Innsbruck

by Adminblog | Oct 26, 2020 | Destinations, Tailor made tours from Salzburg

Innsbruck – a city in the heart of the Alps

Innsbruck is the main city of the region called Tyrol in Austria. It is the 5th biggest city in Austria and has a big university with over 30.000 students. The city is located in the Inn valley (that goes from the Arlberg area toward Germany / Bavaria). Innsbruck is surrounded by mountains and has in north the Nordkette, part of the Karwendel mountains and in the south the line central mountains with the Patscherkofel mountain. It is therefore also seen a one of the most interesting alpine towns as it is surrounded by mountains that can be as beautiful as imagined on clear days and as threatening as possible during cloudy days. The city of Innsbruck is in the valley at an altitude of 1.880 ft. above sea level and is surrounded by mountains that are over 7.800ft. above sea level. Therefore it is considered to be in the heart of the alps. In the south the Brenner pass is one of the most important passes in the alps where already roman troops and others traveled over to get to the area north of the alps. Through the Inn valley most people traveled then on to the area of Rosenheim, where the valley opens then to more smooth hills to the north, east and west. there is also a pass towards the north but historically not as much used. Nowadays if you come by train to Innsbruck from Munich or Italy, you will either go through the inn valley, or over the Brenner pass to get to Innsbruck.

Also an airport has been opened in Innsbruck but only with a special training pilots are allowed to land due to the thermal winds that happen some few times at this airport.

The city of Innsbruck is nowadays popular among all people that are interested in winter sports. Innsbruck was also for two times location of the winter olympic games and holds within the city area every year the world cup of ski jumping. A very thrilling event.

In the summer time people come to this attractive city to experience the mountains very close by and to reach up to the mountains by cable car, funicular, car and hiking. Another attraction is definitely to see also the mountain zoo of Innsbruck were rare animals of the alps are shown.

Innsbruck also brings you back in time with many attractions and historically buildings that show you the importance of Innsbruck in former times. One of the most important building in the town is the city’s landmark: The golden roof.

The first settlements in Innsbruck go back to 3.000 years ago when settlements were found around the center of Innsbruck. The romans arrived at about 15 before christ to make there a military station against invaders. It was only destroyed then in the 7th century. The main church of Tirol was located at Brixen in South Tyrol which used to be part of Tyrol until the first World war when the southern part of Tyrol (including most parts of the Dolomites) became Italy and the area of Tyrol was separated. Innsbruck itself has the first proofed settlement at the beginning of the 12th century when also the first bridge over the Inn River was established in Innsbruck, therefore also the name of the bridge over the Inn. Since the 13th century the city right has been given to Innsbruck and soon the connection to the Habsburg family was given. This meant for the city a very strategically position since everybody that passed over the Brenner from Italy, or that needed to go to Italy had to pass the bridge at Innsbruck and tolls were the biggest income for the city. Therefore already in the 15th century the golden roof has been constructed to show also the richness of the city.

This meant also that in the 16th century the biggest military base in Austria has been established to prevent foreign armies to invade the area. Also by that time the beginning of the postal system has been established together with the family Tassis from Italy to send letter and announces into the Habsburg empire by horse riders and knights. Members of the family Tassis married then into the german house of Thurn and became then the inventors of the postal system as we know it nowadays.

Since the 19th century the railway through the Inn valley is operating and connect Woergl, Kufstein, Innsbruck with Germany and since the end of the 19th century also over the Brenner pass and the Arlberg mountain to Switzerland.

The 20th century leaded to drastically changes in Innsbruck: After the first world war Tyrol was divided in North tyrol, South Tyrol and led to a lot of people that fled from south tyrol to Innsbruck where they found new places to stay. After the second world war Innsbruck was under the rule of the Americans that helped to rebuild the city, the university and the airport. Already in 1948 the first helicopter for search and rescue was placed in Innsbruck and it is until nowadays the most important station of these helicopters within the alps.

In 1964 and 1976 Innsbruck was the place where the olympic winter games have taken place. Still nowadays some stadiums and locations can be found, even if adapted to nowadays times. The winter sport plays still the most important role in the area. Skiing areas are very close by and all famous skiing or snowboard brands are sold in the locations. Another very famous company in this area is Swarovski in the nearby Wattens where also a museum can give more inside about the factory, history and products.

Innsbruck is famous for its touristically area being directly in the middle of Northern tyrol with all famous ski resorts within the area. Innsbruck is the center of the trading in the area and on the main road to get from north to south in Europe. One of the biggest industry in Innsbruck has been the production of Loden (made of thick, water-resistant woolen material with a short pile). Nowadays the production is still going on but not any more so important as it used to be. Besides that the city of Innsbruck hosts many hospitals, university students and international tourists. Tourism is the biggest income for the city and lots of efforts are done to keep everything clean, safe and nice so that many more tourists come to this region.  The importance that Innsbruck used to have is shown in all the beautiful buildings in the city and also by the summer residences of the Habsburg family, like castle of Ambras, the Hofburg of Innsbruck, the golden roof, an the castle of Hungerburg (getting there by funicular). Visitable at any time is also the skiing jump that holds the world cup within the city and the alpine zoo in the north of Innsbruck which hosts one of the finest collection of alpine animals within the alps and which is the highest zoo (at about 2.250 ft. above sea level) in Europe. Each year lots of sportive events take place in the winter time in Innsbruck, such as the world cup for ski jumping, the air & Style contest, a snowboard jump contest and the world cup of sledging in the ice track of Innsbruck.

Innsbruck‘s heritage

Innsbruck is nowadays not only the heritage of it’s own history but also is a town directly within the heart of the alps. You can see that mountains and sports are so close and still it is on the main traffic route between north and south and from Switzerland to the eastern part of Austria. It is to show how impressive mountains are and can be combined so perfectly with a city in the middle of the Inn valley, where you can explore the history of the winter olympic games and other mountain sports. But do not miss out to visit the city not only in the heart of the old town but also from one of the surrounding mountains, like the Berg Isl, the Hungerburg funicular, or the Norkettenbahn. Visit Innsbruck and learn a lot of this city – history and fascinating stories of traditions, mountains and nature – bespecialtours!

Innsbruck city tours and Innsbruck tour

If you want to enjoy some great time in Innsbruck, book a private tour to Innsbruck with B(e)special Tours from Salzburg, or arrive directly in Munich, enjoy a city tour with our comfortable vans, enjoy a guided tour through the town of Innsbruck and continue a nice drive through Germany and Austria. So if you are planning to come to Innsbruck, or if you want to Visit the city of Innsbruck and the Inn river valley and the alp’s mountains coming from Salzburg then please do not miss a nice ride with b(e)special tours! It is fun for youngsters and the older ones and you can taste a lot of delicious typical Austrian dishes a! Enjoy the fascinating city of Innsbruck – Innsbruck and history – with fresh ideas, food and a lots of fun – bespecialtours!

Vienna

by Adminblog | Oct 18, 2020 | Destinations, Tailor made tours from Salzburg

Vienna – the capital of Austria

Vienna is for sure one of the most various, biggest, musical and interesting cities in Austria. As the capital of Austria it has at the moment almost 1,9 mil residences, it is the biggest city of Austria and almost 1/4 of the inhabitants of Austria live in Vienna. It is the cultural, economical and political center of Austria. Apart from being the City of Music, it is also considered to be the city of dreams since the psycho analytic Freud lived and worked in this town.

Vienna is known for it’s quality of life. Since 2005 it has always been in the top 3 ranking of one of the most “alit of Life” surveys and was also ranked by the economist Intelligent Unit as the second most livable city in the world. The reason is very simple explained: You will find Vienna as one of the most “green” city, with lots of parks, lots of wood and is surrounded by the “Wienerwald”, the viennese wood that also used to be the hunting area for kings and queens. One of the most important part is the drinking water quality of Vienna. Every now and then you will find free water supplies. The water comes from the nearby “Semmering” mountain area and support’s Vienna with fresh mountain water. This is also the reason why it tastes so well. Working and recreation can be perfectly combined within the city. If you like to go for a walk, Vienna offers a big variety of parks within the city center and even more in the outskirts. If you like to run the parks give a great opportunity, otherwise next to one of the Danube arms. In vienna is more than one river. First of all you have the Wien river, where there is limited possibility to run and cycle. Then you have the danube canal, where you can find also a swimming pool on a ship, bars and lots of young people partying during the evenings, the old danube (very clean and a nature protected area where you can even search for animals that are on a protected list), the Danube and the new Danube. So if this is not enough of water, then there is even the possibility to take a hike through vineyards and nice views over the city from the viennese highroad (Höhenstrasse), next to the Hotel Kobenzl and for miles along the hills.

Vienna is also surrounded by vinyards and therefore is one of the only capital cities in the world that produces wine within the city boundaries. With this matter it is a perfect combination of nature, wine, work and freetime. You have to try one of the wines in one of the typically local places the so-called Heuriger. There you can interact with locals but can also enjoy your time with music, nice food and excellent wine.

Besides that Vienna welcomes you with the highlights of history, art and music. With most of the galleries in the city centers, it is the art capital of central Europe. Besides that also a lot of history welcomes you in Vienna and for sure not to forget the music. In vienna is every day another concert. It is just the difficulty of choice because too many choices of high quality concerts, from the Vienna boy’s choir, to the Spanish horse riding schools (with it’s Lipizaner), to the Vienna Opera house, you will find Vienna as the capital of classical music of the world. So why not stay some more days in order to feel the choice of this town. Get information about concerts prior t make sure to have a reservation.

Vienna is therefore a highlight of your Europe trip and to see more about this town. The history of this town is so amazing. Once in the 17th century Austria was the biggest country of the world. The Habsburg family ruled over this country for centuries. It was a mix of all different cultures, Slavic, Germans, Italians, etc. and still it worked well until the beginning of the first world war. Sure that in between there were always some rivals and problems but all in all the city was always in the center of the empire and therefore shows also it’s importance in the architectural style, in the buildings and the history that can be found at almost every street corner of the city. The St. Stephan’s cathedral and the cemetery under it’s fundaments where a lot of “ghost stories” took place, to the burial area where the Habsburg’s rulers have been buried (in the Kapuziner Kruft), through one of the most prestigious roads “the Graben”, which used to be once upon a time the middle aged city protection walls to the Hofburg, the imperial palace which was contructed over centuries and hosts nowadays the national library of Vienna, the offices of the Opec, the Sissi Museum where you can find how the emperor and his wife lived in this winter palace and ruled there. Also attached is the spanisch hors riding school, one of the greatest and finest horse training schools in the world. The Lipizaner horses are all white horses and the horse riders are training with the horses for years before preforming in the horse riding school to see what the horses can do and the combination of music. Once upon a time they were the elite of the Austrian Army and showed what the horses can do but soon it turned into a tradition and is nowadays known as the finest school and seen as an art. Also in the Homburg you will find the treasury of the Habsburg empire. The treasury not only hosts the crown of the holy roman empire but also the tooth of St. John the baptist, pieces of the cross of jesus, etc. You will have to see it in order to believe or not to believe and to judge by yourself. But next to the Homburg you will find the two most important museums of the City: The nature museum with one of the biggest collections of nature worldwide and the museum of art. It is one of the most important collection of art in the world and well-known by a lot of art lovers around the world. Do not miss to see also the “Secession”, next to it where Gustav Klimt used to have a work-room there. The pictures of Klimt can be seen nowadays in the “upper Belvedere”, a former summer residence from a nobel person and is just some few stops by streetcar from the famous opera building away. It is always a highlight to see it and to enjoy it because the art and the location is a perfect location.

Also Music can be found at all times in Vienna. The greatest classical music composers lived in this town and worked there. Haydn, Beethoven, Mozart, Strauss, etc. all lived and composed in Vienna. Their pieces are played all around the world and some centuries ago it was the capital of music in the world. Still Music plays a very big role in the Austrian history and in the Vienna’s every day life. Operas and classical music concerts take place almost every day. You just have to take a choice which music pleases you most. The locations are all stunning and the quality of music is always on a very high level. But also in a Viennese every day life music plays a role. As a child it is nothing unusual to learn at least one instrument in school and even already in Kindergarten. As a teenager the “dancing school” is taking place, in which manners and classical and modern dances will be tough to teenagers. It is nothing unusually in Vienna and Austria and latest at one of the “Balls” they can perform and dance with everybody. One of the highlights of Vienna is the “Opera Ball” at which the State opera house becomes one of the biggest dance floors in the world and all the VIPS and wannabes of Vienna and Austria will show off and enjoy a great evening.

So even nowadays music, dance and art fits perfectly together in this setting of Vienna. Historical buildings are open and just wait to be explored. Even if you do not want to pay entrance fees but just seeing also some of the state offices (which are open to the public) show the old style and history of this city. High ceilings and wooden floors are almost every day. Architectures will be interested in seeing the architectural combination of centuries of different styles all together combined with modern art architecture, and also extravagant architecture, like the architecture of Hunderwasser who created several buildings and sights within the city area but also some classical architectural and Design elements, like the famous chairs of Thonet that can be still found in most of the Viennese coffee houses.

The Viennese coffee culture is a culture by it’s own. You will find all different coffees in them, offered mostly by waiters and waitresses all dressed up in black and white. They will offer you the daily newspaper to read there and you will see that when ordering a coffee, you will always get a glass of water. The reason why this water is there, is a bit open of discussions. Some say it is to alway have the taste, like the first zip of the coffee, some say that since coffee dehydrates, you need to drink water and others say that this way the coffee does not taste so strong. But it is a must to try it and you can even then sit in coffee houses where already Freud, composers, politicians and others have taken their coffee. You will be taken the orders by  waiter for the drinks and then another waiter passes with cakes to choose from.

You have not been in Austria, if you have not tried the pastries, already a famous composer mentioned. One of the most famous pastry is the apple strudel, that can be found all over Austria and the world famous Sacher Torte, which is a chocolate cake with a layer of apricot marmalade (which adds the calories in the cake, since chocolate does not have any calories.).

Vienna reflects the Austrian culture very well and shows you how old traditions can be combined and still make workable together. The heritage of the monarchy, the best collections of Art and science and also the amazing music are all combined with nice scenery, architecture and played-back culture in Vienna. No other capital city of the world seems to work well, precise and without all the big stress of capital cities. All this symphony works together. Also because throughout the history it has been always a melting pot of different cultures and ethnical backgrounds and it still works together. Over the history sure problems occurred but now it seems as all of the ethnically groups and different cultures seem to live together in peace and without any problems. Austria is a neutral country and therefore organizations like the United Nations love to be here. Furthermore also other organizations have seats in Vienna because this way they can held they discussions on a neutral ground and can work in harmony together without any politically or other influence.

Vienna’s heritage

Vienna is nowadays not only the heritage of it’s own history but also a mirror of how this enormous country was all combined in this city. Architecturally, naturally, art wise, music wise and all other forms of expressions. It is also nowadays a symbol of how ethnically groups and cultures can all live in one place and therefore is so much loved by a lot of people and is constantly increasing from the number of inhabitants. It is a perfect harmony of music, culture, palaces, wine, parks and nature. Visit Vienna and learn a lot of this city – history and fascinating stories of music, politics, kings and queens, bishops and vines – b(e)specialtours!

Vienna city tours and Vienna tour

If you want to enjoy some great time in Vienna, book a private tour to Vienna with B(e)special Tours from Salzburg, or arrive directly in Vienna, enjoy a city tour with our comfortable vans, enjoy a guided tour through the town of Vienna and continue a nice drive through Austria. So if you are planning to come to Vienna, or if you want to visit the city of Vienna and the cities along the drive coming from Salzburg then please do not miss a nice ride with b(e)special tours! It is fun for youngsters and the older ones and you can taste a lot of delicious typical Austrian dishes and of course a lot of Beer! Enjoy the fascinating city of Vienna – Vienna and history – with fresh ideas, food and a lots of fun – bespecialtours!

Waterfall Golling

by Adminblog | Aug 23, 2020 | Destinations, Tailor made tours from Salzburg

The Waterfall of Golling

The Golling waterfall, originally called Schwarzbachfall or Schwarzenbachfall, is a waterfall located in the Tennengau (Austria) on the municipal border between Golling on the Salzach and Kuchl. It is at about 30 kilometers (18,6 miles) from Salzburg and at about 10 kilometers (6,2 miles) from Hallein, the municipal city of the Tennengau. The waterfall has a drop of around 100 meters (around 300ft.) and comes directly from the Schwarzbachfall cave.

two waterfalls behind each other at the Göllmassiv mountain

The Golling waterfall consists of two consecutive waterfalls located on the eastern slope of the Göllmassiv, to the left in the Salzachtal at the Nikolausberg above the pilgrimage’s church. It has a drop height of 75 meters (around 230ft.), with the last stage having a height of 25 meters(ca. 75 ft.). The upper stage is covered by a natural bridge. You can walk the whole way up and get real amazing impressions of the waterfall and the cave were the water comes to the surface.

The waterfall gets all its water from a karst source, which drains the Göllstock mountain, and comes through the system of the Schwarzbachfall cave. The cave portal is 5 meters (ca. 15ft.) wide, but only about one meter high, and little deep. A recent suspected outflow from the Königssee could not be confirmed by recent researches. In spite of all this, colored water seems to be found in the Golling waterfall starting from a certain place in the Königssee – so maybe there is a connection. There is also an old Celtic legend, which I shall return to later.

At a 5-6 °C (around 38°F) water temperature and has a flow of a minimum of 30liters (about 10 gallons) to a maximum of 42,416 liters (14000 gallons) per second.

The waterfall and the power to it

Passing by two decaying mills, which are located directly at the brook you are on a lovely and romantic way. Along the way there are always benches.

Even if the vegetation seems alpin – the start of the waterfall is at 500m altitude, so not even 100m above the height of the city of Salzburg.
From the foot of the waterfall you can see two bridges in the upper part, called the Witch’s Cauldron.
The climb on the left side of the waterfall can be done up to the level of the wooden bridge (safe shoes are recommended). The path is regularly maintained and renovated and made accessible to you as a visitor. From the height of the wooden bridge, the path is partly washed out, some of the remains of fallen trees are present.
The walkway is largely provided with a handrail, stairs facilitate walking across the floor and stone – the picture comes from the lower section of the excursion destination, the path to the waterfall.

The path was originally built by Ernst Fürst von Schwarzenberg. Along the path there are signs.

This path is not ideal for people with limited walking or strollers. In this case we would recommend staying at the lower waterfall.

The celtic mythology around the waterfall

You will be surprised, but some people say that this place is mystically and full pf power. It is up to you to believe or not but during research lately scientists found out that the celtics already used this location as a power place on which also celtic celebrations took place.

If it was a place at which also sacrifices were made we do not know.

But also the celtic mythologies took place: It is said that somewhere in the mountain of the Hoher Göll, from were the waterfalls start, there is a place where the should of the dead strong celtic soldiers are stored in tone vases. Any girl that wants to be pregnant has to take a bath at the bottom of the second waterfall and then 9months later she should get a strong and powerful baby.

So who knows if this is the only mythology that took place there.

Another mythology is told that there used to live a white alpine goat and  whoever kills that goat will die tragically.

You see that it is a powerful and also natural sight. So enjoy this place and learn more about it.

Drive with us to the waterfall of Golling and enjoy a spectacular walk through the nature to the waterfall. Learn more about this area and the Salzach valley and see the magic of water. We are looking forward to meet you here in Salzburg. Best regards and a good travel Bespecialtours!