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 known. Merchants passing through had to store their bales of goods here and load them onto a new wagon as part of the cartage system. Unlike the other alleyways in the old town, the square in front of the Ballhaus is wide, as the carters had to have room to stop and turn round here.

The cartage system was an important economic factor in Innsbruck. From the Middle Ages onwards, it regulated the transit economy between Venice and Augsburg, which was so important for Tyrol. The individual stations on the transport route through Tyrol were between 20 and 40 kilometres apart. The closest stations to Innsbruck on the trade routes to the south and west were Matrei am Brenner and Telfs. Traders were not allowed to transport goods on their own carts, but had to hire local carters. This created a win-win-win situation between the merchants, the town and the citizens of Innsbruck. The merchants could rely on the experienced and local carters, who only ever had to serve a small, familiar section of the route and benefited from greater safety en route. The draught animals used were also always well rested. The monitoring of the so-called Niederlagsrechtswhich generated considerable financial income and many jobs, was the responsibility of the city government.

It wasn't just the carters who had work and earned money from the cartage trade. Craftsmen, blacksmiths, saddlers and innkeepers also made good money from passing customers. Early on, the volume of trade also brought finance to the town. Italian merchants had their stations and developed the first forms of banking with their bills of exchange. Innsbruck had arrived in early capitalism, not only as a royal seat but also thanks to its location between the major German and Italian cities.

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. 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.

Venice - Augsburg was one of the most important trade routes of the late Middle Ages and the early modern period. Between the city, which became one of the financial centres of Europe under the Fugger family, and the Serenissima Republica di San Marco the Alps loomed up for the merchants and their train, which had to be conquered. The inns along the route earned good money from the passing merchants.

One of these was the 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, but as Emperor Maximilian's entourage, perhaps even the emperor himself, is said to have stayed here, it can be assumed that the inn was already receiving guests much earlier. A sign on the 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.

Innsbruck's innkeepers probably made a tidy profit from its status as a royal seat and the entourage of aristocratic visitors, even if the Hofburg's bills were usually paid late and at their insistence.

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 Gasthof Goldener Adler is located in the Old government buildingswhich served the Tyrolean sovereigns as a court and administrative building as well as a country house from 1569. Archduke Ferdinand II had it built as a Tug house and converted it into a home for his government business. This early form of state 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 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. The influence of the clergy and nobility within the feudal system increased. The Tyrolean princes after Maximilian had inherited a heavy legacy. Claudia de Medici, the influential sovereign princess, had the building remodelled in 1645, adding the magnificent Claudiasaal expand. 

After the earthquake that shook Innsbruck in 1689, the building, now known as the Claudiana Although the façade of the well-known building was renovated in the Baroque style by Johann Martin Gumpp the Elder, the Gothic interior of the rooms was retained. In 1732, the façade facing the inner side was renovated and is now very simple and plain. The most magnificent of the halls, which Claudia de Medici had extended, 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.

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.

Around 1200, the Counts of Andechs had the castle built on the site of today's Andechshof built a castle at the entrance to the old town to protect and monitor the town's most valuable source of income, the customs bridge over the River Inn. Until 1790, this castle was adjoined by the Inntor as part of the city wall and defences. This Castrum InprukaThe castle also served as a princely residence until Frederick IV moved his seat to the Neuhof, today's Goldenen Dachl was relocated.

In the Middle Ages, Andechsburg Castle was the Inner armouryan armoury for the town's defence. For a long time, city defence was a civic duty, and there were no professional soldiers specifically assigned to this task. This meant that every citizen had to have a weapon at their disposal. The armoury was not only a weapons store for defence, but also had an internal function. This meant that not every citizen in Innsbruck had to have and look after their weapon in their private household. Even in the event of disputes between citizens, it was probably not detrimental to public safety that the brawlers did not have a weapon at their disposal at the first moment.

With the introduction of general conscription under Maria Theresa in Austria, the military infrastructure also had to adapt to a standing army. Innsbruck had been a garrison town since 1745. The building was used as a barracks from 1775, after the city wall was removed. The new form of warfare with artillery instead of siege towers rendered the old fortifications, which were designed for medieval sieges, useless. Although the military presence did not bring back the splendour of the times when the city was an imperial residence, the number of inhabitants and importance of the city increased at least a little thanks to the soldiers who were stationed here. From 1778, Innsbruck was home to parts of the Tyrolean Land and Field Regiment, which became the Tyrolean Imperial Hunters in 1816 after the Napoleonic Wars. At the same time, the Tyrolean riflemen remained, who had been trained at shooting ranges throughout the country since the late Middle Ages as a kind of standing militia.

In February and March 1848, there were uprisings against the Habsburgs in many towns and cities in northern Italy. 1st Italian War of Independence went down in history. The hostilities in northern Italy called for the modernisation of the Tyrolean military. Innsbruck had become a base behind the front line. In 1851, the modernisation of the Inn barracks began. The barracks were primarily a military base. The soldiers, who came from all over the multi-ethnic empire of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, also brought international flair to Innsbruck. The mostly young lads livened up the city with their presence and their pay, even if life in the barracks left little room for manoeuvre. 

The barracks existed until 1978 before the province of Tyrol took it over as an official building. A few remains of the walls in the inner courtyard are still reminiscent of the medieval castle. A picture of the Inntores on the façade gives an impression of what the old fortifications and town gate looked like in the Middle Ages and early modern times.

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 the speech. The cathedral is also clearly visible in the cityscape in Albrecht Dürer's famous watercolour, which he painted in 1495 while passing through Innsbruck. However, there was no talk of a bishop's see at the time.

The fate of St Jakob's was not under a good star. The church burned down several times and the earthquake of 1689, which damaged more or less all of Innsbruck's houses, did not spare the cathedral. In the 18th century, the church of St Jakob was given its baroque appearance. After the unexpected death of the construction manager Johann Jakob Herkomer, Johann Georg Fischer took charge of the project. The church was consecrated in 1724. It was damaged in an air raid in 1944. After the war, both the exterior and interior had to be extensively renovated. After the First World War, the newly drawn border at the Brenner Pass made it difficult to administer North and South Tyrol together through one diocese. North Tyrol and Vorarlberg needed their own administration. Finally, in 1964, the former small branch of Wilten Abbey became Innsbruck Cathedral.

The front façade is decorated with impressively large statues of various saints, including St Notburga, one of Innsbruck's patron saints, and St Romed, who is said to have ridden a bear from Tyrol to Rome. The veneration of saints was at its peak in the 17th and 18th centuries. Baroque culture knew how to inspire people with good stories and the integration of popular legends into the canon in favour of the Roman church.

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 vom 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 to the nearby Ötztal valley to bring it to safety from the bombardments. If you walk carefully through the city, you will find the Mother of Mercy in many house facades or fountains. The image is also widespread outside Innsbruck in North and South Tyrol. A beautiful legend surrounds the large ceiling fresco by Cosmas Damian Amas (1686 - 1739). When the painter fell from the scaffolding during the work, St John is said to have stretched out his hand to save the maestro from certain death.

The tomb of Maximilian III of Austria takes up a good part of the nave. The kneeling sovereign of Tyrol is flanked by St George, the patron saint of the Teutonic Order. Archduke Eugene, who served in the army of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy as Tyrol's highest military officer during the First World War and was also a member of the Teutonic Order, is also buried here.

Heute ist der Domplatz ein beliebter, ruhiger Treffpunkt in der Altstadt, ist er doch nur wenige Schritte vom Goldenen Dachl and yet somewhat away from the tourist crowds. The benches in the small park invite you to take a cosy break while sightseeing.

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 house, designed by Gregor Türing, 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 in the 16th century, it already seems somewhat out of date, as 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 damaged 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. Whisper something on one side of the entrance arch and see if the other person hears the whispered word when they put their ear to the arch on the other side of the door. The façade is adorned 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 saving Vienna from the Turkish 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 Innsbruck residents and visitors with the eponymous grape juice in the 15th century. 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.

After numerous changes of ownership, Franz Happ took over the pub in 1874. Like many other buildings in the old town, the Weinhaus Happ was in a miserable state at the time. Unlike today, old buildings steeped in history were not to the taste of the public. After the façade collapsed, it had to be completely renovated.

Little by little, it became an Innsbruck institution. Even small theatre plays and performances were held here. In the 1920s, the parlour of the restaurant was redesigned according to the plans of the most famous representative of the architectural style of the Tiroler ModerneFranz Baumann (1892 - 1974), redesigned the building. The motto was less Tyrol and more modernity. Baumann loved to break up Tyrolean traditions and redefine them. Instead of a fully panelled parlour, he used wood more sparingly and followed a more functional style. Shortly afterwards, Baumann was commissioned as a freelance architect to design the stations on the Nordkette, which still feature his pioneering design today. The façade paintings of the

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. At this time, North and South Tyrol were already separated by the Brenner border. 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 provincial ruler always had to strike a fine balance in order to satisfy all interests and necessities as well as possible. The Happ wine house 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 today.

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 northern Europe, where wine did not grow, people mainly drank beer, in the Mediterranean countries wine. As a trading city between Italy and Germany, Innsbruck was influenced by this wine/beer line to the north and south.

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.

The oriel was a symbol of the prince's power in the heart of the city. The reliefs under the oriel show the territories over which Maximilian ruled. From left to right, the coats of arms of Austria, Hungary, the Holy Roman Empire, Germany, Burgundy, Milan, Styria and Tyrol are guarded by knights and animal figures.

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 during the great change around 1500.

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, much to Maximilian's taste. Some of the figures and reliefs still puzzle researchers to this day. One of them, the cipher that can be seen on the ribbon 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.

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