We left Zürich and drove the A3 motorway to Innsbruck, Austria. We chose the scenic route, but we had no idea just how scenic it would end up being. It was probably the most beautiful drive we’ve ever done, it seemed like another picture postcard view was around every corner…at least when we weren’t in a tunnel. We stopped for pictures at Sargans, Switzerland, where the Schloss Sargans (Sargans Castle) has a commanding view of the Alps the entire valley. From there, we continued on to Innsbruck, which is tucked into a valley surrounded on all sides by towering peaks. We were able to board a funicular directly across the street from our hotel, ride up to the Hungerberg neighborhood, catch a cable car up to Seegrube and then another up to Hafelekar, which is almost 8,000 feet above the city. In all, it took less than 30 minutes and virtually no hiking to be on top of a mountain peak with a panoramic view. We also explored the city, especially the Old Town and, of course, the Christmas market. We were even able to see the ski jump hill from the 1964 and 1976 Olympics, which was just barely on the edge of town. We both fell in love with Innsbruck, without a doubt one of the most scenic cities we’ve ever visited.
