By Bike

21st – 22nd August.

A couple of relaxing days in Innsbruck the capital of Tyrol in western Austria renowned for its rich, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and modern architectural heritage.

Sue and I chose three sites to wander.

First stop the beautiful 600 year old Hofgarten, a park between the old town and the Inn River, and home to some magnificent old trees including this sprawling 120 y/o gnarled Catalpa bignonioides.

Next the old town of medieval buildings sprawling with tourists and good pastries.

Finally, the renaissance era (late 16th-century) Ambras Castle, a transformed medieval structure commissioned by Archduke Ferdinand II as a gift for his wife, Philippine Welser.

He also established next to it a museum with a remarkable assemblage of art, armor, and curiosities from all over Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas.

The intricate inlays on the doors to the main hall (known as the Spanish Hall) were exquisite.

And this full-sized paper draft design for an ornate black marble cenotaph of Emperor Maximilian I created by Florian Abel, an artist from Prague.

The imperial courtyard…