INNSBRUCK

Directly from Venice, we took the train to a lovely little town in Austria called Innsbruck, which is nestled in a valley of the Nordkette mountain range. Because of the beautiful surroundings, hiking, mountain biking, walking, and skiing are very popular here. The Olympic ski jump events have even been hosted in Innsbruck!
Our first impression was that everything is different from Italy, from the architecture and food to the weather and the landscape! I love it already! 

We started our first day with an INCREDIBLE breakfast at Cafe Crema, a little cafe down an alleyway. I got a chai latte which was DELICIOUS! (Thank you, Mom, for introducing me to chai lattes, something that has already become one of my favorite things in the world!!!) We ordered freshly baked goods to share: a butter scone,  cinnamon scone, avocado toast,  sourdough bread with chive butter, and banana bread with an espresso mascarpone. My favorite was definitely the banana bread – that espresso mascarpone paired PERFECTLY and now I NEED to figure out how to make it!!!

After breakfast, we set off to do our own walking tour. We first climbed the Stadtturm, a landmark watchtower that was built in the 1400s. It was first used as a watchtower for fires. They would strike a bell in different patterns to alert people which area of Innsbruck the fire was. At the top was a lookout point, where we saw lots of colorful houses and a golden roof. We continued walking from plaza to plaza admiring statues and fountains, and then ended our tour at the Innsbrucker Hofgarten just as a few raindrops started to fall. 

Innsbruck is so beautiful and quaint. I would love to come back someday, to stay longer and to explore the surrounding areas!