of my 3 male roommates in Munich snored so loudly, it took a lot of music to drown it out. How I wished I'd gotten an all-female room (as long as it wasn't going to cost me an arm and a leg) where the chances of this happening were slim. When I tell people that I stayed in hostel rooms with only men, many think I'm crazy and insane and that its dangerous etc. Well, to that I will say the only danger was that of sleep deprivation.

if you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay at home - james michener

Olympiapark was constructed for the 1972 summer Olympics in the northern section of the city. Since then, it has become a popular venue for cultural and social events and some facilities are also used for sports training. The park is a popular tourist destination and has "commercialized" itself by offering a variety of tours as well as the chance to walk on the tent-like roof during the spring and summer seasons. The tower also serves as an attraction as it provides a wonderful view of the Alps and the expanse of the city. It was still quite early when I arrived to the park and no one except some runners were around. For something that seemed like it was theme-park-esque there was no one around which made it very eery. Passing by the swimming hall I could hear people gliding through the water so there was some form of life. The tower opened at 9am and even though it was later than that, the lack of people made me think it may have been closed. Nope, just very empty; the atmosphere I would normally enjoy very much but it somehow ended up feeling a little creepy.

At the top of the tower, only the indoor observation deck was open which was bumming to hear since I prefer looking out over cities without glass and walls obstructing the view. The sun was still on the rise, reflecting against the glass, and off the clouds. I was able to see the Alps which floated along the horizon, blending beautifully into the clouds. The city however, was much harder to distinguish. The refracting light of the sun made it hard to pick out the major sights of downtown Munich and much of the city was a blur. To the west however, I was able to view Nymphemburg Palace, one of my stops later on in the day. Overall the tower was a semi-good investment. Had I known that I would get a much better view of downtown later I might have opted to save the cash on this tower. The Alps in the distance were certainly the best part, but even they could have been better had I been allowed in the outdoor deck or had I visited the park later in the day.

Back to downtown Munich...and into the Hunting and Fishing Museum aka Deutches Jagd- und Fischereimuseum. Containing a variety of hunting and fishing weapons in addition to stuffed animals and crazy looking fish skulls, this museum was fascinating. It started off like a natural history museum with two long hallways with different displays featuring a number of hunted and stuffed animals. Hawks, deer, seals, bear, wolves...all sorts of creatures. However, upstairs contained a very cool weapons exhibit, world's largest fish hook collection, a narwal skull and even a 12,000 year old skeleton of a deer or moose-like ancestor.

Although there was almost no English to read, there was a vast amount of artifacts to look at and visually learn from such as fish traps, fish hooks, guns, hunting sleds, paintings, and blades of all shapes and sizes. A very cool place to see and it was inexpensive so if you're like me and don't have the time or money to go to the infamous Deutches Museum, here's a wonderful small place to whet your appetite.

Only a few blocks away from the museum is Frauenkirche, the "Notre Dame" of Munich. It's domed towers are a symbol of recognition for the city. Due to construction height restrictions, it remains to be the tallest building around and towers over it's city.

Inside, I got my first impression of Central European churches and took note of how different the style is compared to the grandness of Parisian cathedrals or Italian masterpieces. Just as tall as the other massive cathedrals, Frauenkirche is fairly narrow and its columns are straight white all the way to the top, no stone or carvings. The ceiling is white with brown wood highlighting all it's crevices.

The side chapels are small and do not house as many large, elegant paintings but do have wonderful altars highlighted with gold. The crucifix hangs in the middle of the sanctuary and even the organ isn't as lavish as others I'd seen. In not being so covered with wonderful things to look at, the church may originally be perceived as uninteresting, but it definitely still has charm. A fun fact I learned while eavesdropping on a small English tour group was that despite the heavy, heavy, heavy bombing that occurred during World War II, the towers were never hit even though they were prime targets. US and British armies ordered pilots not to hit the tower and instead, used them as a landmark to aim for other things.

After the Frauenkirche it was back to Marienplatz for a daytime look inside Peterskirche as well as a climb to the top of the tower for a wonderful overlook of the city and the one of the daily Glockenspiel shows. The Neues Rathaus was spectacular since it wasn't raining and the background of clear blue skies and white, wispy clouds was breathtaking.

With a plain exterior I didn't know what to expect in Peterskirche, but it reminded me greatly of the extravagant Italian churches. Much more than Frauenkirche had.

There was a large and gorgeous, gold-decorated altar, a fantastic pulpit, and ceiling adorning frescoes. My favorite part however was a skeleton dressed in jewels and a crown inside a glass coffin in one of the side chapels. Although probably meant to be serious, the skeleton was smiling at me so there was nothing to do but love him. The climb to the top of the tower in Peterskirche was, like all other climbs, strenuous on the legs. But by that point I'd done so many I would say I was actually in some shape to be able to climb all those stairs.

At the top there was full access to all sides of the tower, therefore a view of the city from every angle possible. I found this overlook to be more interesting than the Olympia Tower, as I said above, because it was from downtown and gave a great view of how the city is structured and all the landmarks I'd just seen earlier that day are really visible from this point. The sun had now risen so the lighting was much better and evenly spread across the buildings.

Before heading back down, I was treated to the Glockenspiel on the City Hall which performs at least once, daily. I had a much different image in my head about how the Glockenspiel would go and even though I didn't understand the story which was being told, it was a cute but lengthy show.

What I liked observing from the tower most was the gathering of people in Marienplatz below. Once the Glockenspiel began, a small crowd formed in the center and by the end there was a fairly large crowd. With the Christmas Market stalls all set up, there really wasn't much room for the people so they squished together.

Now past mid-day I departed Marienplatz and strolled toward the trolley lines which would take me out to Nymphemburg Palace.