Conference Venue Innsbruck

The name „Innsbruck“ originates from a bridge crossing the river Inn, first erected in the 12^th century. Innsbruck has developed due to its opportune geographical position to an important junction of trade routes both North-South and East-West. Prosperity followed, climaxing in the reign of emperor Maximilian (1459–1519) who initiated that Innsbruck became the main residence for the Habsburg family. The world famous „Goldenes Dachl“ (Golden Roof) in the centre of the town reminds us of him. The regional capital with approx. 130.000 inhabitants is surrounded by a picturesque panorama of mountain peaks, several of which can be reached by cable cars offering a superb view of Innsbruck and the surrounding area. Numerous museums provide an insight into the history of Innsbruck, e.g. Ferdinandeum Provincial Museum of Tyrol, Imperial Hofburg or Ambras Castle Museum of Art History. The centre of Innsbruck, with modern shops and an urban atmosphere, is a very special open-air shopping mall.

How to get to Innsbruck

By car

Innsbruck is easily accessible through either the Inntal-Autobahn (A 12) or the Brenner Autobahn (A 13). Street signs indicate the way to the Congress Innsbruck which can be reached by either taking exit "Innsbruck-West" or "Innsbruck-Ost".

By train

Innsbruck is a railway junction with good Eurocity connections to Zurich (3,5 h), Munich (2 h), Vienna (5 h) or Bolzano (2 h). The main railway station is located close to the downtown area and to the main hotels (15 min walk to Congress Innsbruck). For information on train schedules please refer to www.oebb.at.

By plane

Innsbruck has its own airport, located about 3 km from the city centre which can be reached either by public bus or by taxi (approx. EUR 15,-). From many international airports within Europe, such as Vienna, Amsterdam or Frankfurt there are several daily flights to Innsbruck. Furthermore, there is a direct connection to London Gatwick. However, you are advised to make early bookings since the planes flying to Innsbruck only have a limited number of seats.
Access to the city is further augmented by flying into Munich airport which is located some 180 km or a two-hour drive from Innsbruck.

Airport Shuttle Munich – Innsbruck: Four Seasons Travel

The fastest and cheapest way to go to Innsbruck from Munich airport is to travel with the Four Seasons Travel Agency. For further details please contact the Four Seasons Travel Office.
Contact Information - Four Seasons Travel, 24 hour telephone support line on +43-512-58 41 57;
F: +43 - 0512 - 58 57 67 I: www.airport-transfer.com, E: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

City Map Innsbruck

 link to online city map                                                                                                                        link to  public tranport

Accessibility Congress Innsbruck

Contact:
Congress Innsbruck , Rennweg 3, A-6020 Innsbruck, T +43 (0) 512 5936-0, F +43 (0) 512 5936-7

A short Town Route

Triumphpforte (Triumphal Arch)

Our walk through Innsbruck starts at the south end of the Maria-Theresien-Strasse in front of the Triumphpforte arch.

The Triumphpforte was commissioned by Maria Theresa on the occasion of her son Leopold’s marriage to Princess Maria Luisa of Spain. Sculpted in 1774 by Balthasar Moll, the marble reliefs on the south side commemorate Leopold’s marriage, while those on the north side are in remembrance of the death of his father, Emperor Franz Stephan I, who died during the wedding celebrations in Innsbruck. A short walk now in a northerly direction takes us to the Old Assembly Building with its impressive east-facing façade.

Altes Landhaus (Old Assembly Building)

This magnificent Baroque building was built between 1725 and 1728 by Georg Anton Gumpp, architect to the imperial court. The stairwell that leads to the first and second floors is particularly striking; statues and busts of ancient gods can be seen in the side niches. The frescoes in the assembly hall were created by Cosmas Damian Asam (1734).

Just a few steps in a northerly direction take us to the St. Anne’s Column.

Annasäule (St. Anne’s Column)

Commissioned by the Tyrolean Estates, the Annasäule, situated in the middle of the Maria-Theresien-Strasse, was erected to commemorate the liberation from the invading Bavarian troops on St. Anne’s Day (26 July) in 1703. Enthroned at the top of the red marble Corinthian column is a statue of the Virgin Mary set on a crescent moon. Statues of the Saints Cassian, Vigilius, George and Anne created by Cristoforo Benedetti, an Italian sculptor from Trento, are set around the foot of the column. If we continue in a northerly direction, we come, at the end of the Maria-Theresien-Strasse, to the Spitalskirche church.

Maria-Theresien-Strasse / Spitalskirche (Hospital Church)

The Spitalskirche church, named after the city hospital previously situated here, blends in beautifully with the façades of the Maria-Theresien-Strasse. Built in its present form by Johann Martin Gumpp, the church was consecrated in 1701 and is decorated with elaborate Baroque stucco work.

From here we cross the former town moat into Innsbruck’s beautifully preserved Medieval Old Town. The Herzog Friedrich Gasse alleyway, named after Duke Frederick IV, takes us to the Pharmacy Museum situated on the east side of the Old Town, on the corner of the Riesen Gasse.

Apothekenmuseum (Pharmacy Museum)

The Pharmacy Museum, located on the third floor above the Winkler Pharmacy, offers visitors an insight into more than 400 years of pharmaceutical and cultural history based on the example of an Innsbruck family chemist business. The private museum, open on request only for groups of max. 10 visitors, is a veritable treasure with Baroque pharmacy cabinets, chemists’ jars (some still with their original contents) and a library.

Towering above on the same side of the street is the City Tower, part of the old town hall.

Stadtturm (City Tower)

Built between 1442 and 1450, the City Tower served as the town hall’s most prominent feature, one which could be seen from far away. One hundred years later a cupola was added, under which the tower warden’s accommodation could be found right up to the 1960s. A climb up the 148 steps affords visitors a spectacular view of the city and the stunning mountain back drop.

On leaving the tower, we turn to our right to face Innsbruck’s most prominent landmark – the Golden Roof.

Goldenes Dachl (Golden Roof)

The Golden Roof, Innsbruck’s most renowned landmark, is situated in the heart of the Medieval Old Town. Emperor Maximilian I commissioned the construction of the magnificent alcove balcony with its 2657 fire-gilded copper shingles onto the former residence of Duke Frederick IV. Set between wild, acrobatic dancers, stone reliefs portray Maximilian’s first wife, Mary of Burgundy, and his second wife Bianca Maria Sforza of Milan. The Golden Roof not only contains a museum bearing the same name (including a view from the stunning balcony!) in which visitors can sample a taste of life during the time of Maximilian and enjoy a very informative 15-minute film about Maximilian; it also houses the offices of the International Alpine Convention. Opposite the Golden Roof, on the left hand side, you can see the ornately decorated Helblinghaus.

Helblinghaus

This late-Medieval building, in which Sebastian Helbling ran a café during the 19^th century, was lavishly decorated with stucco work by Anton Gigl in 1730. Acanthus leaves, garlands of fruit, shells, putti, masks and other decorative elements can be seen on the walls and oriels of the opulent frontage from the first up to the fourth storey and on the large Baroque gable.

To the right of the Golden Roof, we continue in an easterly direction into the Hofgasse alleyway where we promptly arrive at the entrance to the Imperial Palace and its spacious, pleasant courtyard.

Kaiserliche Hofburg (Imperial Palace)

Built at the end of the 15^th century, the Imperial Palace was remodelled under Maria Theresa into a monumental late-Baroque residence. Among the many exhibition rooms filled with valuable furnishings and paintings is the Riesensaal (Giants’ Hall), considered to be the most resplendent ball room and ceremonial hall in the Alpine region. It offers visitors an immediate feel of the splendour of imperial life! The stately rooms, accessible for wheelchair users, were restored in several stages in 2008/2009, but the Hofburg remained open to visitors throughout. Since November 2007, the Hofburg has, in addition, been home to the Alpine Club Museum.

If we continue along the Hofgasse in an easterly direction, leaving the Old Town through the former city gate, we find ourselves in front of the Hofkirche church.

Hofkirche (Imperial Church)

The Hofkirche houses the unique (empty) tomb of Emperor Maximilian I who greatly influenced the city of Innsbruck and who was buried in Wiener Neustadt. Thirty years after Maximilian’s death, 28 larger-than-life bronze statues were completed, created and cast by such notable artists as Albrecht Dürer. The statues were never taken to Wiener Neustadt; they remained in Innsbruck and were positioned in the Hofkirche which was built between 1553 and 1563. Archduke Ferdinand II and his bourgeois wife Philippine Welser are buried in the church’s Silver Chapel. In 1823, Andreas Hofer’s body was taken from Mantua to Innsbruck and laid to rest in the Hofkirche. The Museum of Tyrolean Folk Art is situated next to the Hofkirche; the two can be visited independently of each other, or you can purchase a combined ticket for both.

Tiroler Volkskunstmuseum (Museum of Tyrolean Folk Art)

The building occupied by the Museum of Tyrolean Folk Art was originally built as a new monastery by the Franciscans between 1553 and 1563. Since 1929, it has housed the Alpine region’s most significant collection of folkloristic treasures which include traditional rooms, furnishings, costumes, farming utensils, carnival masks and carved nativity scenes.

Coming from the museum and the Hofkirche, a walk of just a few minutes takes you along the Universitätsstrasse in an easterly direction to the Jesuitenkirche church.

Jesuitenkirche (Jesuit Church)

In the 17^th century, this early-Baroque church was built for the Jesuits who had been active in Innsbruck since 1561. The church also houses the tombs of Archduke Leopold II and his family. Renowned Jesuits, such as Karl Rahner, were also laid to rest in the walk-in crypt.

From the Jesuitenkirche, we return back along the Universitätsstrasse in a westerly direction to the Leopold Fountain in the area in front of the Hofburg.

Leopoldsbrunnen (Leopold Fountain)

The Leopold Fountain is situated in the Rennweg in front of the Imperial Palace. The equestrian statue of Archduke Leopold V (1619-1632) is the oldest surviving “courbette” - a rider on a horse standing on its hind legs - on the north side of the Alps. The fountain is adorned by bronze casts designed by Caspar Gras depicting hunting goddesses and sea deities.

If we leave the Leopold Fountain and walk past the Landestheater in a northerly direction, we come to the Hofgarten, the garden which previously belonged to the Imperial Palace.

Hofgarten (Imperial Garden)

Landscaped in the early 15^th century, the magnificent, stately Imperial Garden has been open to the public since the 19^th century. During the summer months, concerts take place in the music pavilion situated in the middle of the park and two open-air chessboards attract visitors all year round. Numerous park benches, a play area and the Hofgarten Café make this a perfect spot for relaxing and enjoying a stroll.

In 1957, a monument, created by Clemens Holzmeister, was erected here to the memory of Archduke Eugen.

If we leave the Hofgarten, return to the Hofburg and cross the Rennweg, we can walk through the right-hand entrance of the Hofburg to the Innsbrucker Dom cathedral.

Dom zu St. Jakob (Cathedral of St. James)

The sumptuously decorated Baroque cathedral was built between 1717 and 1724 in the place of some older churches. The famous “Mariahilf” picture of the Madonna and Child, painted by Lukas Cranach the Elder, can be seen at the main altar. The ceiling frescoes and stucco work were created by the Asam brothers. Every day at 12 minutes past 12 noon, the chimes of the Innsbruck freedom bell can be heard. The tomb of Archduke Maximilian III, known as “der Deutschmeister”, was originally erected in the church which preceded the cathedral back in 1629. Guests are kindly asked not to visit the cathedral or take photographs during worshipping hours.

From the cathedral we turn left into the Pfarrgasse and then right into the Badgasse at the end of which we come to Innsbruck’s City Museum.

Stadtmuseum Stadtarchiv Innsbruck (City Museum and City Archives)

The City Museum’s permanent exhibition of artefacts from the city archives is devoted to the history of Innsbruck. On the basis of carefully selected themes, the museum explores what is special about and what characterises Innsbruck – its location, the founding of the city, its role as imperial residence, the development of the city, transport, healthcare, culture, sport, tourism, trade, industry, drinking water supplies and modern history to name but a few.

Many paintings by renowned Tyrolean artists, townscapes, panorama pictures, historical photographs, rare artefacts, Medieval documents, posters and postcards afford visitors an interesting and informative insight into the city and its inhabitants.

If we leave the museum through the back entrance, we can walk to the Herzog-Friedrich-Strasse via the Claudiana. To the left of the Claudiana and opposite the bridge over the Inn is the Ottoburg with its distinctive red and white shutters. Or, if we leave the museum through the main entrance or simply walk past the museum, then we come to Herzog-Otto-Strasse beside the River Inn. Here we turn left in a westerly direction to Old Town entrance where we likewise arrive at the Ottoburg with its distinctive red and white shutters, situated opposite the bridge over the Inn.

Ottoburg

Grown over with Virginia creeper, the historic Ottoburg was commissioned by Emperor Maximilian I and built in the 15^th century on the former city wall in the area previously occupied by the castle of the Duke of Andechs. For many years now, the Ottoburg has housed a well-run restaurant and wine tavern.

If you look to the right of the Ottoburg, you can see the Claudiana.

Claudiana

The Claudiana, the former seat of the Tyrolean State Government, is named after the Archduchess of Tyrol, Claudia de’ Medici, who commissioned the building to be remodelled in the 17^th century. A hall was added (used only on festive occasions) with an ornate Renaissance wooden ceiling. Portraits of Claudia de’ Medici’s sovereign peers are modelled on those in the tomb of Maximilian in the Hofkirche.

Opposite the Claudiana, you can see the last of the sights in our walk through Innsbruck’s old town – the Goldener Adler inn.

Goldener Adler

Today one of Innsbruck’s finest hotels, the “Goldener Adler” inn, which was documented as far back as 600 years ago, has accommodated many renowned guests over the centuries – Johann Wolfgang Goethe, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Queen Juliana of the Netherlands and John Glenn to name but a few.

To bring this walk to a close, why not treating yourself to a well-earned refreshment in the Goldener Adler’s traditional Goethestube room, or in one of the many café situated to the left of the Golden Roof?

We like to thank Innsbruck Tourismus for providing us with the information and pictures for the Venue Program.  Pictures copyright by Innsbruck Tourismus .