The White cross is one of the oldest inns in Innsbruck. According to the hotel itself, the Gasthof Weisses Kreuz opened its doors as early as 1465, when Innsbruck began to rise to become the most important city in Tyrol under Siegmund the Rich. This is reliably confirmed White cross since the 16th century under its former owner Achazi Zürler.

The hotel's most famous guest was Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 - 1791), who stayed here on one of his trips to Italy. His manager and father wanted to showcase the talents of the young genius, who was already known throughout the empire in his youth, in Tyrol. Perhaps Austria's most successful export gave a concert at Palais Trapp in Innsbruck on 17 December 1769 at the tender age of 13.

To this day, guests can stop off and spend the night in this historic restaurant in Innsbruck's old town. Due to many renovations, little remains of the old Gothic building. The bar Blue Brigitte on the top floor is one of Innsbruck's favourite places for an aperitif with a fantastic view over the rooftops of the old town.

Near the entrance to the old town centre, under the arcade of Herzog-Friedrich-Straße 35, is the Quaternion Eagle, a very interesting imperial testimony to Innsbruck. The quaternion eagle, also known as Blutbannadler genannt, galt als Symbol für die Einheit aus Kaisertum, den einzelnen Ländern des Kaiserreichs, der Kirche und den Landständen. Die Darstellung zeigt die Wappen der einzelnen Länder des Heiligen Römischen Reiches. Unter der Maiestas dominiThe rule of Christ, which lies like a cloak around all these institutions, should harmoniously unite these individual authorities, princes and countries.

The Quaternionenadler Innsbrucks wurde 1496 am Haus des Stadtrichters, bekannt als Kohlegger-Hausas a symbol for the symbol of imperial law. During the reign of Emperor Maximilian I, Innsbruck had gained in importance as a royal seat and was to have more power of disposal. For this reason, the regent granted the city magistrate of the time, Walter Zeller, high jurisdiction, i.e. the imposition of the death penalty for blood crimes, a right that was normally reserved for the sovereign. Granting this blood right to the town judge remained a unique experiment. Out of pride and gratitude to the emperor, Zeller had the painting affixed to his house. During a wave of plague in the 17th century, the artwork was painted over like many others. The painting only reappeared in the 1930s. The fact that it has survived to this day without being vandalised is nothing short of a minor miracle.

Since 1803, the Munding family has been running the Gumpphaus a patisserie. The founder of the café, Johann Nepomuk Munding, had travelled from what is now the German side of Lake Constance, then part of the Habsburg Empire, via Graubünden to Innsbruck. Here the young man began working in the town's kitchen. With his savings, he opened what is now the oldest café in the city, despite the turbulent times of war that characterised the whole of Europe. The effects of the Napoleonic campaigns also reached Innsbruck. In its early years, the Munding had to endure several sieges and violent takeovers of the city. If you take a closer look at the house wall, you will discover a cannonball that bears witness to the turbulent years of the Bavarian occupation and the Tyrolean uprising of 1809.

The core and name of the house date back to the 17th century. Before that, the building was the home of the Gumpp family, the master builders who had a lasting influence on the Baroque style in Innsbruck's architecture for several generations.

Innsbruck may be full of legacies of the Gumpps, but they would probably not recognise their own home. In 1911, the façade underwent a complete remodelling. Anton Kirchmayr designed the Munding in a wild mix of styles between Tyrolean Heimatstil, Art Nouveau and Historicism. Unfortunately, these remarkable murals did not last. In 1936, the building was remodelled in the Tiroler Moderne The building was renovated in a style that moved away from the typical alpine charm with extensive wood panelling. Today, the façade is adorned with a large picture of St Christopher and a poem in Tyrolean dialect.

Alongside the Cafe Katzung and the Cafe Central, the Munding was one of the meeting places for the growing bourgeoisie in Innsbruck during the Belle Epoque. With the Ladies Cafe and Tea Salon the Munding also offered a social forum for ladies, which was quite unusual until the second half of the 20th century. While the Katzung is now modern and the Central impresses with the charm and elegance of a Viennese coffee house, time seems to have stood still at the Munding. Those who stop in here can not only look forward to excellent cakes and coffee specialities, but also admire the furnishings and fittings from this period, many of which have been preserved. Windows, ceilings and much of the furniture and lamps have been preserved in the style of the 1930s.

The building of the New town school in Kiebachgasse may be inconspicuous from the outside, but if you manage to take a look into the inner courtyard, you will be rewarded by the Gothic beams from the 16th century. The ornate wood carvings give a good impression of the craftsmanship of early modern artisans. The view upwards is almost dizzying. The fountain, which has survived the ages, is also interesting. Curious visitors can ask the locksmith in the neighbouring building for access. With a bit of luck, you can get into the building.

The New Schoolhouse in Kiebachgasse tells the story of one of the greatest social changes. In 1774, the "General School Regulations for German Normal, Secondary and Trivial Schools in all Imperial and Royal Hereditary Lands. Royal Hereditary Lands" of Maria Theresa came into force. All children, including girls, up to the age of 12 had to go to school, at least in theory. Even after the change in the law, only every third child in Austria went to school, with a large urban-rural divide. In villages such as Pradl, Amras and Wilten, which did not yet belong to Innsbruck at the time, farmers preferred to see their children at work in the fields rather than at school. The school fees that had to be paid in the first years of the new school system also represented a hurdle. In the city, on the other hand, the hunger for education and financial opportunities were greater even before the change in the law. As early as 1768, Innsbruck's teachers and pupils had moved from the old school on Domplatz to the new city school in today's Kiebachgasse due to a lack of space.

Maria Theresa's enlightened state apparatus had a great interest in no longer leaving the education of children to communities and the church, as had been the case for centuries. The consequence of this was what today would be described as an education crisis: a poorly educated labour force that did not realise its full potential in the trades and the army. Another concern was the state consciousness that was necessary for a modern territorial state. Children were to be brought up Catholic from a young age, but their loyalty was also to be to the state.

The new school system was divided into normal, mainstream and trivial schools. Trivial schools were particularly common in the villages and poorer neighbourhoods of Innsbruck. Although the trivial schools in St. Nikolaus and Kohlstatt were not comparable to the city school in terms of teaching, the attendance rate here was at least higher than in the countryside.

Children were often grouped together in classes regardless of their age. Religion, German and maths were still part of the curriculum. Added to this was the subject "Instructions on righteousness and economy". Sachkunde imparted knowledge in disciplines such as geography and natural sciences, all of course strictly within the framework of Catholic doctrine.

Teaching emphasised basic mathematical knowledge in particular. Whether craftsman, civil servant or artilleryman in the ever-growing army, mathematics had increased in importance since 1500 compared to the classical humanistic subjects such as rhetoric, philosophy and languages. Business and technology favoured mathematicians over philosophers, even if the individual fields were not yet separated from each other in strict categories and disciplines as they are today.

However, there were not only changes for pupils. Teachers were also subject to standardisation. A standard work written at court was intended to bring teaching methods to a similar level throughout Maria Theresa's empire and guarantee a certain degree of standardisation throughout the empire. The then Innsbruck headmaster Philipp Jakob Tangl (1733 - 1780) was appointed as an advisor to Maria Theresa's court in Vienna. Despite the enlightenment of teaching, canings for disobedience and misbehaviour remained part of everyday life and were to remain so for several centuries.

Innsbruck's children were taught in Kiebachgasse until 1868. The Imperial People's School Act of that year extended the compulsory schooling period to 14 years of age and converted the trivial schools into elementary and middle schools. The building in Kiebachgasse had therefore become too small. A new tenant was quickly found in the form of the Protestant church, as there was also a small chapel in the town school that could be used. When the Protestant religious community moved to Saggen in 1905, a locksmith's shop rented the building.

In what is now Kiebachgasse, at the junction with Seilergasse, was the Innsbrucker Nightlife mile of the Middle Ages and early modern times. Although there were farmers with livestock within the city walls, the Vier-Viecher-Eck did not refer to the animals by name. If you position yourself well, you can recognise the four beautiful historical signs at a glance.

The inns Golden Lion, Golden Stag, Red Eagle und White Horse Inn were important rest stops for travellers and traders near the goods loading area in front of the Ballhaus. The four pubs gave the square its name Four-crowd corner. For locals, they were meeting places for daily entertainment. Here you could spend time with wine and beer. Flats and houses were not suitable as meeting places, as there was hardly any space to receive guests. Unlike the aristocracy, who had more private living space available, social life took place in public spaces. 

The White Horse Inn is one of the city's most popular traditional inns. Not only tourists, but also locals enjoy a schnitzel here, Kasspatzln & Co taste. The Goldener Hirsch has retired. The catering in the Red Eagle came to an end in 1923 with a spectacular handover of the company.

"As the N. Ztg. (note: Neue Zeitung) learns, the well-known inn "Roter Adler", Kiebachgasse, has been sold to the wholesale company Schifferegger, Ischia u. Co. by the previous owner Rindfleisch, who recently acquired the neighbouring hotel "Goldener Adler". The new owners are planning to close the pub."

The Ischia family still runs the old town hotel today The Innsbruck. Unfortunately, the Red Eagle lost its street sign during the recent remodelling work. As a replacement for the red one, the Golden Eaglewhich can be seen at the end of Kiebachgasse.

There was also a lot going on in this corner of Innsbruck apart from the Vier Viecher. Today's Seilergasse was known as Butchers' Lane because it led to the meat bank at the Inn bridge. At its end stood the women's or picket gatewhich is only commemorated by a small plaque. Kiebachgasse was Innsbruck's main street before the princely residence was moved to the Neuhof under Frederick IV. Merchants entering the city from the south travelled through the Ball lane the ballroom.

Kiebachgasse was known by several names: Ballhausgasse, Rindergasse or School Lane were also common names over the course of time. The school was founded in 1768 as Theresian Normal School moved here from its former location on Domplatz. Kiebachgasse was named after Josef Kiebach (1829 - 1875). He had inherited a small fortune, which he left to the city's poor relief fund after his death. Firewood for the poorest and the construction of a public kitchen were among the donations to the fire brigade and the Association of St Vincent de Paul the intended use of Kiebach's donation. Shortly after his death, the small alley in the old town centre was named after Kiebach.

The town's brothel was located a few metres further south in Schlossergasse, probably positioned on the outskirts of the town at the time in order to provide the most anonymous entrance possible for members of religious orders and good citizens as well as out-of-town guests.

Das schmale, gelbe Gebäude an der heutigen Ecke Herzog-Friedrich-Straße / Kiebachgasse war im Mittelalter und der Frühen Neuzeit als Innsbrucker Ballhaus bekannt. Hier mussten passierende Händler ihre Warenballen einlagern und im Rahmen des Rodfuhrwesens auf einen neuen Wagen laden. Anders als die restlichen Gassen der Altstadt ist der Platz vor dem Ballhaus breit angelegt, da hier die Fuhrwerker Platz zum Halten und Umdrehen haben mussten. Die Wagenzüge waren meist keine einzelnen kleinen Fahrzeuge, sondern bestanden aus bis zu beladenen 20-30 Fuhrwerken.

Das System des Rodfuhrwesens war ein wichtiger Wirtschaftsfaktor in Innsbruck. Es regelte seit dem Mittelalter die für Tirol so wichtige Transitwirtschaft zwischen Venedig und Augsburg. Die einzelnen Stationen des Transportwegs durch Tirol waren zwischen 20 und 40 km voneinander entfernt. Die nächsten Stationen zu Innsbruck an den Handelsrouten nach Süden und Westen waren Matrei am Brenner und Telfs. Händler durften Waren nicht auf ihren eigenen Fuhrwerken transportieren, sondern mussten die örtlichen Fuhrleute engagieren.  Das erzeugte eine Win-Win-Win Situation zwischen den Kaufleuten, der Stadt und den Innsbrucker Bürgern. Die Händler konnten sich auf die erfahrenen und ortskundigen Fuhrleute verlassen, die immer nur einen kleinen, ihnen bekannten Abschnitt zu bedienen hatten und profitierten von höherer Sicherheit unterwegs. Auch waren die verwendeten Zugtiere stets ausgeruht.

Die Überwachung des sogenannten Niederlagsrechts, das für erhebliche finanzielle Einkünfte und viele Arbeitsplätze sorgte, oblag der Stadtregierung. Es waren nicht nur die Fuhrleute, die am Rodfuhrwesen Arbeit hatten und verdienten. Auch Handwerker, Schmiede, Sattler und Gastwirte machten mit durchziehender Kundschaft gutes Geld. Früh schon zog durch das Handelsaufkommen auch die Finanzwirtschaft in der Stadt ein. Italienische Händler hatten ihre Stationen und entwickelten mit ihren Wechseln erste Formen des Bankwesens. Innsbruck war nicht nur als Residenzstadt, sondern auch dank seiner Lage zwischen den deutschen und italienischen Großstädten im frühen Kapitalismus angekommen.

Als im 16. Jahrhundert Venedig im östlichen Mittelmeer nach der Entdeckung Amerikas an Bedeutung verlor, büßte auch das Rodfuhrwesen an Bedeutung ein. Die Wirtschaftszentren Europas lagen nun am Atlantik, nicht mehr am Mittelmeer. Mit der Neuanlage der Brennerroute zwischen Innsbruck und Matrei über den weniger steilen Schönberg in den 1580er Jahren unter Ferdinand II. konnte sich Innsbruck noch eine Zeit lang als Zentrum des Handelstransits halten.

Im 18. Jahrhundert verlagerte sich auch der interne Handel des Habsburgerreiches in den Osten und wurde zwischen Triest und Wien über die Salzburger Alpenpässe abgewickelt. Innsbruck war mehr und mehr an den westlichen Rand des Reiches gewandert. Der Nord-Süd-Handel verlagerte sich Richtung Schweiz, wo die Zölle günstiger waren. Man könnte im Falle der Innsbrucker Fuhrleute von den ersten Globalisierungsverlierern sprechen. Das System hielt sich trotzdem in geringerem Maße bis 1867 und kollabierte erst mit der Eröffnung der Bahnstrecke über den Brenner komplett.

The Golden Eagle is still one of Innsbruck's institutions today. The magnificent Gothic building can be seen from the Inn Bridge. On old photos and postcards, the Golden Eagle still unadorned. The inn's frescoes were only rediscovered during renovation work after the Second World War. The coat of arms with the double-headed eagle is also worth seeing.

Die Gasthöfe entlang der Strecke verdienten gut an den durchziehenden Kaufleuten. Venedig - Augsburg war eine der bedeutendsten Handelsrouten des späten Mittelalters und der Frühen Neuzeit. Zwischen der Stadt, die unter der Familie der Fugger zu einem der Finanzzentren Europas wurde und der Serenissima Republica di San Marco türmten sich für die Händler und ihren Tross die Alpen auf, die bezwungen werden mussten.

Einer dieser Gasthöfe war der Golden Eagle in Innsbruck. Thanks to its proximity to the Ballhaus, it was the ideal accommodation for merchants. First mentioned in a document was the Golden Eagle 1573. Da aber bereits Kaiser Maximilians Entourage, vielleicht sogar der Kaiser selbst hier genächtigt haben soll kann man davon ausgehen, dass der Gasthof auch schon wesentlich früher Gäste empfing. Ein Schild am Golden Eagle gives 1390 as the date of origin. It was not uncommon for noblemen and guests of the court to sleep in one of the inns when the official chambers were fully booked.

Die Innsbrucker Wirte verdienten neben dem Transit auch am Status als Residenzstadt und dem Gefolge der adeligen Besucher wohl ordentlich mit, auch wenn die Rechnungen von der Hofburg meistens mit Verspätung und auf Drängen beglichen wurden.

The consumption of alcohol and lingering in pubs such as the Goldener Adler was regulated differently at different times. Not only was it too expensive for poorer sections of the population, they were also only allowed in the pubs at certain times. This was to prevent excessive drunkenness and the upper classes from begging. The city council controlled the quality and flavour of the food, similar to an early market office, as cities were interested in the quality of their establishments in order to be attractive as a business location and for guests. From the balcony of the

From the balcony of the Golden Eagle Andreas Hofer is said to have delivered his speech to the people of Innsbruck from here after the city was captured in 1809. A plaque under the arcades at the entrance to the restaurant commemorates this moment and reproduces the text. Today the

Anyone who came to Innsbruck and thought anything of themselves climbed into the Golden Eagle from. Celebrities of all kinds spent the night here, as you can read on the plaque at the entrance. This is still celebrated today with the names of the rooms. If you like, you can stay in the Goethe parlour dine and then relax in the Archduke Eugene Room to rest. Each room is dedicated to a prominent guest from days gone by, whose biography and connection to the inn is lovingly told. Today the Golden Eagle is one of the most beautiful restaurants in the city, popular with locals and tourists alike. Not quite cheap, the inn offers down-to-earth cuisine in the pleasant ambience of the well-kept parlours or outdoors with a view of the Ottoburg.

Opposite the Goldener Adler inn is the Old Government Building, which has served as a court and administrative building as well as a country house for the Tyrolean sovereigns since 1569. Archduke Ferdinand II bought it as a Zerrenmantelhaus and converted it into a home for his government affairs. The influence of the clergy and nobility within the feudal system had increased under the heavy financial legacy that Maximilian I had left behind in Tyrol. This early form of provincial government required an official seat close to the princely court. As a Renaissance prince, Ferdinand was far from a democracy in the modern sense, but after the uprising of 1525 under Michael Gaismair and the turmoil of the period after Maximilian I, he was keen to be advised on government affairs by the estates, which were becoming increasingly powerful.

Claudia de Medici had the building remodelled in 1645. The most magnificent of the halls with its beautiful wooden ceiling, which still bears the coat of arms of the Florentine Medici family, is unfortunately only accessible during events organised by the University of Innsbruck.

Only a few years later, the government building had to be rebuilt. After the earthquake that shook Innsbruck in 1689, the building, now known as the Claudiana The façade of the well-known building was renovated in the Baroque style by Johann Martin Gumpp the Elder. Gumpp gave it a baroque appearance that stands out among the other buildings of the Lower town square stands out. However, the Gothic interior of the rooms has been preserved. In 1732, the simple and plain façade on the inside was renovated.

Wer von der Innbrücke in die Altstadt spaziert, passiert am Weg zum Unteren Stadtplatz linkerhand die Ottoburg. Beda Weber schrieb 1852 in seinem Handbuch für Reisende in Tirol: “Otto I., Graf von Andechs, umgab den offenen Ort mit Mauern und Thürmen, und baute sich daselbst die Ottoburg im Jahre 1234." Before this striking building was converted into a residential tower in 1495, it was part of the Andechsburg und der Innsbrucker Wehranlage am Inntor.

. Lange Zeit stand das Haus leer. Die Immobilienpreise in Innsbruck scheinen schon damals zu hoch gewesen zu sein. Die Innsbrucker Bevölkerung taufte die heutige Ottoburg daher „öd burg“. Öd war das damalige Wort für leer. Im Laufe der Zeit wurde so aus der „öd Burg“ die Otto Burg. Sie erinnert also nicht an einen Fürsten oder einen König aus dem Geschlecht der Ottonen wie oft fälschlicherweise angenommen, sondern heißt ganz profan „leere Burg".

In front of the house is the monument "Vater und Sohn“ des Tiroler Künstlers Christian Plattner. Es erinnert an die Tiroler Erhebung gegen die bayerisch-französische Besatzung im Jahr 1809. Aufgestellt wurde es 1915, auch um während des Ersten Weltkriegs nach dem Eintritt des Königreichs Italien den Tiroler Heldenmut anzufachen und Stimmung gegen die Kriegsgegner aus dem Süden zu machen. So stand in der Zeitung zu lesen:

„Die Anno Neun-Gruppe von Christian Plattner, die bekanntlich von der Stadt angekauft wurde, geht nun endlich ihrer Aufstellung entgegen. Gegenwärtig wird in der Nische hinter der Ottoburg der etwa drei Meter hohe, als Sockel gedachte Steinblock aufgestellt, der in den letzten Tagen vom Höttinger Steinbruch heruntergeschafft worden ist. Die betonierte Unterlage für diesen Sockel war schon seit längerer Zeit fertig. Da sich auch die in Erz gegossene Denkmalsgruppe bereits in Innsbruck befindet, wird wohl die Fertigstellung des Denkmals nicht mehr lange Zeit auf sich warten lassen.“

Bis 1840 befand sich am heutigen Herzog-Otto-Ufer gegenüber der Ottoburg eine der drei Fleischbanken der Stadt Innsbruck, bevor das Holzhaus abbrannte. Die Metzgbank war auf Pfählen über dem Fluss errichtet worden. Auf alten Stadtveduten ist sie noch deutlich zu erkennen. Für die Fleischhauer war der Platz praktisch, da Abfälle direkt im Inn entsorgt werden konnten. Lange war es auch Sitte, sonstigen Hausrat und Abwasser direkt im Inn zu entsorgen. Weniger praktisch war dies für die Bewohner der Stadtteile flussabwärts. Bei Hochwasser wurde alles vor ihren Häusern angespült. Der schmeichelhafte Spitzname für die Bewohner von St. Nikolaus ist wohl deshalb bis heute „Koatlackler".

Since 1913 you can enjoy Tyrolean specialities in the medieval walls of the Ottoburg.

The 12th century brought economic, scientific and social prosperity and is regarded as a kind of early medieval renaissance. Via the Crusades, there was an increased exchange with the cultures of the Middle East, which were more developed in many respects. Arab scholars brought translations of Greek thinkers such as Aristotle to Europe via southern Spain and Italy. Roman law was rediscovered at the first universities south of the Alps. New agricultural knowledge and a favourable climate, which was to last until the middle of the 14th century, made it possible for towns and larger settlements to emerge. One of these settlements was located north of the Wilten monastery between the Inn and the Nordkette mountain range.

After the disappearance of the Western Roman Empire and its administration, various Germanic tribes such as the Ostrogoths and Franks took control of the area that is now Innsbruck. They left ecclesiastical institutions and structures in place to administer the area, as clerics were often the only scribes. A small upper class of armoured aristocrats ruled in a strict hierarchy over the majority of the population, who worked in agriculture in 90%.

In the 6th century, there was increasing Bavarian settlement in the Inn Valley. During the reign of Charlemagne (ca. 748 - 814), the dukes of Bavaria became feudatories of the German kings, whose empire extended over large parts of central Europe and northern Italy. The Breton-Romanised population was displaced after minor conflicts. However, parts of the Christianised culture of the Heiligen Römischen Reichs. Politically, the importance of the North Tyrolean region was mainly limited to the transit sector.

Tyrol had two low Alpine crossings, the Reschen Pass and the Brenner Pass, which were important for the imperial connection between the German lands in the north and the lands in Italy. In 1024, the Salian Conrad II, a rival of the Bavarian dukes from the House of Wittelsbach, was elected king. In order to bring these two Alpine crossings away from his Bavarian rivals and under the control of the imperial church, which was loyal to him, Conrad II granted the territory of Tyrol as a fief to the bishops of Brixen and Trento in 1027. The bishops in turn needed so-called bailiffs to administer these lands and administer justice.

These bailiffs of the Bishop of Brixen were the Counts of Andechs. The Andechs family may be overshadowed today by the Guelphs, Hohenstaufen, Wittelsbach and Habsburg dynasties, but they were an influential family in the High Middle Ages. They came from the area around Lake Ammer in Bavaria and owned estates in Upper Bavaria between the Lech and Isar rivers and east of Munich. Through skilful marriage politics, they had acquired the titles of Dukes of Merania, a region on the Dalmatian coast, and Margraves of Istria. They thus rose in rank within the Heiligen Römischen Reiches on. In the 12th century, they founded the Dießen monastery and the monastery on the holy mountain of Andechs above Lake Ammersee to ensure both administration and later salvation. In 1165, Otto V of Andechs came to the bishop's see in Brixen and gave the bailiwick over this high monastery to his brother. From then on, they administered the central part of the Inn Valley, the Wipp Valley, the Puster Valley and the Eisack Valley.

Today, Innsbruck stretches along both sides of the Inn. In the 12th century, this area was under the influence of two lords of the manor. South of the Inn, Wilten Abbey exercised lordship. The area north of the river was under the administration of the Andechs. While the southern part of the town around the monastery was used for agriculture from an early stage, the alluvial area of the unregulated watercourse could not be cultivated before the High Middle Ages and was sparsely populated.

The Inn Valley was densely wooded and wild. Most of the people at that time worked in agriculture, which was run by their landlord. They lived in poor huts made of mud and wood. There was hardly any medical care outside the towns, infant mortality was high and hardly anyone lived past the age of 50. Around the year 1133, the Andechs founded the market here Anbruggen and connected the northern and southern banks of the Inn via a bridge. The construction of the bridge turned the unusable agricultural land at the foot of the Nordkette mountain range into a trading centre. It greatly facilitated the movement of goods in the Eastern Alps. The Brenner route had become more interesting thanks to one of the innovations of the medieval Renaissance: new harnesses made it possible to negotiate the steep climbs with carts. The shorter Via Raetia had the Via Claudia Augusta over the Reschen Pass as the main transport route across the Alps. The customs revenue generated from trade between the German and Italian towns allowed the settlement to prosper. Blacksmiths, innkeepers and craftsmen settled in the small market.

Anbruggen grew rapidly, but the space between the Nordkette and the Inn was limited. In 1180, Berchtold V of Andechs acquired a piece of land on the south side of the Inn from Wilten Monastery. This was the starting signal for Innsbruck. In the course of building the city wall, the Counts of Andechs had the Andechs Castle and moved their headquarters from Merano to Innsbruck. The new settlement also grew rapidly thanks to the customs revenue.

Irgendwann zwischen 1187 und 1204 konnten sich die Bürger Innsbrucks über das Stadtrecht freuen. Als offizielles Gründungsdatum wird häufig 1239 herangezogen, als vom letzten Grafen aus der Andechser Dynastie Otto VIII. das Stadtrecht formal in einer Urkunde bestätigt wurde.

Innsbruck was already the mint of the Andechs at this time and would probably have become the capital of their principality. But things turned out differently. In 1246, the Bavarian Wittelsbach dynasty, the Andechs' biggest rivals in southern Germany, destroyed their ancestral castle on Lake Ammersee. Otto, the last count of the House of Andechs-Merania, died without descendants in 1248. 12 years earlier, he had married Elisabeth, the daughter of Count Albert VIII of Tyrol. This noble family with its ancestral castle in Meran thus took over the fiefs and parts of the possessions, including the town on the Inn, as well as the arch-enemy with the Bavarian Wittelsbachs.

Als Graf Berchtold V dem Stift Wilten 1180 das Land südlich des Inns abwarb, auf dem in Folge Innsbruck entstehen sollte, war im Tauschvertrag bereits von einer Marktkirche die Rede. Innsbruck war keine eigene Kirchengemeinde, sondern eine Filiale des Stiftes. 1270 wurde sie erstmals in einer Urkunde erwähnt. Auf dem bekannten Aquarell Albrecht Dürers, das er 1495 auf seiner Durchreise von Innsbruck anfertigt, ist die Pfarrkirche St. Jakob ebenfalls gut im Stadtbild sichtbar. Von einem Bischofsitz war damals allerdings noch nicht die Rede.

Das Schicksal von St. Jakob stand unter keinem guten Stern. Mehrmals brannte die Kirche nieder, auch das Erdbeben von 1689 das mehr oder minder alle Innsbrucker Häuser beschädigte, verschonte den Dom nicht. Im 18. Jahrhundert erhielt die Kirche zu St. Jakob ihr barockes Aussehen. Es gebührte sich nicht für eine Stadt wie Innsbruck, eine halbfertige Ruine als Aushängeschild innerhalb der Stadtmauern zu haben. Um den Bau zu finanzieren wurde eine Sonderabgabe auf Tabak eingeführt und zusätzliche Zölle eingehoben. Das ehemalige Löwenhaus Ferdinands II. am Inn, das 1636 abgebrannt war, wurde als Brauerei und Gaststätte wieder aufgebaut, um über den Bierdurst der Innsbrucker zusätzliche Taler ins Budget zu spülen. Nach dem unerwarteten Tod des eigentlich als Bauleiter vorgesehenen Johann Jakob Herkomer leitete Johann Georg Fischer das Projekt. Eine schöne Legende rankt sich um das große Deckenfresko von Cosmas Damian Amas (1686 – 1739). Als der Maler während der Arbeiten vom Gerüst fiel, soll der Heilige Johannes seine Hand ausgestreckt haben um den Maestro vor dem sicheren Tod zu retten. 1724 wurde die Kirche schließlich eingeweiht.

1944 wurde sie bei einem Luftangriff beschädigt. Nach dem Krieg mussten sowohl der Außen- wie auch der Innenbereich aufwändig renoviert werden. Nach dem Ersten Weltkrieg war es durch die neu gezogene Grenze am Brenner nur noch schwer möglich Nord- und Südtirol gemeinsam über eine Diözese zu verwalten. Nordtirol und Vorarlberg brauchten eine eigene Verwaltung. 1964 schließlich wurde aus der ehemaligen kleinen Niederlassung des Stifts Wilten der Dom zu Innsbruck.

Die stämmigen Kirchtürme ragen weit in den Himmel hinauf. Sie werden von imposanten Wasserspeiern geschmückt. Am Giebel hoch über dem Eingang thront ein Reiter. Die vordere Fassade ist mit Statuen diverser Heiliger geschmückt, darunter die Heilige Notburga, eine der Patroninnen Innsbruck und der Heilige Romed, der auf einem Bären von Tirol nach Rom geritten sein soll. Die Heiligenverehrung war im 17. und 18. auf ihrem Höhepunkt angelangt. Die Barockkultur wusste es, die Menschen mit guten Geschichten und der Integration volkstümlicher Legenden in den Kanon für die römische Kirche zu begeistern.

The cathedral's many bells are striking in their sound. The Marienglocke, die in der Traditionsgießerei Grassmayer in Innsbruck gegossen wurde, wiegt über sieben Tonnen. Zu wichtigen Anlässen erklingen die Glocken des Domes unter fachkundiger Ausführung eines eigenen Glockenspielers.

Das Innere des Doms wird gekrönt von einer Kuppel über dem berühmten Gnadenbild Mariahilf von Lucas Cranach. Das Prunkstück des Innsbrucker Doms kam als Mitbringsel unter dem kunstsinnigen Landesfürsten Leopold V. nach Innsbruck. Cranach, ein persönlicher Freund Martin Luthers und kursächsischer Hofmaler, malte um 1540 seine Vorstellung der Heiligen Maria für den sächsischen Hof. Als Leopold, damals noch in seiner Rolle als Passauer Bischof, dort zu Gast war, durfte er sich wie es Sitte war, einen Gegenstand seiner Wahl als Geschenk aussuchen. Er wählte das Bild Cranachs. Während des 30jährigen Krieges (1618 – 1648) beteten die Innsbrucker Bürger zu dem Bild, um Gnade und Verschonung vor den Kriegsgräueln zu erbitten. Die Bitte scheint gewirkt zu haben, Tirol wurde nicht in den Konflikt hineingezogen. Ob es dem klugen Handeln von Claudia de Medici oder dem Bild geschuldet ist, kann nicht mehr zu 100% zweifelsfrei nachvollzogen werden. Seit 1650 hängt das mit kurzer kriegsbedingter Unterbrechung am Hochaltar des Innsbrucker Doms. Während des 2. Weltkriegs wurde die Mother of mercy ins nahe Ötztal gebracht, um es vor den Bombardements in Sicherheit zu bringen. Wer aufmerksam durch die Stadt geht, findet die Gnadenmutter in vielen Hausfassaden oder Brunnen. Auch außerhalb Innsbrucks ist das Bild in Nord- und Südtirol weit verbreitet.

Neben dem Gnadenbild schaffte es auch ein zweites Denkmal den Umbau vom alten zum neuen Gotteshaus zu überstehen und übersiedelt zu werden. Das Grabmal von Maximilian III. von Österreich vereinnahmt einen guten Teil des Kirchenschiffes. Der knieende Landesfürst Tirols wird vom Heiligen Georg flankiert, dem Patron des Deutschen Ordens. Auch Erzherzog Eugen, der im Ersten Weltkrieg im Heer der K.u.K Monarchie als oberster Militär Tirols diente, ebenfalls Mitglied des Deutschen Ordens war, ist hier begraben.

Heute ist der Domplatz ein beliebter Treffpunkt in der Altstadt, ist er doch nur wenige Schritte vom Goldenen Dachl entfernt und doch etwas abseits der Touristenmassen. Dank mehrerer Lokale und Studenten WGs in den sehenswerten Häusern rund um den Brunnen hat auch die Jugend den Platz vor der Kirche für sich entdeckt und zu neuem Leben erweckt.

The Deutschordenshaus is one of the most remarkable Gothic buildings in the old town centre. Gothic and Renaissance meet in this building. In the early 16th century, the  German Orders This jewel, designed by master builder Gregor Türing and miraculously preserved to this day, was built in order to have a residence close to the imperial court in Innsbruck. The Order never had its own command in Innsbruck. However, as important advisors and diplomats, they wanted to have an office close to the sovereign. The Teutonic Order was an order of knights, a remnant from the time of the Crusades. At first glance, from today's perspective, it seems to have fallen out of time in the early modern period, as its warfare was already far removed from the armies of knights and warrior orders. Through skilful politics and connections to the European high aristocracy, it ensured its continued existence even at a time when the sword had long since been replaced by gunpowder.

The lavishly decorated bay windows depicting St Christopher and St George are particularly beautiful and have been preserved to this day. The German Orders St George, the patron saint of the fighting classes of the Middle Ages, was very well suited to these religious brothers, who were both pious and militant. The order sold the building again as early as 1539, and the families who owned the house subsequently changed frequently. In the 18th century, the building, which today serves as an ordinary residence, was extended to five storeys. In 1872, the house fell victim to the flames during one of the frequent town fires. It was also affected by air raids during the Second World War. Today, after two renovations, it shines in its old Gothic splendour.

Opposite the entrance to the Hofburg in Hofgasse is a building that symbolises the diverse influences from all over Europe that have shaped Innsbruck over the centuries. The house commemorates two extraordinary Innsbruck residents, the court dwarf Thomele and the castle giant Haidl. The Burgriesenhaus like many other buildings in the historic city centre, was built by the Türings. The stately entrance door to the castle giant's home with the "whispering arch" in Hofgasse is a real Innsbruck curiosity. If someone whispers something on one side of the entrance arch, the other person can hear the whispered word if they put their ear to the arch on the other side of the door. The imaginative figures on the wooden entrance door were created by the Tyrolean sculptor Rudolf Millonig for the former Gasthof zum Burgriesen in a nod to its Gothic heritage.

The façade is decorated with a picture of the court dwarf and a poem:

„Under God's blessing and St. Mary's hand. Mary's hand, this house is granted to the little giants.“

Thomele served to amuse the prince and his court at the court of Ferdinand II. Court dwarfs and giants had become a tradition since the Middle Ages, starting in the Duchy of Burgundy, which had become part of the Habsburg Empire under Maximilian. Burgundy, with its rich cities of Ghent and Bruges, was Europe's avant-garde alongside the Italian metropolises, not only financially but also culturally. Princes of the 15th century emulated the northern European royal court. Maximilian's first wife Maria brought much of this flair to the Habsburg court and ceremonial. It is therefore no wonder that the cosmopolitan Ferdinand did not want to do without court dwarfs.

Court dwarfs and court jesters were allowed to criticise the regent at the time. Nevertheless, Thomele was not to be envied, although dwarves were in great demand as entertainers. If the performances were not to the regent's liking, kicks, punches and slaps were the order of the day.

Castle giant Nikolaus Haidl was not only a curiosity, but also a kind of bodyguard to Archduke Siegmund the Rich in Coin as part of the guard. His gigantic skeletal remains were found in the crypt during construction work in Innsbruck Cathedral in 1866, so he is not a legendary figure but actually existed. On the first floor of the city tower is a stone statue that was removed from the niche in the façade of the Burgriesenhaus.

The Burgriesenhaus was home to Prince Eugene (1663 - 1736), one of the greatest generals in Habsburg history, when he was travelling through. Like Ferdinand, he is also a kind of European melange. Francois-Eugene de Savoie-Carignan was actually a French subject of the Sun King Louis XIV and member of the French aristocracy. Legend has it that it was because of his slight stature that he was rejected by the French army. It is more likely that his family had fallen into royal disfavour due to unfortunate circumstances, which is why Eugene enlisted in the military service of the Habsburgs, the long-time rivals of the French monarchy. Between 1683 and 1718, he fought in all the major military conflicts in Europe. To this day, he is best known for his defence of Vienna against the Ottoman conquest.

As a native Frenchman, he became a member of the Emperor's Privy Council and President of the Court War Council. Between 1716 and 1724, he was governor of the Austrian Netherlands. With his private fortune, he became one of the most important private builders between Budapest and Vienna. As an educated collector with an interest in science and art, Prince Eugene corresponded with the most important scholars of his time, such as Leibniz, Montesquieu and Voltaire. Paintings depicted him as a star in Baroque splendour, and songs were sung about him as the protector of Christian Europe from the Turkish threat. At the height of his power, Prince Eugene, a Frenchman in the service of the arch-enemy, was probably the most influential man in Europe after the emperors under whom he served.

His body is buried in St Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna, his heart separately in the Basilica di Superga in Turin, the burial church of the House of Savoy, from which he descended. His indirect descendants from this French noble family were to fight against Austria in the Italian Wars of Independence between 1848 and 1866 and establish the unity of Italy.

Similar to Andreas Hofer in Tyrol, Prince Eugene is often used for nationalist and populist purposes, which he would probably not have liked. In Innsbruck, alongside the Burgriesenhaus Prinz-Eugen-Straße in Saggen is dedicated to him.

Herzog-Friedrich-Straße is home to some of the most beautiful Gothic houses in Innsbruck. It is worth taking a close look at the façades, bay windows, reliefs and frescoes. The Katzunghaus at Herzog-Friedrich-Strasse 16 today houses the Café Katzung. The reliefs on the bay window on the corner of Riesengasse, which depict a late medieval tournament, are particularly worth seeing. In Maximilian's time, knightly competitions were regularly held in this square to entertain the emperor, nobility and visitors. His second wife Bianca Maria Sforza in particular, who spent many years at court in Innsbruck, organised these show tournaments to ward off the boredom of the small town. Despite the lavish court household, Innsbruck could not compete with her native Milan, where Leonardo da Vinci was employed as a court artist and master builder at the time.

Also worth seeing is the Trautsonhauswhich is flanked by a Gothic fountain. The building is named after Hereditary Marshal von Trautson, who acquired the house in 1541. The building was remodelled by Gregor Türing, one of Innsbruck's most important Gothic master builders. After the war, the bomb-damaged building had to be renovated again. The Gothic inner courtyard is worth a short detour. It shows the classic structure of Innsbruck's stone residential buildings of the time with a shaft and staircase.

The Weinhaus Happ was already supplying locals and visitors with the eponymous grape juice in the 15th century. Innsbruck has always been an important base for the wine trade to the north. The city is located on the imaginary border between the beer and wine regions. In cooler northern Europe, people mainly drank beer, while in the Mediterranean countries they drank the wine that thrived there. Innsbruck, as a trading city between Italy and Germany, was a centre of trade from north and south of this border. Wine-beer line influenced. For a long time, wine was not an intoxicating drink, but a foodstuff. While water from wells could not be trusted in the Middle Ages, especially in large cities, wine was tolerable. Wine was lighter than it is today, so people in the Middle Ages and early modern times were not constantly drunk.

In 1783, the building first appeared as a pub under the brewer Martin Juffing. After numerous changes of ownership, Franz Happ took over the pub in 1874. Like many other buildings in the old town, the Weinhaus Happ were in a miserable state at the time. Unlike today, old buildings steeped in history did not correspond to the public's taste, but were considered outdated. After the façade collapsed, it had to be completely renovated.

Maria Schwarz took over the Happ in 1921. As in many other pubs, theatre plays were performed in the inn right next to the Golden Roof. Little by little, it became an Innsbruck institution.

In 1927, the pub's parlour was redesigned according to the plans of the then unknown architect Franz Baumann (1892 - 1974). The challenge was to renovate and modernise the building without disturbing the townscape. For a year, the Tyrolean Heritage Protection Association, together with the district administration, had the final say on building projects in sensitive locations. Urban planning should not be created on the drawing board, but should take historical town centres into consideration. Baumann designed the façade in the cubic style of the Neuen Sachlichkeit, die kunstvoll geschnitzte, sehenswerte Eingangstür, das weit ausladende Hausschild, das Stiegenhaus, die Gasträume und das Mobiliar. Anstatt einer vollvertäfelten Stube setzte er den Werkstoff Holz sparsamer ein. Es gelang ihm durch die Verwendung neuer Materialien den Tiroler Stil und die Gemütlichkeit der traditionellen Gaststube in die Moderne zu führen, ohne ihn zu verraten. Der mittelachsige Erker war ein beliebtes Stilelement dieser Zeit, das von Prachensky auch beim Entwurf des Gebäudes über dem Durchgang zur Sparkasse in der Maria-Theresien-Straße und seinen Großprojekten immer wieder zum Einsatz gebracht wurde. Die sich darin befindliche Stube wurde nach dem Aufstieg Baumanns zu einem der führenden Architekten seiner Zeit liebevoll in Baumannstube umbenannt.

The façade paintings of the Weinhaus Happ date from the interwar period. The South Tyrolean peasant motifs, including an image of St Urban, the patron saint of winegrowers, were created by Erich Torggler in 1937. The different climatic conditions north and south of the main Alpine ridge resulted in different types of cultivation. While wine in the south was primarily an export commodity, North Tyrol had to import both wine and wheat. The interests of the farmers in the individual regions were completely different when it came to customs duties. The sovereign had to constantly strike a fine balance in order to satisfy all interests and necessities as best as possible. The Weinhaus Happ can be seen as a symbol of the differences in agriculture between Tyrol north and Tyrol south of the Brenner Pass, while at the same time the unity of the country is still felt by many people today.

The city tower was built between 1442 and 1450 under Frederick IV, when Innsbruck slowly but surely began to develop into the leading city in Tyrol. The increasingly wealthy citizens of Innsbruck and the sovereign wanted to demonstrate their new-found self-confidence. In 1560, the bulky tower was topped with an onion-domed roof, the so-called Augsburg bonnet. This form was very fashionable, as Augsburg was one of the most important cities in Europe at the time as the home and business centre of the merchant family of Jakob Fugger.

But the city tower was not just an expression of Innsbruck's vanity. On the ground floor was the bread bank, a joint sales outlet for all Innsbruck bakers under the supervision of the city authorities. On the first floor was a prison. From the platform above, the tower guard had to keep an eye out for danger, monitor the city and, above all, sound the alarm in the event of a fire. Another task of the tower guard was to announce the time. Unlike today, not every citizen had a watch on their wrist. The special thing about time in the Middle Ages was that it was different in every village. Innsbruck had a different time to Hall or Schwaz. It was only with industrialisation and the railway that a synchronised understanding of time became important. Service and timetables made it necessary to reinvent time.

The red building flanking the town tower is the old town hall, seat of the town council and the mayor. The market supervisors also sat in the town hall. The city government supervised the goods on offer and their quantity and quality. The bread was sold by the "Bred guardian" was weighed in the bread bank in the town hall to prevent usury, which was a punishable offence. A relief on the façade commemorates the confirmation of the town charter in 1239. The plaque was added in 1939 to mark the 700th anniversary of this event. The costumes of the figures depicted are not a depiction of the actual fashion of Innsbruck's bourgeoisie in the 13th century, but provide information about what was seen as the German ideal of the German city of Innsbruck in the early days of National Socialism.

Today's town hall with its offices is located in Maria-Theresien-Straße, where the city administration, catering and shopping facilities are combined in a covered gallery to form a kind of modern citizens' forum. The city tower offers a great opportunity to view the old town from above. At a height of 55 metres, you can feel like a medieval tower guard and look out over the entire old town. Especially the view of Helblinghaus und Goldenes Dachl and the Nordkette mountain range in the background provide the backdrop for a very special photo.

The Helblinghaus is often described as the most beautiful building in Innsbruck. However, as the only baroque building in Innsbruck's old town centre, the town house, richly decorated with rococo stucco, looks out of place to purists. The playful façade was decorated with nature motifs, putti, masks and other jewellery according to plans by architect Anton Gigl in the rococo style of the time in 1730.

After Sebastian Helbling ran a coffee house here in the 19th century, the Helblinghaus im frühen 20. Jahrhundert zum Katholischen Kasino. Dabei handelte es sich nicht um ein Etablissement in dem gespielt wurde, sondern um den Treffpunkt der Kasinobewegung in Innsbruck.

This movement emerged in southern Germany as a conservative reaction to the liberal endeavours of enlightened classes to curtail the power of the Catholic Church. Conservatives wanted to maintain the status quo in political and social life. Education and school issues in particular were to remain under the wing of the Catholic Church. Universal and free suffrage for all, which the Social Democrats would have favoured, was just as much a thorn in their side as equal rights for men and women.

In the rural areas of Tyrol, the conservatives enjoyed great popularity, as they had the support of the pastors during the Sunday sermon. The city of Innsbruck, on the other hand, was governed by the liberal Greater Germans at the turn of the century. After a few years, the Katholische Kasino im Helblinghaus wieder Geschichte.

Today, the Helblinghaus houses a jeweller, flats and offices. 

Als Innsbruck an Bedeutung für das Land Tirol zunahm, ließ Landesfürst Friedrich IV. um 1420 den New yard an der Stelle des heutigen Goldenen Dachls erbauen, um seine Innsbrucker Residenz von der Andechser Burg dorthin umzusiedeln. Seinem Nachfolger als Landesfürst Tirols Kaiser Maximilian war der New yard bereits zu klein. Der Hofstaat des Kaisers war um einiges größer als der des Landesfürsten. Er siedelte in die Hofburg um, die mehr Platz bot. Den prunkvollen Erker mit seinen 2657 vergoldeten Schindeln, das heutige Goldene Dachl, ließ er von Hofbaumeister Türing an den New yard to have a place from which he could follow the events on the town square and present himself at the same time. In Maximilian's time, knights' tournaments, court trials and other public events took place where tourists from all over the world can be photographed today. A memorial plaque on the building commemorates the "heretic" Jakob Hutter, who was burned to death here.

Der Erker war ein Zeichen der landesfürstlichen Macht im Herzen der Stadt. Die Reliefs unter dem Erker zeigen die Gebiete, über die Maximilian herrschte. Es sind von links nach rechts die Wappen Österreichs, Ungarns, des Heiligen Römischen Reichs, Deutschlands, Burgunds, Mailands, der Steiermark und Tirols. Ritter und Tierfiguren bewachen den habsburgischen Besitz. Es ist gut möglich, dass das eigentlich 1500 fertiggestellte Wappenfries ein paar Jahre später ausgetauscht wurde, nachdem Maximilian 1508 zum Kaiser erhoben wurde.

The reliefs on the obverse show the emperor with his two wives, Mary of Burgundy and Bianca Maria Sforza. The appearance of the two women is interesting. Maximilian always depicted his marriage to Mary of Burgundy as a love match, whereas his second wife is said to have been married in a more business-like manner. While the first wife, Mary of Burgundy, is depicted chastely covering her hair with a bonnet, the curls of the Milanese Bianca Maria Sforza flow far down her head. Mary of Burgundy had died as a young, beautiful woman in a riding accident. She gave the Habsburgs two emperors, Charles and Ferdinand, across the generations. The idealised and glorified depiction of the two women is a symbol of their importance to Maximilian. Scenes from medieval courtly life decorate the façade, entirely to Maximilian's taste. One of the figures depicts Emperor Frederick III. A cap with donkey ears was mockingly placed on Maximilian's gnarled-looking father. Some of the figures and reliefs still puzzle researchers to this day. One of them, the cipher that can be seen on the tape behind the dancers and people on the upper relief panels, was only deciphered in 2020. The characters reveal the following in code:

“Ego sum lux mundi qui sequitur me non ambulabit in tenebris sed habebit lucem vitae dicit dominus”, übersetzt: „Ich bin das Licht der Welt. Wer mir folgt, wird nicht in Finsternis wandeln, sondern wird im Licht wohnen, so spricht der Herr.“

“ Für einen großen Teil der Malereien war Hofmaler Jörg Kölderer verantwortlich, der viele Gebäude und Räume, die rund um 1500 entstanden, mit seiner Kunst schmückte. Auch das Jagdbuch, das Fischereibuch und das Zeugbuch, die das Treiben rund um die Waffenproduktion im Zeughaus zeigt, stammen aus seiner Feder. An der Decke unter dem Erker befinden sich putzige Figuren, einige davon in für das 16. Jahrhundert wohl anzüglicher Pose. Unter dem Erker auch eine Gedenktafel für den verurteilten und hingerichteten Jakob Hutter zu sehen.

Das Gebäude, dessen Teil der Prunkerker ist, wurde 1780 zu einer Kaserne. 1822 erhielt die Fassade während eines Umbaus zum Mietshaus ihr heutiges Aussehen. Heute kann man im Goldenen Dachl ein kleines Museum besuchen, das sich um die Stadtgeschichte Innsbrucks und Maximilian dreht. Im Goldenen Dachl befindet sich auch das Innsbrucker Standesamt, in dem sich Innsbrucker Paare das Ja-Wort geben. Besonders malerisch ist der Platz vor dem Prunkerker zur Weihnachtszeit, wenn der Christkindlmarkt samt Christbaum aufgebaut wird.