Tyrol |
| Sunday, 17 August 2008 00:00 |
|
Though Tyrol is particularly popular among outdoor fans, hikers and skiers, tourists will soon discover that it is one of the oldest historical regions in Central Europe, settled in 10,000 BC. The descendants of Ötzi the Iceman (discovered in the Ötztal in 1991) were conquered by the Romans, the Bavarians, the Habsburgs, and the French. The latter were the straw that broke the camel’s back: Tyrol’s famous freedom fighter and national hero, Andreas Hofer, gave Napoleon a rough time in the early 19th century, and is to this day remembered and celebrated by the locals. He is buried in the region’s capital Innsbruck, which is very much worth a visit. Innsbruck has a fabulous Old Town with baroque facades, churches and museums. The most famous landmarks are the Golden Roof, St. Jacob’s Cathedral, and the Hofburg, a royal palace built by Maria Theresia. Typical Austrian coffee houses and small boutiques line the streets and the entire city is surrounded by snow-topped mountains. A bit further west you will find the heart of the Tyrol. The Ötztal, the valley that gave Ötzi the Iceman his name, offers top notch conditions for skiing and snowboarding. The towns of Sölden, Obergurgel and Hochgurgel have plenty of tourist industry and entertainment facilities. During the summer the local guest houses and pubs arrange entertainment nights, during the winter tourists heat up on after ski parties . |
Top