Bergisel
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Bergisel is a hill (746 m) that lies to the south of Innsbruck, Austria, in the area of Wilten, where the Sill river (Wipptal) meets the Inn Valley.
The name is derived from the Latin name burgusinus (mountain), which then became Bergisel in German. Among its earlier uses were as a cremation site and as a habitation area during the Ice Age.
In 1809, Bergisel was the site of the four Battles of Bergisel under the command of the freedom fighter Andreas Hofer. In 1892, the Andreas Hofer monument was erected in order to commemorate the battles.
Since 1952, Innsbruck has hosted one leg of the Four Hills Tournament. The Bergisel Ramp was built of concrete for the 1964 Winter Olympics to replace an older, smaller ramp. It was also used for the 1976 Winter Olympics. A new ramp was opened in 2003, designed by the architect Zaha Hadid, as the old one no longer conformed to contemporary requirements of ski jumping.
Until an accident following a mass panic, which resulted in several deaths, the Bergisel stadium was also the site of the Air & Style snowboard festival.
Both the Brenner Railway and the Brenner Autobahn have tunnels below the Bergisel. The Sill Gorge, a recreational site, is located at its base.
The Bergisel can be reached by the Stubaital Railway from Innsbruck, exiting at Station Sonnenburgerhof, or by the Tram 1, at Station Bergisel.
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