Top of Tyrol

Photo: Summit cross at Hafelekarspitze.

If nature and outdoor activities is what you like, I highly recommend you to climb up to this point: the incredible views over all the surrounding mountains and the city of Innsbruck will be a great gift. I'm talking about Nordkette, a mountain chain included into Karwendel Nature Park that will take you literally to the limit: it is the geographical border between Austria and Germany. From its highest reachable peak, called Hafelekarspitze, you will see both countries at the same time: Austrian Tyrol on your left side and German Bavaria on your right.

It is quite easy for everyone to get up there since the stations are connected: first station is Hungerburg and can be reached taking the funicular in Innsbruck's downtown. By the way, this line has four stations in total and all were designed by Zaha Hadid in her typical modern style. Another cable car will take you from Hungerburg to next station Seegrube (1.905m), a station in the middle of an ski area with a good-looking restaurant and amazing views. During winter, the area is full of skiers on the steepest slopes in Europe, while in summer many hikers try their hardest trails. The last station is Hafelekar (2.269m), which has to be reached with the last cable car. Don't miss taking a 10min-walk to Hafelekarspitze (2.334m) and you will enjoy views such as in the picture above!

PS. Have you ever been inside an igloo? Check "Cloud 9" out at Seegrube station and don't miss laying on the hammocks at daylight or enjoying the party at night. It is only open from December to April though!

Mozart's birthplace

Welcome to Salzburg, one of the most beautiful cities I've ever been too and a lot of people must think so when its old town was declared UNESCO's World Heritage Site in 1997. And I must say it, worldwide-known thanks to its favorite son: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. 

If I may share an advice, take your time to explore the city's surroundings. Salzburg is encircled by two hills - one of them is where the fortress Hohensalzburg rises up and the other is Kapuzinerberg with its cloister on the hillside, where I took the picture below. 

Photo: Another view over Salzburg and, as background, the region of Bavaria in Germany. 

Small narrow alleys, cozy boutiques, hidden cemeteries... Salzburg's old town has some not-so-known spots worth to discover. I actually had the priviledge to explore the city with a local who showed me all those cute places that I probably wouldn't have discovered by myself.

First of all we stopped at Alter Markt, a square with some curiosities: the oldest farmacy in Salzburg still standing (since 1591), the café where the original Mozartkugeln were invented in 1884 and the smallest house in Austria with only 1.42m wide. Judengasse starts at the northern point of the square to the right, a small and narrow street full of charming places. I remember one in particular - a shop named "Christmas in Salzburg" in which they sell thousands of hand-painted eggs. I also remember that feeling of getting into the shop like: "such an amazing artwork, don't dare to break one single egg please!". And last but not least, located at the other side of the river, Sebastianskirche's graveyard is one of those hidden places I was talking about. It is quite difficult to see since the graveyard is surrounded by other buildings and there's only a tiny alley to go through. Some of Mozart's family members are buried here, like for example his widow Constantia von Nissen. 

Photo: Hand-painted eggs @ Christmas in Salzburg.

A funicular from 1889

Photo: Views over Zürich from University's terrace. 

One of the spots I liked the most of the city was the area around the ETH (German acronym for the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, the technical university in Zurich), which is up on a little hill on the right side of the Limmat river.

There's such a special way to get to that mentioned area: there still exists the Polybahn, the original red funicular which is running since 1889! Its name is taken from the former school's name - Eidgenössisches Polytechnikum. It is only 176-meters-ride, which goes from Central Polybahn (nearby central station, other side of the bridge) to Polyterrasse ETH and vice versa. You will appear at the back side of the school, in a huge terrasse which offers such fantastic views over the old town. 

Views over Paris

Photo: Views over La Défense and Avenue de la Grande Armée.

As many of you may know, there are many triumphal arches conmemmoring war victories around the world, but maybe the best-known is located in Paris. This neoclassical monument was finished in 1836 under Napoleon's command to remember all those French soldiers who died during the French Revolution and the Napoleonic wars (their names are engraved on the building).

If you have time, I recommend you to climb up to the rooftop, which offers magnificient views over the city – from La Défense to Montmartre, including the towers Eiffel and Montparnasse. The entrance costs 12€ but children and European citizens can get up there for free!

By the way, do you see the 12 avenues starting from the square nowadays called “Charles de Gaulle”? Those are the twelve reasons why that square was called “Place de l’Étoile” until 1970! The most famous of those avenues is Champs-Élysées, shopping street for excellence and known for many annual events (Tour de France, Bastille Day militar parade…)