Innsbruck, the “Bridge over the Inn”, is the capital of Austria's Tirol and home to one of Europe's most delightful historic old town centres. Surrounded by the craggy peaks of the Austrian Alps, it scores both as an Alpine playground and as a showcase for Habsburg Empire heritage.

The war ended in Innsbruck on 3 May 1945, when units of the US 103rd Infantry Division entered the city. Before, Gauleiter Franz Hofer had delivered a radio speech and forbidden any resistance. From December 1943 to April 1945, 60 percent of the buildings in Innsbruck were damaged and 461 people were killed.

Although Croatian, Hungarian, Slovenian, Turkish, and other languages are spoken by the various minority groups, nearly all people in Austria speak German. The dialect of German spoken in Austria, except in the west, is Bavarian, sometimes called Austro-Bavarian. About seven million people speak Bavarian in Austria.

Innsbruck is a great city to visit year round. While the weather can vary quite a lot, the different seasons show Innsbruck in different ways. Visiting Innsbruck in summer obviously means you'll have warmer weather, though the chance of a rainy day is higher.