Since I left the corporate world in December 2015, I visited more than 100 cities around the world. One of those cities was Innsbruck in Austria. As a Tour Director, I love visiting this city because it has so much to offer for its visitors from historical sites, shopping centers, multinational cuisines, touristic attractions like the Up-Side Down House, Swarovski Crystal World, and the Winter Olympics Park.
And of course, it offers stunning natural beauties like lush green parks, streams, the Inn River, which forms part of Innsbruck’s name, and the majestic Alps. Although I visited it a few times, I never had the chance to explore its natural beauty to the fullest. As a Tour Director, I have to make sure that my passengers get what they want, not what I wish and desire. And unlike me, they like to shop and eat.
I like to be in the mountains, hills, in meadows, next to lakes and waterfalls. But on 18 July 2019, I had the chance to fulfill a long time wish – to visit the Jewel of the Alps – or as the Austrians call it, Nordkette – The North Chain. The passengers were on a shopping spree for four hours.
It was my Golden Opportunity not only to experience the engineering genius of the late world-renowned architect – Zaha Hadid; but also to experience the Nordkette!
I had two passengers with me – Mariam and Mohamed. We marched to the Funicular Station. It was very intriguing to me as we could not see any clear traces of the cables, and the station was under the ground. It did not make sense at all. We bought the tickets, and we waited for the magic to happen. We did not want to read the leaflets; we wanted to be delighted, enchanted, and thrilled!
We boarded the car. And I had so much fun seeing Mariam getting scared of the dogs in the car. Her facial expressions said it all. In a minute or so, the car moved on the rails and into the dark tunnel. After the darkness, there was light and delight. We suddenly saw ourselves up in the air and on the flowing Inn River. The views were terrific. We could not stop taking pictures and videos.
We arrived at the first station – Hungerburg Funicular. According to Zaha, its design was inspired by ice and the snowy landscapes of the area. We rushed behind the other visitors to see where to go next. When we figured that out, we came back to take some more pictures. The panoramic views of Innsbruck were dazzling. You could see many of the landmarks from a distance, including the Train Station and Winter Olympic Slide.
We moved to the next station to go up to the Jewel of the Alps at the height of 2,637 meters (8,790 feet) above sea level. As we got higher, it felt colder and colder. And we were not ready for that; we were wearing light clothes. It was part of the experience. We marveled at the views from the top. There were sporadic patches of snow. There were many mountain goats. The views could have been much better, but it was foggy.
We went out of the building; it was so cold and windy. But that was one of my last concerns. I wanted to savor the experience, smell the fresh air, admire the views, and create lasting memories. I sent a picture to my mum. She replied, saying: “There is no better thing than to adore the creation of God.” I replied to her: “Mum, it’s so beautiful. I shed a tear.” I don’t know what happened that day.
Until today, I can’t find any explanation for my tears. It was not the first time I see panoramic views from the mountains. Perhaps, it was the joy of checking off one of the travel wish list items. Or it could be as simple as it was so beautiful, that’s why I shed a tear.
Have you had any similar experience? If so, share it in the comments below.
