Innsbruck and Tirol

The province Tirol is so different from the rest of Austria that you might think you've crossed a border, and in a way you have. The frontier between Salzburg and Tirol is defined by mountains; four passes routed over them are what make traffic possible. The faster trains cut across Germany rather than agonizing through the Austrian Alps. To the west, Tirol is separated from neighboring Vorarlberg by the Arlberg Range.

In winter you'll find masses of deep, sparkling powder snow; unrivaled skiing and tobogganing, and bizarre winter carnivals with grotesquely masked mummers. Come summer, you can enjoy breathtaking picture-postcard Alpine scenery, cool mountain lakes, and rambles through forests. Throughout the year there are yodeling and zither music, villagers in lederhosen and broad-brim feathered hats, and, of course, the sounds of those distinctive cowbells.

And what about the Tyroleans themselves? Like most other mountain peoples, the Tyroleans are proud and independent—so much so that for many centuries the natives of one narrow valley fastness had little communication with their "foreign" neighbors in the next valley. (It's still possible to find short, dark, and slender residents in one valley and blond, blue-eyed, strapping giants in the next.) But Tirol can also be very cosmopolitan, as any visitor to Innsbruck will attest. The city is Tirol's treasure house—historically, culturally, and commercially. It's also sited smack dab in the center of the Tyrolean region and makes a convenient base from which to explore. Even if you are staying at an area resort, spend a day or two in Innsbruck first: it will give you a clearer perspective on the rest of the region.

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