Bergisel ski jump in Innsbruck
Located in the Alpine foothills just south of Innsbruck, the forested hill at Bergisel has been the center of Tyrolean water sports since a ski jump was built there in 1927; since then Innsbruck has played host to three Winter Olympic Games. In celebration of this, a futuristic new ski jump – costing 15.6 million euros – was designed by British Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid and opened to great fanfare in 2002. Spending the day at Bergisel has rapidly become one of Innsbruck’s greatest visitor pastimes and it is open all year around (closed Tuesday between November and May).
The ski jump itself is 120 m (395 ft) long and skiers can reach 92 kmh (60 mph) on take off. A stadium with a seating capacity of 28,000 spreads out on either side of the ski jump, which is supported by an angular, 47-m (154-ft) tower, which stands atop Bergisel hill at 250 m (820 ft) above the Inn Valley.
Bergisel is within half an hour’s walk of Innsbruck city center (the last section is a steep slog) or can be reached via Tram No 1; the hill was the site of four legendary victories by Tyrolean revolutionaries over Napoleon in 1809 and a monument to rebel leader Andreas Hofer stands at its foot. Innsbruck’s newest attraction pays homage to this battle: the Tyrol Panorama (now part of the Tiroler Landesmuseum) features a circular diorama of the third battle and is found in a sparkling new military museum at the foot of the sculptural stadium. Created by German landscape artist Michael Zeno Diemer and his team in the 1890s, the masterpiece is formed from 27 separate canvases that are 11 m (36 ft) high and 30 m (98.5 ft) in radius, making it one of the largest dioramas in Europe. There’s a café there for a mid-morning coffee and close by there’s also a memorial plaque to Pope John-Paul II, who celebrated mass here in 1988.
Looming above the Tyrol Panorama, and accessible via 455 (steep) steps or by funicular plus elevator, is the glass-fronted viewing platform on top of the ski jump’s tower. It is adjacent to the panoramic Bergisel Sky restaurant for romantic lunches accompanied by 360-degree views across Innsbruck and the snow-clad peaks of Nordkette and Patscherkofel. Afterward admiring the views, descend the steps to the stadium, where you may be lucky enough to catch ski-jumping competitions take place against the backdrop of the beautiful Tyrolean Alps – the Austrian ski-jump team often practices here and their sessions are free to watch.
Spending the Day at Bergisel in Innsbruck from Vienna Things To Do