Innsbruck - Bergisel

South of Innsbruck rises the hill (under which the Brenner railroad and motorway pass in tunnels) known as Bergisel (750m/2,460ft; a 15-minute walk from Wilten). On the hill there are various sports facilities: the Olympia ski-jump (known as the "Bergiselschanze", constructed in 1964 for jumps of up to 104m/340ft), from the top of which there is a splendid view, the Olympia Ice Stadium with sprinting lane and the Olympia artificial ice rink. The hill owes its fame to the heroic battles of 1809, when the Tirolese peasants, led by Andreas Hofer, three times freed their capital from the French and Bavarian occupying forces. On the north side of the hill, below the ski jump, stands a memorial to all the Tirolese who fought for their country's freedom. The central feature of this is the Andreas Hofer Monument (1893); adjoining that is a memorial chapel (1909) and to its rear the Tomb of the Tirolese Kaiserjäger (Imperial Riflemen).