European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 27, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The heart of the Tirol the buildings of Innsbruck Are bracketed by the inn River in front and the Alps in the Back. Below the Market area of the old town is a favorite shopping area for tourists and locals  Ron Mckinney staff writer deep in the heart of the Tirol Region of Western Austria is the City of Innsbruck a Lively ski resort whose year round natural Beauty is matched Only by its skiing. It s considered an Alpine Metropolis this two time Host of the Winter olympics and Home to 125,000. But its main attraction for the More than 2 million tourists who come Here each year is not As a City but rather its world class ski runs attractive e old town and its preservation of thet Irolean culture. The locals Are Friendly sophisticated and vibrant. And since the people Deal so much with a cosmopolitan crowd English is widely spoken Here. Perhaps this mixture of friendliness within a bustling growing cultural metropolitan Center is what makes Innsbruck so wonderfully strange so set apart from other cities in Europe. Life appears to be much More relaxed Here much As it the people were in no hurry to move on. The architecture of Innsbruck s growing modern Section blends in nicely with its protected old town next to the inn River from which the City got its name following the construction of the first Bridge some 800 years ago. The Altstadt is relatively Small compared with other european medieval centers but that does t mean it lacks Beauty. There Are the Golden roof the court Palace and the court Church just for starters. To help find your Way around a travel guide in English can be picked up at the Innsbruck tourist Board on the Southern Edge of the old town. The court Palace or Hoff org was built in the 15th Century and extensively renovated by Empress Maria Theresa in the mid-1700s. While it is simple in design the Palace and its museum Are interesting to see As a significant tribute to life in the Palace As it was too years ago. Among the highlights is the spacious ballroom with its ceiling Fresco and paintings of members of Maria Theresa s family. The ceremonial room was originally called the giants Hall by emperor Maximilian because it was decorated with paintings of giants but Maria Theresa replaced the painting with ones of her family As part of her renovation. Among the paintings Are several of her rather famous daughter Marie Antoinette. Not far from the Palace overlooking the Central continued on Page to february 27, to t 2 stripes Magazine 3