Autumn panorama Innsbruck

The first thing that strikes every visitor to Innsbruck are the mountains that seem to encircle the city. This mountain world is not only beautiful to look at, but has always influenced many things in the city. It starts with seemingly small things like the weather, as the contemporary view from days gone by proves:

""The warm wind or scirocco is a special phenomenon. It comes from the south, bounces off the northern mountains and falls with force into the valley. It likes to cause headaches, but it melts the winter snow quickly and promotes fertility immensely. This makes it possible to plant maize in Innsbruck""

This weather phenomenon may take its name from Scirocco and traffic was not yet a major problem in 1851. However, just like the Innsbruck car driver today, the blacksmith in the old town in 1450 and the legionnaire sent from central Italy to the Alps in 350 were certainly complaining about the warm downdraught, which seems to drive everyone crazy several times a month. In the past, people were happy about the warm air that melted the snow in the fields, but today, tourism experts moan about the apery ski slopes on the Nordkette.

The location between the Wipptal in the south and the Nordkette mountain range not only influences the frequency of migraines, but also the leisure activities of the people of Innsbruck, as Beda Weber recognised. "The locals are characterised by their cheerfulness and charity, they especially love shore excursions in the beautiful season." One may talk about Kindness and benevolence The Innsbruck locals argue that excursions in the form of hiking, skiing or cycling are still very popular today. No wonder, Innsbruck is surrounded by mountains. You can be in the middle of the forest within a few minutes from anywhere in the city. Young people from all over Europe spend at least part of their time studying at the University of Innsbruck, not only because of the excellent professors and facilities, but also to spend their free time on the slopes, mountain bike routes and hiking trails without having to miss out on urban flair. This is both a blessing and a curse. As a major employer and training centre, the university boosts the economy, while at the same time the cost of living in the city, which cannot grow any further because it is squeezed between the mountains, increases due to students from abroad.

Innsbruck's rise to become the political centre of Tyrol in the 15th century is also largely due to the city's location. The former provincial capital of Merano had no chance against the junction between the Brenner, Scharnitz and Achen Pass due to its remoteness. The Brenner Pass is very low and makes it relatively easy to cross the Alpine belt that winds around Italy's northern border. In the days before the railway brought goods and people effortlessly from A to B, crossing the Alps was hard work and the Brenner Pass was a welcome relief.

The location between Italy and Germany also favoured tourism, which was able to gain a foothold early on. Travellers appreciated the combination of easy accessibility, urban infrastructure and Alpine flair. With the development of the mountainous region by railway, it was easy to travel to and spend leisure time in the mountains or at one of the spas without having to forego the comforts of city life.

Alongside the mountains, the rivers played a key role in Innsbruck's development. Since the time of Maximilian, drinking water was piped into the city from the Nordkette, while the Inn and Sill were responsible for everything else. Washing was done on the Inn, waste was disposed of and cattle were led to the watering place. Goods were shipped on rafts on the Inn from the west to Innsbruck and from Innsbruck to the east. The Inn bridge brought customs revenue into the city coffers. The smaller river that crosses Innsbruck was just as important as the Inn. Where the Sill leaves the Sill Gorge today, the Sill Canal was created at the bottom of Wilten Abbey to supply the city with water. Initially intended primarily for fire protection, the businesses along this man-made canal soon utilised the flowing water to operate mills for power generation. The Small Sill flowed almost 3 kilometres from Wilten to the city centre to the area of today's Ing.-Etzel-Straße in Saggen and Dreiheiligen to the Pradler Bridge, where it rejoined the main river. For almost 700 years, the Sill Canal supplied Innsbruck with water and energy. It was not until the 1970s that the last parts of it disappeared after bombing damaged it during the Second World War.

Last but not least, it is the wide valley basin that favoured the development of Innsbruck. While the farmers in the higher-lying side valleys faced harsh conditions, the Inn Valley offered fertile soil and sufficient land for livestock farming and agriculture. The reclamation of the landscape allowed the town to grow. In the 13th century, as in many parts of Europe, the area around Innsbruck was subject to major and long-term human intervention in nature for economic purposes. Until the High Middle Ages, the Inn Valley had been much more heavily forested. The growth of cities and the rise in population also increased the demand for food. Contrary to what is often portrayed, the Middle Ages were not a primitive time of stagnation, during which people prayed to the Almighty and exposed themselves to the inexplicable forces of nature. It was a dynamic time, especially from the 12th century onwards, when people no longer relied on prayers and God's grace to escape the effects of regular crop failures. Innovations such as three-field farming made it possible to feed the agriculturally unproductive urban population, known in modern parlance as the Overhead would call it. Corn, which Beda Weber considered worthy of mention in Innsbruck's cityscape as early as 1851, is still growing vigorously and even today gives large areas on the outskirts of the city an agricultural flavour.