Maria Theresien Strasse, Innsbruck

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Maria-Theresien-Strasse it is the entrance to the historical center (Altstadt) of Innbruck. It is the triumphal road of the town with to the sides very beautiful decorated buildings and on the background you can see the mountains that surround the city.

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This street starts with the triumph archway at one side and leads to the old town.
In the middle stands the Sint Anna's column, erected in 1706.
By the time I was there, they were demolishing a house. Look at the surrealistic picture !

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named in honor of the great and ambitious 18th. century Habsburg empress, is the main boulevard of altstadt Innsbruck aligned from north to south. This historic boulevard extends from Thriumphforte ( see my earlier tip about this monument ) northward to the Inn River. South of the monument the road is called Herzog-Friedrichstrasse. Most of Innsbruck's tourist attractions, as well as the train station, are located on or within 200 meters of MT strasse. Many traditional cafes, shops, fast food joints ( including the dreaded golden arches ), etc., line this grand boulevard. Austrian crystal and other Tirolean handicrafts are sold in the shops. However, the cafes and shops just a couple hundred meters east or west are just as good and much less expensive.

Photo #1 shows MT strasse looking north towards the river and the Alpes. The fascinating buildings shown were built at least 600 years ago, and most still have the original Gothic ground level arcades. The upper levels feature Tirolean Renaissance architecture, while most of the roofs are adorned with Baroque facades. Most tourists including old hund find them impressive. Photo #2 shows Herzog-Friedrichstrasse looking south towards the mountains that provide us with some of the best ski slopes on this great planet. On the left is an authentic maypole, having a long wait ahead until the next Mayday. On the right is a typical Tirolean church, featuring a double onion domed bell tower.

Annasaule ( holy Anna ) monument is located in the center of Maria Theresianstrasse, which is alststadt Innsbruck's main boulevard.

Work on the Annasaule monument was started in 1704 and completed in 1706. It was built in appreciation for the liberation of Innsbruck from the occupation of the Bavarian army which had occupied the city. The liberation took place on Annasaule day, 1703. The monument features a large column of the Corinthian architectural style. The column and most of the monument were cast of pink marble from the surrounding Alpes. The monument features statues of the Virgin Mary and Tirolean saints.

The architecture of the nearby buildings is some of Tirol's best. Most of the buildings in altstadt date to the Gothic era, but most of their present appearance is Renaissance and Baroque.

Notice the trolley ( streetcar ) cables in the photo. The public trolleys are an excellent way to get around Innsbruck. The mountains surrounding Innsbruck provide a perfect backdrop for this beautiful city. Unfortunately rain clouds obstructed the view of them during my brief stay.

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Innsbruck's main street was named after the Austrian Empress Maria Theresa (1717 – 1780).

The street is equitably shared by pedestrians, trams and cyclists, and I'm glad to say there are quite a number of good, serviceable bicycle stands.

The church in the photo is the Spitalkirche, which was built in its present form from 1701 to 1705, though there was a church here as early as 1320.

Second, third and fourth photos: Cyclists in Maria-Theresien-Straße.

Fifth photo: Tourists in Maria-Theresien-Straße

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MariaTheresien Strasse is the very stylish main street of Innsbrück with the impressive Austrian Alps in the background.

You can follow it on your way to the Old town and the Golden Roof. There are plenty of sidewalk cafes where you could stop for refreshments.

But be warned, this street is a very expensive part of Innsbrück.

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Mariatheresastrasse is the main street of Innsbruck's old town. It is the continuation of Herzog-Friedrichstrasse and runs all the way to the Triumphpforte.

On it you will find many restaurants and boutiques. You can also soak up the architecture and delightful view of the mountains. My favourite building on this street was the rose-coloured Spitalkirche (whose tower is in the centre of the photo).

Further south, Mariatheresastrasse also has two of Innsbruck's best-known monuments: the Annasaule (St. Anna's Column), built in 1706 as a tribute to the successful defense of Innsbruck against the Bavarians during the War of the Spanish Succession; and the Triumphforte (Arch of Triumph), built on the order of Empress Maria Theresa in 1765 to honour both her son (the future Emperor Leopold II) and her deceased husband (Francis I Stephen).

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Maria Theresien Strasse has absolutely beautiful and vesatile architecture .It is the main shopping street in Innsbruck and more or less a pedestrian zone with a tram and cars here and there,but no heavy traffic. You will follow it on your way to the Old town and the Golden Roof. It is dominated by the imposant Nordkette mountain ridge that overlooks the city from north. There are plenty of sidewalk caffes where you could have a drink ,or nordsee fish n chips on your way to explore the city.