Innsbruck

Innsbruck, city in western Austria, capital of Tirol (Tyrol) Province, on the Inn River. Innsbruck is at the junction of two important commercial routes: the Arlberg Pass, connecting western and eastern Europe, and the Brenner Pass which links Austria with Italy. An important centre of commerce, the city is also a popular winter-sports resort, and was the site of the 1964 and 1976 Winter Olympics.

Places of historical interest include the famous Fürstenburg castle (15th century), with its balcony covered by a gilded copper roof; the Hofkirche, a Franciscan church dating from the 16th century and containing the monumental tomb of Maximilian I, Holy Roman emperor; the former imperial palace, which dates from the 17th and 18th centuries; and Innsbruck University (1669).

In ancient times the Roman settlement of Veldidena occupied the site of the suburb of Wilten. Innsbruck, first mentioned in the 12th century, became the capital of Tirol in 1420. Population 116,851 (2006 estimate).