INNSBRUCK
Innsbruck is the fifth-largest city in Austria and the provincial capital of Tyrol, as well as one of the largest cities in the Alps. It is in a valley of the river Inn between mountain ranges of above 2000 m above sea level, halfway between Bavaria and northern Italy, and is a hub of a region popular for skiing and other mountain-related activities and a busy tourist destination. Its popularity as a winter sports resort was underscored by its hosting the Winter Olympic Games twice.
Innsbruck offers the traveler an intriguing mix of contemporary and imperialist history, culture and architecture with a variety of architectural styles waiting to be discovered in every street.
The first mention of Innsbruck was during the reign of Augustus, when the Romans established the army station Veldidena (the name survives in today's urban district Wilten) at the locality named Oeni Pontum or Oeni Pons, which is Latin for bridge (pons) over the Inn (Oenus), the important crossing point over the Inn river, to protect Via Claudia Augusta, the economically important commercial road from Verona-Brenner-Augsburg.
- Wikivoyage