[selfdrive]

Originally Posted by kaushik_s

Woww, Hallstat seems to be a photographers delight. Oh I so wish to visit these European places for atleast a month and doing nothing but to soak in to the beauty and clicking like a madman. Oh I wish..

One month each is probably decent time for each of these fine countries

Originally Posted by tsk1979

With wifi connected, it was time to download Sygic. Cost is 40$ for EU maps, but 1 week trial is free. Since after starting from Sistrans, we had 7 days more, the free trial would be perfect.

Amazing attention to detail, especially with this trial thingy!

The picture postcard pic is fabulous. It seems to be taken from a vantage point. Was it a pullover/ layoff from the road or did you trek up there?

[kaushik_s]

Originally Posted by selfdrive

One month each is probably decent time for each of these fine countries

Amen!! I hope that I'll get a photographer's job in one of these European countries someday and spend more than a month in each of these countries.
Tanveer, we are waiting for more and we are hungry for more to satiate our eyes.

[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by rxpaul

Great going TSK ! Did you do all the driving yourself ? 671 kms ie. Google shows a beautiful covered bridge at Innsbruck....did you get to see that ?

Yes. Most car rental companies charge 4 EU/day extra if there is an additional driver. So I was the only driver.

Originally Posted by pawan_pullarwar

Austria is very much similar to Switzerland in terms of beauty, I have visited only Hallstatt in Austria. I will plan for Innsbruck after reading your travelog

I would suggest, spend half a day there. You will know why. Better to head southwards towards the Alps(Italo-austro-swiss border). You will soon know why I am saying that. And guess what, we missed the dolomites, but they are practically in your backyard

Originally Posted by selfdrive

One month each is probably decent time for each of these fine countries



Amazing attention to detail, especially with this trial thingy!

The picture postcard pic is fabulous. It seems to be taken from a vantage point. Was it a pullover/ layoff from the road or did you trek up there?

It was taken from within the town. So after parking car we had to walk about a km to reach here.

Originally Posted by kaushik_s

Amen!! I hope that I'll get a photographer's job in one of these European countries someday and spend more than a month in each of these countries.
Tanveer, we are waiting for more and we are hungry for more to satiate our eyes.

New update coming up ASAP. I will most probably make this update today itself

[Prowler]

Breath taking photography and exceptionally well written prose to accompany your travelogue Tanveer. You are amazing. One word to describe this : Awesome.

[contactme27]

Excellent write up TSK. After long time, I am very much glued to this Travelogue. I am waiting for next set. I almost speak a 6 hours on this thread reading from beginning and making a note of sight seeing places and your info on the bookings as well. Some gut feeling I have now is that I like to pick up this route as a start point and drive around the places.

[tsk1979]

We got a good night sleep, and therefore started the day a little late, with breakfast happening at 8:30am.
Unlike our Vienna breakfasts, here we had eggs. The food also seemed fresher, and the weather was cooler.
Now we had two choices. Catch the bus to Innsbruck(about 5-6kms away) roam city center, and catch the bus back. Total cost would be approx 8$+ whatever local pass we take inside the city.
However, innsbruck has the concept of park and ride. You pay 8$ for parking and then this ticket also acts as a day pass for the bus ride!

So this option was chosen, and finally by 10am we were out on the open road.

The village of Sistrans is actually on a hill overlooking the city, so its cooler, and gives you views which can be called quite nice.


A picture of the car park. You can see it towards the left of the frame


Now everything was not very smooth you see. ZaNavi did not have "street" level addresses and Innsbruck, though a small city, was not that small. So we went around in circles quite a bit, parked in a few "Restricted Parkings" till locals explained to us what to look for.

Anyhow, we located Olympia world, and car was parked.

Time to catch the local bus to the city center.
This was a simple affair. We asked the first bus which came about city center, and the driver told us the bus number.

Actually, come to think of it, German or no German, its very difficult to get lost in Innsbruck or even Vienna. Locals are extremely helpful, and will often go out of the way.

Anyways, the bus dropped us to the city center, and so began our walking tour of "see whatevers free" thingy.

First thing to see was the Heroes arch. This marks the beginning of historical center of Innsbruck




This is a horse cart, which has stopped on a red light. The driver has gotten down, to pick up excreta. See, if your horse poops, you cannot just let the poop be on the road. You have to stop and pick it up.


Anyways, as we walk towards the city "center", which is very near, since innsbruck is truly tiny w.r.t Wein, the buildings start getting older. Architecture is similar to Vienna, but there are subtle differences. For example, there is use of color here, which was missing in Vienna


Another Innsbruck attraction, the Trams

The Innsbruck city has a tram museum, so if Trams are you thing do go there. They are not our thing, I am not sure whether its free or not.

A similar building in Wein would be cream colored, with a blue dome, but this city has more color



A view of the town center




The pink church of innsbruck. Its actually rated as one of the best "unknown" attractions of Innsbruck. The pink church is pink in color. What did you expect, blue colored pink church?


Though their number is smaller than what you get in Vienna, street performers can be seen in Vienna too!


However, not too many people are singing here. Mostly its the statue kind. The people above were depicting polish refugees(Or was it Hungarian ones...?).


And this is another major attraction of Innsbruck... Not the grey lady who is a girl dressed up like a statue, but the Golden roof. I did not really find it much of an attraction. Innsbruck, though colorful and quaint, feels like a village version of Vienna. There is nothing much to see in the city as such, but the views.... They are truly wonderful. As far as location is concerned, Innsbruck is an ideal place to make as a base for your excursions.




We roamed around some, looking for ice cream, and then found something else to spend money on. There is a city tower in Innsbruck, where you climb some godforsaken number of steps to get to the top. From there you see the city. But to climb up, you need to pay 3 EU!

So it was decided, I would take the cam and go up the tower, click the 360 view of the city, and then bore you guys with the view in the next post..

[Indian Ranger]

Wonderful pictures and locations Tanveer. Thanks for showcasing Europe in such a beautiful manner. Architecture and buildings reminds me of my visit to Denmark. Lovely.

[tsk1979]

The tower has a lot of steps, just like most towers. You climb the steps to reach a high point, from where you can see the entire city.

In this post, you will see innsbruck, with its old and new buildings, with its cathedrals, and its spires... and of course, the mountains











Thats the ski jump. In winters if you are crazy enough, you can ski downwards at break everything speeds









The famous view of innsbruck, the row houses. Best view is actually from the river, where we will go later.

[pawan_pullarwar]

Very beautiful pictures. How I missed Innsbruck, now I have only 10 days to leave Europe, hope I will get time to visit this beautiful city.

[tsk1979]

After the city views, it was time to return to earthly pleasures.
Like all towers without lifts, this tower also had lots of stairs, which I had climbed. Coming down allowed me to take pics, as you do not have to pay too much attention to not panting




After getting down to the city center, or the Bazaar, as you may call it, it was time to see the Cathedral
Now I could have titled this post as the Catherdral and the Bazaar, but since this post will be about the Cathedral, lets call it the C and the C.

Anyways, we reach the front of the cathedral, and frankly speaking, it looks ordinary. There are billions of old people standing in front of this old building


Its called the Basilica Wilten, or Wilten Basilica, depending upon whether you like to speak words starting with W first, or words starting with B first.

Its a very important destination of Innsburck, and you can call it the "must see" thingy.

Outside the walls there are carvings


So after going through very big wooden doors, we enter yet another Basilica, and then.... our Jaws dropped.
This greeted us


When your jaw is dropping, you tend to look up, and then this is what you see


And then you realize, this is something you don't just marvel and stare, this is something you look at it detail., For example





This is an 18th century "Basilica". Since it has Basilica in its name, it means it enjoys special status from the Pope.
This church is different in a way that its very "lady oriented".
Judith, Mary... etc., you get the drift.

Anyways more pics




Unlike many other churches, what makes this stand out is the "colorful" theme. Basilicas are usually imposing and sober places. Not this one


The paintings are classic


And the roof...
extraordinary




Here and there, there are wooden statues


But the statue of Jesus is grand. Most churches have crucification statue, but this one has both.



As with many European churches, angels and demons dominate here too






Due to the big domes, and bright paint scheme, photography here is much easier.

Another ceiling shot


the Main altar, in an earlier pic I had posted the overall view, this is a closup of one of the lamps.


More


The below statue is over great significance, but I have no idea what that is


And there ends the tour of Basilica Wilten, or Wilten Basilica!

[dkaile]

Great going Mate. Keep it coming. I may not be commenting but I am a daily visitor on your wonderful thread.

[yosbert]

Is that the church organ in, ummm lets see, 9th picture from the top? Must say it looks quite impressive. Wish you had a closeup of that one.

Anyway, am glued to the thread since its inception. Amazing, fabulous, .... insert any other superlative that you may fancy (but then you do not need any endorsement from me, do you?)! All I say is keep them coming, its already a month and we are just into middle of day 3.

[lsp]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

....
The below statue is over great significance, but I have no idea what that is
....

Must be one of the many Saints. Below is the pic of some saints in front of Cathedral Salzburg, Austria. The saint in your picture seems to be holding a similar kind of staff in his hand.

L-R St. Rupert, St. Paul, St. Peter and St. Virgil.

[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by dkaile

Great going Mate. Keep it coming. I may not be commenting but I am a daily visitor on your wonderful thread.

Thanks!

Originally Posted by yosbert

Is that the church organ in, ummm lets see, 9th picture from the top? Must say it looks quite impressive. Wish you had a closeup of that one.

Anyway, am glued to the thread since its inception. Amazing, fabulous, .... insert any other superlative that you may fancy (but then you do not need any endorsement from me, do you?)! All I say is keep them coming, its already a month and we are just into middle of day 3.

I will try to speed up over the weekend
Yes, thats the church organ. Unfortunately, no closups.
But I will try to dig in some more shots from my collection

Originally Posted by lsp

Must be one of the many Saints. Below is the pic of some saints in front of Cathedral Salzburg, Austria. The saint in your picture seems to be holding a similar kind of staff in his hand.
Attachment 826764
L-R St. Rupert, St. Paul, St. Peter and St. Virgil.

Thanks! Thats quite informative. I am very bad with the history bit, esp if its not "mythological"

[tsk1979]

After the Wilten Basilica, it was time to roam the city some more.
We had seen almost all there was to see, except for the Schlos Ambrass, or the Ambrass castle.
Since it sat above the city, on a hill, where most castles sit, it was chosen for the end.
For now it was city time



Yet another Church




Really loved the geometric roof. Simple black white and many shades of grey




Like all European cities, Innsbruck also has many fountains and fountain squares. Like this one


With their statues of course


The insbruck congress building. No relation, even remotely to ours


And last, but not the least, the famous row house view of Innsbruck



After that, its time to catch the tram to take us to a place. A very special place, where we can catch a bus to see the Schloss umbrass


Goodbye market square


A getz and a swift!


And then at quarter to 3, we are at the last stop. We will have to walk almost 2kms up, to the castle!