Awesomely Historic Austria Innsbruck Fools the Eye, Wins the Heart by Glenda Winders Visitors who overlook Innsbruck in favor of grander Vienna miss out on a lot that makes Austria so special, from mountain scenery and winter sports to architecture, Tyrolean music and Habsburg historyówell, kind of. To tell the truth, what you see in Innsbruck isnít always what you get. Some facts are for certain: The walled ìold townî part of the current city was founded by Romans in 1180 at the point where a bridge crossed the Inn River and made north-south travel through Europe possible. The Habsburgs acquired the area in 1363, and the city reached its cultural high point in the 15th and 16th centuries, thanks in large part to Emperor Maximilian I. The Golden Roof on the former citadel that has become as much the cityís signature as the Eiffel Tower in Paris or Big Ben in London, was built in 1494 to commemorate his marriage to Maria Bianca Sforza of Milan. In the 19th century, Napoleon conquered Austria and made Innsbruck an administrative seat. It evolved into a government and educational center and years later suffered bombing raids during World War II. Most people now associate the area with the Winter Olympics held there in 1964 and a gain in 1976. All true. But look below the surface of some of the areaís historical buildings and monuments, and you find that all is not what it seems óin ways that add a layer of mystique and make exploring this city even more intriguing. Take, for example, the deceptively plain facade of the Imperial Church, known more informally as Maximilianís tomb. The unassuming building houses the collection of bronze statuesócalled the Black Fellowsóthat make up the most important work of sculptural art in the German Renaissance. Maximilian had planned for 40 large statues and 100 statuettes to represent his Habsburg lineage and accompany him to the great beyond. Instead, two generations of artists finally produced 28 statues (20 men, eight women) and 23 statuettes. The larger-than-life figures include Ferdinand V of Spain and Mary of Burgundy, as well as other relatives and ancestors with such colorful names as Philip the Handsome and Joanne the Mad. The clothed but oh-so-prominent genitals of one figure gleam golden, the result of years of rubbing by women who believe the legend that such contact will result in fertility. This incomplete troupe keeps watch over a wrought-iron tomb in the middle of the nave that was created in 1573 by Georg Schmidhammer of Prague. But hereís the kicker: Despite its being his final wish, Maximilian isnít buried in his tomb. And since the weight of the statues is too great for the chapel in Vienna where he is buried, he is destined to be separated from them for all of time. Another piece of Innsbruck architecture that isnít exactly what it set out to be is the Triumphal Arch that sits at the southern end of Maria-Theresien-Strasse in the manner of Parisí Arc de Triomphe. The huge piece was commissioned by Empress Maria Theresa to celebrate the marriage of her son Leopold and Maria Ludovica of Spain in 1766. Unfortunately, her husband, Emperor Franz I, died unexpectedly during the festivities. Thus, while the sculpted figures on one side of the stone structure depict the wedding, those on the other include funeral scenes and the angel of death. The twin facade towers and impressive cupola that mark the baroque St. James Cathedral also hide some surprises. Not all of the cupolas over the nave are curved as they appear. Some of them are perfectly flat but painted by a trompe líoeil artist to appear to be concave and thus symmetrical with the others. Trompe líoeil is also a factor in the architecture and design of Schloss Ambras, the medieval castle that was transformed by Archduke Ferdinand II into a home for his wife, Philippine Welser, who wasnít allowed to appear in court because she was a commoner. The walls facing the inner courtyard are completely covered with grisailleópainting that simulates sculpture and architectural features. Inside, high, round windows that appear to look out into a sky filled with puffy clouds have been painted on one side of the opulent festival hall to balance the real windows on the wall that face them. Schloss Ambras is, however, a repository of local history and artifacts. Ferdinand II was a renowned collector, and the galleries in the palace still contain his medieval paintings and armaments. The portrait gallery includes a family tree that sorts out how the Habsburgs were related to one another, and the Curiosities and Wonders gallery displays disturbing pictures of scientific and biological anomalies. When Maximilian renovated the Imperial Palace as a home for his wife, he also focused attention on what had been a quiet town and caused it to become a seat of politics and culture. The halls and furnishings have been kept in their original condition and are accessible by guided tour. The Hall of Giants, topped off by a ceiling fresco painted in the 18th century by Franz Anton Maulpertsch, contains larger-than-life portraits of the Habsburg family that further explain the connections between them and their extraordinary influence on ever-changing European borders and allegiances. While Innsbruck is a treasure-trove for history lovers, a 20-minute city bus ride to Wattens and the Swarovski Crystal Worlds quickly returns visitors to the 21st century. Located on the grounds of the factory where Swarovski crystal is created, the three-dimensional underground gallery is home to crystals formed in every imaginable configurationójewelry, fashion and objets díartóand, of course, the inevitable gift shop. In one exhibit it is possible to experience a crystal as if one were inside it. The outside of the building, which was created by media artist Andre Heller, is as noteworthy as its contents: A waterfall cascades from the mouth of a huge face with crystal eyes. The dining experience in Innsbruck will also seem like a trip to another dimension in time for contemporary travelers. Restaurants are often designed with heavy, dark wood and filled with a blue haze of cigarette smoke. The cuisine will also be a surprise to anyone used to feasting on arugula, rice cakes and mineral water. Dumplings (laughingly called ìbowling balls to be eatenî by local Hans Wernhart) top every menu. They are dough balls filled with meat, vegetables or cheese that are boiled in broth as soup or served topped with a thick pool of sauce as an entree. At various meals I had goulash with spaetzle, noodles stuffed with spinach and Wiener schnitzel, by its very definition heavily breaded and fried. Cole slaw and potato salad came drenched in mayonnaise, and dessert, which was de rigueur, was frequently ice cream or more dumplings studded this time with fruit. Heavy meals are routinely finished off with a round of schnapps. ìYou can eat all you want and not have digestion problems if you finish with schnapps,î Wernhart told me. This time he seemed to be serious, and if my experience was typical, he was also right. If You Go Innsbruck is easily accessible by train from other major Austrian cities, such as Vienna and Salzburg. An Austrian rail pass is the best idea for anyone traveling solely within the country. If Austria isnít your only destination, the Eurail Select Pass, which is good in three adjacent countries, might be the best value. Call (800) 4-EURAIL (438-7245) or visit www.raileurope.com for information. Another good deal is the widely available Innsbruck Card. Cards purchased for 24, 48 or 72 hours allow holders to ride public transportation and enter most public attractions for one price. Schloss Ambras and the Swarovski Crystal World are slightly outside Innsbruck but easily reached by city bus or, in the case of the palace, by tram. Glenda Winders is the editorial director at Copley News Service. Outdoors at Innsbruck With the approach of winter, snow play will be uppermost in the minds of anyone heading for Innsbruck. Each year the area that hosted the Winter Olympics in 1964 and 1976 hosts skiers and snowboarders from all over the world. There are six ski regions in the mountains surrounding the city, and one pass makes it possible to try them all. For information, e-mail ibk.ticket@netway.at or info@innsbruck.tvb.co.at. At other times of the year, mountain biking and cycling are popular pursuits. Trails with panoramic views are well maintained, and mountain inns welcome cyclists with meals and lodging. Bicycles are available for rent at several outlets. The above Web sites also provide information about them. The reason for my visit to Innsbruck was to go hiking, and I wasnít disapp ointed. During the June-September season, hikers can simply show up at the convention center at 9 a.m. and expect to be led by a trained guide at no charge. On an average day, about 70 people show up. They are divided into groups of no more than 20 and shuttled by bus to the origin of a trail that they then spend the day exploring. They stop at midday for lunch and return between 4 and 5 p.m. Enough routes are available that hikers could go every day for two weeks without repeating. The Silver Pine Way is one of the most popular hikes, but my favorite was Holy Water Way. Along the trail we passed life-size stations of the cross, stopped at the point where the Olympic ski jump had been located and wound up at a chapel built to honor the Virgin Mary, who farmers believed had led them to their lost cattle. At an adjacent inn, we feasted on hot chocolate, dumplings and schnapps. People of all ages walk and hike in Innsbruck. Walking paths connect parks with residential and business areas. On the hiking trail, I saw people on crutches and in wheelchairs, some pushing strollers or carrying babies in packs on their backs. One reason may be the excellent air quality in the area. ìBig industrial cities have 800,000 particles per liter of air,î said Arthur Guesetti, who has been hiking these mountains for most of his 67 years, ìbut in Innsbruck we have 100,000 and in the mountains 500.î The Alpine School Innsbruck offers instruction for anyone seeking a more demanding mountain-climbing workout. For information, visit www.asi.at. ó Glenda Winders