... goes the refrain of an old Tyrolean folk song, and that is how most Innsbruckers would describe their home.

Indeed, the town's location on the river Inn is really unique. Lying in the valley of the Inn and surrounded by a breathtaking backdrop of mountains, Innsbruck, with its approximately 120,000 inhabitants and a catchment area of about 190,000 people, is Austria's fifth largest town. Founded in 1180 AD, the region's capital city extends over a surface area of about 105 km².

Innsbruck is 574 metres above sea level and is not only an urban centre but also a centre for Winter sports and tourism, with 1.25 million overnight stays per year. The town has found fame by hosting the Winter Olympics on two separate occasions (1964 and 1976).

Together with tourism, it is young people, above all, who add colour to the town: with two universities and two technical colleges Innsbruck can certainly lay claim to being a student town. Generations of students from South Tirol and Germany have been able to enjoy living and working amongst the mountains and they quickly adopt Innsbruck as their new home.

Because of the large number of young people there are plenty of bars and cafés that make the night-life pretty impressive for a relatively small town.

Of particular note are the three cultural centres that generate a vibrant alternative scene in a town that is otherwise fairly conservative. These are the Kulturgasthaus Bierstindl at the foot of the IselMountain (where the matches will be broadcast publicly), the Treibhaus in the centre of town and the P.M.K. in the Bogenmeile (near the fan camp).

In contrast with the mighty scenery that surrounds it, there are very few green areas and parks within the city itself, leading some wagging tongues to have suggested that the best thing about Innsbruck is how quickly you can get out of it. The truth is that it does only take 15 minutes or so to get back to the high alpine landscapes with their wonderful panoramic views over Innsbruck and the surrounding mountain peaks.

And so some Innsbruckers still sing the old folk song...

"Where once with wine I wooed a girl,
I spent my youth’s brightest days,
Innsbruck I love you day and night,
Innsbruck I love you day and night!"

www.innsbruck.info