Bergisel ski jump – the place where sporting legends are born

Sitting in front of the TV, I admire the daring ski jumpers who jump off the Bergisel ski jump every year and always achieve incredible distances. Now it was time to see this ski jump in Innsbruck live.

At 746 m, the Bergisel is more of a hill by Austrian standards and is located in the south of Innsbruck. You can take the streetcar from the city center to the Bergisel stop. From there, it is only a 15-minute walk (although it is a steady uphill walk).

Bergisel Museum and Andreas Hofer Monument

We reach a square about halfway along the route. There is a large monument in the middle. It depicts the freedom fighter Andreas Hofer, under whose command the Battle of Bergisel was fought in 1809.

The Kaiserjägermuseum, known to many as the Bergisel Museum, was built in 1880. In 1893 the Andreas Hofer Monument was dedicated, in 1912 the Chapel of the Cross was built and in 1923 a grave of honor for fallen Kaiserjäger soldiers in the First World War.

A new addition is the “Tirol Panorama” museum, which is connected underground to the Bergisel Museum. Both museums focus on the history of the Kaiserjäger and the history of Tyrol.

Bergisel ski jump

From the square, you can reach the entrance to the ski jump in just a few minutes. Before that, you pass the Olympic rings and the bowl for the Olympic flame, which is unfortunately somewhat overgrown. The Bergisel ski jump hosted competitions during the 1964 and 1976 Olympic Games. The famous Four Hills Tournament has also used the Bergisel ski jump as a venue since 1952.

A look back

In January 1927, the first ski jumping competition was held on a natural ski jump at Bergisel. This early ski jump was still quite simply constructed and was initially mainly used for regional competitions. The distance of the winner at that time was 47.5 meters. Just one year later, an inrun tower was built. Several structural changes followed and after the Second World War a new ski jump was built, which was used for many years.

With the founding of the Four Hills Tournament in 1952, the Bergisel ski jump became an integral part of the tour and still attracts numerous visitors today.

1964 Olympic Games

The importance of the Bergisel ski jump grew considerably when Innsbruck hosted the 1964 Winter Olympics. For this important sporting event, the ski jump was modernized and given a larger capacity for spectators.

A look at an old family photo album shows us that the enthusiasm of the visitors was great. Ski jumpers, at that time still doing parallel jumps, some with their arms stretched out in front of them, courageously jumped into the depths.

The 1964 Games were a great success and helped to cement Innsbruck’s international reputation as a winter sports center.

1976 Olympic Games

It was only 12 years before Innsbruck was allowed to host the Olympic Games again. Denver and Colorado had withdrawn as venues and many of the sports facilities and the necessary infrastructure were available in Innsbruck. The Bergisel ski jump was renovated once again. In the meantime, a lot had changed in terms of jumping technique and equipment and the aim was of course to offer the athletes the best conditions.

This year also saw the lighting of the Olympic flame on Bergisel. The bowl in which the fire burned still stands at the foot of the ski jump today.

Hard times

In December 1999, a snowboarding competition with around 40,000 visitors took place at the Bergisel. A mass panic among the spectators resulted in deaths and many seriously injured visitors. In an expert opinion and later in a court hearing, it was determined that the area was not designed for this number of visitors.

Among other things, this event led to the redesign of the site.

Ski jumping hill by Zaha Hadid

Not only the accident, but also the development in ski jumping made it urgently necessary to redesign the terrain and the ski jump. Ski jumpers were now jumping in V-style, had better equipment and were flying further and further. The old ski jump simply no longer offered enough safety.

In 2000, the now world-famous architect Zaha Hadid was commissioned to build a new ski jump. Anyone familiar with her buildings knows that she loved curved shapes and liked to create unusual forms. At first glance, this is not easy to achieve with a ski jump. After all, it consists of a tower, an inrun track and a take-off.

Hadid therefore initially planned two parts – the ski jumping part and an architectural part. While the construction work was underway, she realized that she could combine both parts architecturally and created a complete work. Today, the sports stadium, café, viewing platform and ski jump form a single unit that demonstrates the architect’s typical style. I find it particularly successful that the entire complex blends harmoniously into the landscape.

Steel and glass were the main materials used in the construction of the ski jump. The use of steel allows for the curved, slender lines of the structure, while glass surfaces offer visitors inside an unrestricted view of the surroundings. These materials were chosen not only for aesthetic reasons, but also for their durability and resistance to the harsh alpine weather conditions.

The ski jump has a total height of around 50 meters. The inrun track is around 98 meters long and allows ski jumpers to reach high speeds before they reach the take-off point.

Since 2003, the ski jump can also be used in summer. The inrun track is covered with glass ceramic shingles, which can be cooled. In the outrun, green plastic mattings make it possible to land even without snow.

Visiting the Bergisel ski jump

If you enter the area from the entrance, you will find yourself below the ski jump at the spectator stands. Up to 28,000 spectators can be seated here.

We decided to go to the visitor stands first. These are arranged in steps and spread around the outrun zone. I had often seen on television during broadcasts of the Four Hills Tournament how the jumpers squat up a steep hill after landing to leave the outrun. I only realize how steep this route really is when I’m standing there.

As I turn towards the hill, I realize the size of the facility. This doesn’t come across so clearly on television.

At the very top of the hill, very small and barely recognizable, I spot a ski jumper. In the summer months, some ski jumpers jump here, also as training. During our visit, a jumper was there to show visitors the sport. While he was still standing at a lofty height, some sprinklers started up and watered the grass mats.

We decided to wait a little longer so that we could experience the jump from the spectators’ perspective. When the sprinklers went off, it wasn’t long before the tiny ski jumper slid onto the take-off bar. A few seconds later you could hear the glide of the skis and then the jumper flew towards us. After landing, he also skied out of the bowl and up to the exit. Skis unbuckled, helmet off and suit removed, he made his way to the inclined elevator.

We followed him and together we took the elevator to the foot of the ski jump tower. Every visitor can use the elevator free of charge and feel a bit like a ski jumper.

Going up the Bergisel ski jump

There are several elevators in the ski jump tower that lead up to the top. One lift is reserved for athletes and takes them to a lounge right next to the approach lane. We weren’t allowed to use this, of course, but took the elevator to the “Bergisel Sky” restaurant and the viewing terrace.

My personal impression: The viewing platform was great, you could see well, but it wasn’t as impressive as the view from the restaurant.

The “Bergisel Sky” restaurant has an outdoor platform at the rear. This is located in a direct extension above the ski jumpers’ inrun track. Up until this point, I had thought that sitting on the beam in the track must be great. But when I stood on this small platform and looked down the inrun track, my wish was gone. What a height, how steep the track leads down there and how crazy you have to be to throw yourself off it into the depths… It wouldn’t be my sport and I admire the parents who can watch their children jump without having panic attacks.

But the view is great!

We were now drawn to the restaurant. Unfortunately, all the tables were reserved in the first “viewing position”. Here you have a fantastic view over the ski jumping facility and towards Innsbruck through the huge window front. Did you know that there is a cemetery directly in the optical extension of the flight path? It must be a strange feeling to fly towards the cemetery.

We finally found a free table and ordered the cake that you should definitely eat there: the Bergisel Torte. The cake tasted good, but the real highlight was the shape. The piece of cake is shaped like a ski jump!

Good to know

Besucherinformationen

Address

Bergiselweg 3,
6020 Innsbruck

The visit tookplace as part of a trip to Innsbruck.