INNSBRUCK, Austria – Night view of Maria-Theresien-Straße, a street named after Empress Maria Theresa who ruled Austria in the 18th century. During this period, Christmas lights and stands decorate the street visited by locals and tourists heading to the Old Town (Altstadt).
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INNSBRUCK, Austria – Holiday items are on display in the Christmas markets in downtown Innsbruck.
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INNSBRUCK, Austria – Trip leaders with U.S. Army Garrison Italy MWR Outdoor Recreation give some information to participants in the day trip to Innsbruck, Austria after reaching the destination Nov. 30.
Approximately 50 participants took part in the trip and toured the historical center and its monuments and dedicated a special visit to the local Christmas markets located in different areas of the city. Innsbruck has been hosting this event for 30 years.
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INNSBRUCK, Austria – While approaching the holidays, U.S. Army Garrison Italy Family and MWR Outdoor Recreation planned several tours to visit Christmas markets to give the opportunity to experience the special atmosphere in cities that traditionally host them.
Among these, one of the destinations in the past weeks was Innsbruck, Austria, which has been hosting this event for 30 years.
“Innsbruck is a wonderful destination to visit throughout the whole year, and, especially now, the Christmas market in the old town is very popular and worth a visit,” said Lucia Savio, who has been accompanying the participants as one of the trip leaders.
According to Savio, some participants join ODR trips quite often with their family and friends.
“Every week, ODR offers the opportunity to visit different places to experience and enjoy the sights,” she said.
Participants enjoyed strolling through the market and trying traditional dishes such as “kiachln” and a mug of glühwein.
“The Christmas spirit in the medieval alleys around the ‘Golden Roof’ and the majestic mountains in the background left everybody speechless,” said Savio.
INNSBRUCK, Austria – During the day trip, a local tour guide describes the Goldenes Dachl (Golden Roof), a landmark structure completed in 1500, located in the Old Town of Innsbruck. The roof was decorated with 2,657 fire-gilded copper tiles to mark the wedding between Emperor Maximilian I and Bianca Maria Sforza. The imperial couple used to watch the festivals and events that took place in the square below from the balcony. Nowadays, it is the city’s landmark.
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Anna Demeter, one of the participants, picked this trip to explore Christmas markets after joining others on previous occasions.
“I came to Italy last year and heard about them. I wanted to see what it was like, just to see different countries, customs and buy some things for the holidays for friends and myself,” she said.
Demeter added that she really liked the festive atmosphere of the market near the river.
INNSBRUCK, Austria – Entrance to the Christmas market near the Inn River with the Nordkette Mountains in the background.
Innsbruck, which has been the destination of the U.S. Army Garrison Italy Family and MWR Outdoor Recreation Nov. 30, has hosted the Christmas market for 30 years.
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INNSBRUCK, Austria – U.S. Army Garrison Italy Family and MWR Outdoor Recreation plans several trips to learn about the history and culture of their destinations. During a recent trip, approximately 50 participants took part in the day trip to visit Innsbruck and its Christmas markets. They toured the historical center and other sections of the city, including the colorful row of houses in the Mariahilf district, which is located directly on the Inn River with the Nordkette Mountains behind them.
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“Especially when it got darker, it was nice to see the pretty lights and decorations,” she said.
Another of the 50 participants, David Fuller, was impressed by the trip and has plans to visit another Christmas market.
“Definitely I’d recommend it,” he said after his first experience with Outdoor Rec. “It was fun just walking around, see the city that I haven’t been to before and the glühwein was really good.”
INNSBRUCK, Austria – View of Friedrich Strasse in Innsbruck and its Christmas markets. While approaching the holidays, U.S. Army Garrison Italy Family and MWR Outdoor Recreation planned several tours to visit Christmas markets to give the opportunity to experience the special atmosphere in cities that traditionally host them. Innsbruck has been hosting this event for 30 years.
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Soon, ODR will travel to a Christmas market and other destinations, including on Dec. 28 Munich, Germany, Bologna for New Year’s Eve and Florence on Jan. 11. For those interested in the upcoming adventures with ODR, check their calendar at https://italy.armymwr.com/calendar
