Austrian Airlines offer flights between Innsbruck and Vienna several times a day

a colourful room in Austrian Airlines' Business Lounge in Veinna

Sampling Local Cuisine In A Tyrolean Village 

Perched above Innsbruck a few kilometres out of town is the village of Igls (pronounced 'eagles').  This picturesque hamlet is a haven for skiers and other winter sports enthusiasts during the snow season, but in summer, Igls has its charms, too.  Golf, walks, hikes, and cycling are all the rage, but my favourite Igls summer pastime is eating.  Summer is when local produce is ripe, local meats are succulent, and locals themselves are happy to enjoy long and leisurely meals in the lingering twilight of summer.  Visitors are welcome in this part of Austria, usually with a beaming smile and a good laugh and sometimes with an elderflower champagne cocktail to facilitate the first two.

Schlosshotel Igls is located just outside the village in a small, Austrian-style château built in 1887.  Meals in European manor houses are rarely disappointing, especially when the houses belong to the renowned Relais & Châteaux group of hotels and restaurants as does Schlosshotel Igls; it was with great anticipation that lunch was reserved and then served in a lovely garden with sweeping views of the valley below.  Friendly staff—one with a distinctly Australian accent—make no hesitation in embracing arrivals as long-lost relations before escorting them to the dining room or the veranda. 

Igls is also home to Sport Hotel, whose restaurant matches Schlosshotel Igls in originality and deliciousness of result.  Sport Hotel is right in the centre of Igls; it, too, has a comfy dining room and an outdoor terrace, this one looking out over the village square.  A touch of elegance is the outdoor pianist happily playing songs from his extensive repertoire.

Despite its bucolic setting, Igls is accessible via the J bus direct from Innsbruck in about 20 minutes.  As with all public transport in and around Innsbruck, the ride is free for holders of an Innsbruck Card, a magic key to the city that also offers entry to multiple sights in and around Innsbruck, all of which are presented in detail on Innsbruck Tourism's informative website.