Europe 1987

Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan 2018

Europe 1987
 

Once again, we left for the day’s driving at about 9:00am.  Rather than taking the autobahn, we took the almost parallel, slower but more scenic Route 171 to Innsbruck.  On the way, we passed through huge storm clouds at Kundl, and then stopped for some time to explore Rattenberg, a lovely medieval town just 15 kilometres west of Wörgl. 

Unfortunately it was raining, but Di and I had a short walk around regardless of the wet weather while the children waited in the car.  Luckily, the rain cleared as we continued our drive to Innsbruck, just another 45 kilometres west. 

This was a public holiday, so we were able to park the car quite easily in the city centre.  We changed money, had lunch at Innsbruck Haupbahnhof (the main railway station), and then walked around the lovely old section of the city to its immediate west.  We especially loved the old painted buildings, ornate architecture and cobble stoned streets.  We would have liked to visit the Folk Museum, but it was closed for the holiday.  We did, however, make a visit to Hofkirche with its fascinating memorial tomb and surrounding bronze figures.

A particular highlight of our walk through the old city of Innsbruck was our last stop, the 15th century tower with a viewing deck near the pedestrian plaza corner of Herzog-Friedrich Strasse and Maria-Theresien Strasse.  A long, narrow circular staircase took us to the observation deck at the top of tower, and the views were fabulous, whether in the distance to the west over the Inn River and the colourful buildings facing Innstrasse to the Alps beyond, or immediately below us to Herzog-Friedrich Strasse and the Golden Roof (Goldenes Dachl), probably Innsbruck’s most famous symbol – a building completed in 1500 with an elaborate facade topped with a roof with more than two and a half thousand gilded golden tiles.  

Having explored the old section of Innsbruck, we resumed our drive, driving 55 kilometres back into Germany to Mittenwald, a beautiful alpine area located just on the northern side of the German-Austrian border.  The village of Mittenwald was lovely, but our destination was five kilometres further north along a series of narrow roads to the west of the main highway – the Youth Hostel (or as it was officially known, the DJH Jugendherberge Mittenwald).  What an idyllic scene we encountered, with the Youth Hostel set in alpine meadows, surrounded by mountains with a spectacular backdrop to the east of the Alps, beautifully illuminated by golden afternoon sunlight.

We had dinner at the Youth Hostel, during which we were soundly admonished by the manager: “You are in Germany.  You should speak German”.  I wish I had known how to reply in German: “I would if I could”.

Day 34

Wörgl to Mittenwald

Saturday 15 August 1987