Other posts from the On a visit to.. series:

• On a visit to… Lenka Minarikova (Vienna, Austria)
• On a visit to… Krystal Lynn, Albuquerque (NM, USA)
• On a visit to… Ali Kamenova LA (California, USA)

Dear all, I hope you are doing well and you already have interesting plans for the summertime. We are still waiting for hotter days here in Bulgaria but this isn’t stopping us from having long walks outside and enjoying the greenery.  

Talking about greenery we will visit the greenest city presented so far on the rubric “On a visit to…” – Innsbruck, Austria. We will have this beautiful nature walk with the most lovely local guide Tsvete (her name means Flower in Bulgarian so we will connect with nature in many ways) 🙂 I know Tsvete from the Association of the owners of tourist online media (ASTOM) where we are sharing the same passion for traveling the world. She is a very talented travel blogger and you can follow her stories on Facebook or Instagram. 

I’ve never been to Innsbruck but I was fascinated by the magical sceneries and the proximity to the mountains which offer lots of sport and hiking opportunities. So, let’s put on our most comfortable shoes, and let’s see what Tsvete has to show us. 

Namaste!
Moni

(BG) На гости на… Цвете Любенова Поп (Инсбрук, Австрия)

How do you imagine the perfect “om trip”?

Summer mode is on! … The sun, the ocean, 30°+, hammock, book, the sound of waves mixed with some reggae music, long days, short nights, and exotic fruits … and no people.

Can we take an “om trip” to Innsbruck or is it impossible?

Innsbruck is the piece itself … The Alps, nature, and Tyrolean are calm and have a great attitude toward any sports activity. You can see joggers, slackline-rs, mountain bikers, and climbers pretty everywhere in the city and around it. In Innsbruck, there are many Yogis and highly Spirituals too. For me, there is no doubt – Innsbruck is one of the best places in Europe to take an “Om Trip”.

There are lots of clichés about Austria, which ones proved to be false?

The first thing that popped up in my mind was the question (from random people …) that I have to answer each time when I’m traveling back home: “How are the Germans doing”?!

… Well, the Austrians are not Germans. Even though they speak some kind of hardcore German dialect (in Innsbruck is a Tyrolean dialect), they are (almost) completely different than e.g. the north Germans. Another fact about the Austrian – they do not actually like the Germans and they even call them (abusive) “Piefkes”. And about the language: some knowledge of Standard German (“Hochdeutsch) would not be enough to master life in Innsbruck and you definitely have to learn Tyrolean, if you want to live here for a longer time.

Please share your experience from your first days in Innsbruck?

I will not forget my first week in Innsbruck, never! I’m so thankful that I came here when I was 19 years old. Back in the day, my attitude was the best. My desire to leave home, to become independent, thirsty to meet new and interesting people from around the world, barring life’s challenges, and be an adult for the first time. I was so naive, of course. During my first days, I met (still!) one of my best friends (from Poland) in the German course which we were attending. During the first week, I was “partying” at several welcoming student events. During the first week, I was talking to my friends from Sofia 10 times a day.  And I was struggling A LOT with the German Language. German was my second language in high school, but my “10” words were definitely not enough to study/live/communicate whether in Austria or in Germany. So, I had to learn the language as fast as possible.

Three things which we absolutely have to take with us when traveling to Innsbruck?

Comfy shoes, an umbrella is always a good idea, sun cream (in the summer as well as in the wintertime), a Tyrolean dictionary (although it won’t help you to understand the locals, even if you can speak German) and your hiking attitude! And of course a camera – it’s really beautiful here.

How to look like the locals?

The Tyroleans are casual looking for comfy shoes or sneakers, rucksack – everything highly colorful! In the wintertime you will meet people carrying their ski or snowboard everywhere, so to say – the snowboard baggy-style is very hip! Please, don’t forget the “smurf” beanie if you REALLY want to look like somebody who lives in Innsbruck …

https://www.instagram.com/p/BFgH-uUGE6j/?tagged=innsbruckstyle

What should we absolutely try when we’re in Innsbruck?

The best European Cuisine, in my opinion, is Italian, Portuguese, and my favorite traditional Tyrolean cuisine! I’m so happy to be living here because food makes me happy! You should go and try everything, but my “must eat” recommendations are the dumpling variations (Knödeln), the traditional roast pork (Schweinebraten), Schnitzel (of course!), Tyrolean gray cheese soup (Graukäse Suppe), apple strudel with vanilla sauce (apfelstrudel mit vanillesauce) … and all kind of cheese! Yes! Stinky Mountain cheese (Bergkäse)…

Where would you take us for a cup of coffee?

My favorite place to have a cup of coffee or a beer, especially on a sunny day, is “Café Bar&Lounge 360°”. Here you can enjoy the ultimate 360° view of Innsbruck and the surrounding mountains! … The outdoor terrace is truly cozy and the chill-out music adds some specials to your quality time.

A special place you’d like to share with us.

Yes, there is no doubt that “Cloud 9, The Igloo Bar” is one of the freakiest locations you could ever visit! It is the highest club of the Alps (1.905 meters above sea level) and as the name reveals – is a real IGLOO Bar! There are two parties – inside and outside the igloo. Outside the Igloo Bar, you can spot the city lights at night. Inside “Cloud 9” is the main party, some ice sculptures, and ice art, as well as great DJs and funky music! You will love it! Each Friday from 18:00 to 23:00 (from December to April), you can take the lift and have some extraordinary “icy” party!

A post shared by Marcus Slone (@marcus_1966) on Nov 25, 2016 at 7:21am PST

We can’t visit Innsbruck without stopping by some galleries and museums. Show us some of your favorite ones?

The “mountain people” are not that into galleries and museums, but anyway they are some interesting spots to visit. My choice would be:

The Hofburg: a former Habsburg Palace and Residence and nowadays is considered to be one of the most important buildings in Austria. Ambras Castle: a 10th-century castle and a former Summer-Residence of Ferdinand the II. Today you can find a lot of exhibitions here, but my favorite one is the “Beasts” Collection. “Das Tirol Panorama” – a museum that offers a journey through the history of Tirol and my favorite part – the view of Innsbruck!

Which book do you think will be most suitable for our trip to Innsbruck?

Definitely “Into the Wild” – the book and the movie!

Is yoga popular in Innsbruck? If you practice yoga, please, share a place where we can go?

Each sport is popular in Innsbruck! Yoga too! There is much more Nature than anything else in this city so you could practice yoga pretty everywhere. The most аtypical places where you can practice yoga in Innsbruck are “Yoga at the roof” of Kaufhaus Tyrol (the main city mall) with the motto “Celebrate the Sunset”. The second place is at Lanser Lake, where you can take your yoga mat each weekend, between 07:45 and 09:00 in the morning (only in the summertime, as far as I know…), and practice with a lot of other enthusiastic yogis.

Where should we head to after Innsbruck?

Basically, you could go anywhere you want! And that’s probably the best part of living in Innsbruck. The city is not only located in the heart of the Alps, but also in the heart of Europe! Traveling from here is absolutely easy. When you travel by car you can reach 6 countries within 6 hours of a drive! Isn’t that amazing! That’s the reason (except Peter) why I’m still here after 10 years of living abroad. Here are my recommendations for travelling by car: Munich, Germany (1.45 h); Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany (1.45 h); Salzburg, Austria (2.00 h); Liechtenstein (2.00 h); Verona, Italy (3.00 h); Zurich, Switzerland (3.00 h); Basel, Switzerland (4.00 h); Bologna, Italy (4.00 h); Bern, Switzerland (4.30 h); Vienna, Italy (4.30 h); Venice, Italy (4.30 h); Milano, Italy (4.30); Ljubljana, Slovenia (4.30 h); Prague, Czech Republic (5.00 h); Bratislava, Slovakia (5.15 h); Poreč, Croatia (6.15 h).

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Who is Tsvete?

My name is Tsvete, I’m originally from Sofia, but for 10 years now I’m living in Innsbruck, Austria. Why I come here? The only answer is – to study! I got my Bachelor of Science in Applied Economics and my Master of Science in Strategic Management at the University of Innsbruck. I’m currently have a full-time but very flexible job in the field of Financial Statements and International Financial Reporting Standards. Since 2014 I’m blogging regularly at www.lillagreen.at where I share my adventures from around the World, travel and photo diaries, interesting stories, and useful tips with my readers.

It has been two years now since I got married to Tyrolean, but we are together for more than 7 years. He is my best friend, life, and travel partner.

About my free time – well, I have a lot of hobbies. Starting with blogging, photographing and photo editing, writing, and do-it-yourself. And of course, I’m doing a lot of sports (sometimes more, sometimes less…). For 9 years I’m an absolutely Spinning freak (indoor cycling), when the sun is shining – mountain biking and a lot of hiking, and since January this year – I’m finally learning how to snowboard.

P.S. All pictures are kindly provided by the lillagreen.at. Two of them are public pictures from Instagram. 

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