Of golden roofs and castles.

When on tour – two, even three countries in a day is possible. After Italy, our next stop was Austria. In that day alone, we were able to visit Austria, Liechtenstein, and still managed to reach Switzerland before sundown. The cool thing about Europe though, is that it may be 8 in the evening already, but the sun would still be up. Nevertheless, you wouldn’t catch me complaining about the heat in Europe. Though it may be sunny, the wind is always cold. (Damn Philippines, why can’t you be chill like Europe, brah?) (Bad attempt at being funny, huh?)

University of Innsbruck

View from the Old Inn Bridge

Aldstadt or Old Town

Helblinghaus

The Golden Roof

In Innsbruck, Austria, we went into the heart of the city - the Altstadt or The Old Town. This is where most of the notable structures of Innsbruck remain standing, including the Goldenes Dachl, the Helblinghaus, and the Innsbruck Cathedral. The Old Town, however, isn't a purely historical site. Surrounding the old structures are more modern ones, including one of the biggest Swarovski shops in the world, as well as a series of shops and cafés. The ambience isn't a la metro/big city/only the cool kids can hang here type of thing - it's more homey and cozy, and definitely a place I could see myself hanging out in... preferably with a book and headphones.

The Goldenes Dachl or Golden Roof is perhaps Innsbruck's most famous landmark. The Golden Roof isn’t actually golden, but is made up of 2,738 fire-gilded copper tiles. The Golden Roof overlooks the square below, which allowed Emperor Maximilian I and his wife Bianca Maria Sforza to observe events occurring at the square from a distance.

The church was too tall for me to get it all in one picture. Boo.

Had to include my ONLY photo in Innsbruck. *hehehe cries* The doors make me look tiny, though.

Simply breathtaking.

Europe is home to some of the most beautiful churches in the world and in my opinion, the Innsbruck Cathedral undoubtedly fits that description. The exteriors may not be as lavish as Italy’s St. Peter’s Basilica, but its simplicity is the key to its beauty. The interiors, however, are a whole different story. The Innsbruck Cathedral, also known as the Cathedral of St. James, possessed very intricate and beautifully crafted details for its ceilings alone.

The Vaduz Castle... from very far, far away.

The perfect views above are courtesy of the sixth smallest country in the world - Liechtenstein. You have to forgive the bad quality of the photos though; I was inside of the bus when I took them, hence, the glass hindrance to a well-taken photograph. We stopped at Liechtenstein only for a few hours, and only got to explore one city: Vaduz.

Liechtenstein, albeit small in size, is one of the richest countries in the world. That fact was quite obvious as we stepped down from the bus and savored the opulent atmosphere of the place. I was particularly amazed at the fact that Vaduz had a castle! In fact, Liechtenstein had five castles scattered around its land. 

Miniature replica of the Vaduz Castle at the town centre

Messy hair and haggard face and shopping bags, yep.

Our few hours in Vaduz were all spent in its town centre, referred to by the locals as Städtle (small town). Simply going around the town centre wasn't actually a waste of precious travel time. Städtle had a lot to offer - clothing and souvenir shops, outdoor cafés, and tons of modern art displays. My mom and I could never refuse the opportunity to shop, and it was there that I tasted the creamiest coffee I've ever had in my life. I'm even going to go out on a limb to claim that it was way better than any handcrafted Starbucks coffee that I've had. (Oh no, have I angered the masses?!)

The opportunity to explore two countries was squeezed into a single day, hence, my wanderer self was not pleased. Nevertheless, I am still immensely thankful for the opportunity to be able to see these two countries for myself. Perhaps someday I'll come back to fully take in all the beauty that both Austria and Liechtenstein has to offer... but I should probably learn how to speak in German first.