Bergisel

The Bergisel is a hill rising to 746 metres just south of Innsbruck in the Wilten district, where the Sill river meets the Inn Valley. Its name comes from the pre-Roman word burgusinus, meaning an elevated position, though it is often mistaken for the German word for mountain. Long before the modern era it served as both a cremation site and an Iron Age settlement. In 1809 it became the scene of four battles led by the Tyrolean freedom fighter Andreas Hofer against Bavarian and French troops. A monument to Hofer was raised in 1892 to mark these clashes. Since 1952 the hill has hosted one round of the Four Hills Tournament, and in 1964 a concrete ski-jumping ramp was built for the Winter Olympics. The present Bergiselschanze, designed by Zaha Hadid, opened in 2003 after the old structure no longer met safety standards. The hill also lies above tunnels for the Brenner railway and the Brennerautobahn, while at its foot the Sill Gorge offers walking paths. Visitors can reach the top by tram or the Stubaitalbahn. At the summit stands the Andreas Hofer monument, a prominent landmark overlooking the city and the Inn Valley. The ski-jumping hill itself is a striking example of contemporary engineering, its curves visible from far away. Below, the Sill Gorge provides a green corridor for hikers beside the rushing river. The hilltop offers wide views across Innsbruck and the surrounding Alps. On clear days the peaks of the Nordkette range rise directly to the north.