Why did this tradition arise? Because – bizarrely – the bulk of British skiers did not hit the slopes in January.

Maybe it was the fear of the cold, or the cost of Christmas, or the desire to stagger holidays a bit rather then bunch them up – tour operators’ explanations differ. On the other hand, the snow is usually good, the holidays are cheap, and the resorts are not crowded. Why did this tradition arise? Because – bizarrely – the bulk of British skiers did not hit the slopes in January. It is one of the traditions of British skiing that canny skiers do it in January. Sure, they’ll tell you, the weather can be cold; but if you want to get your kit off, you should go to the Caribbean.

On the other hand, the snow is usually good, the holidays are cheap, and the resorts are not crowded. It is one of the traditions of British skiing that canny skiers do it in January. Sure, they’ll tell you, the weather can be cold; but if you want to get your kit off, you should go to the Caribbean. The castle is set in a lovely garden, in the hills above the city. Some of the rooms are filled with displays of armour, including some small suits designed for children. Minibuses run regularly up to the castle from outside the Landhaus on Maria-Theresien-Strasse; make sure you find out when the return service will be leaving, otherwise you could be waiting for some time in the cold..

Originally built in the Middle Ages, this was the home of Ferdinand II and his wife Philippina Welser, a commoner with whom he fell in love and whom he was banned by his father from marrying for some years. There is a panoramic view across Innsbruck, which is also worth seeing at night, but this is only possible on Fridays, when the cable car continues running until 11.30pm.
THE ICING ON THE CAKE
A couple of miles outside the city, the Schloss Ambras is well worth a visit for its quiet location and interesting history. This takes you in two stages to the cable car, and from there you have access to the Seegrube and the Hafelkar.
SUNDAY LUNCH
The Restaurant Seegrube (00 43 512 293375) is more than 6,000ft above the city, at the first cable- car stop up the mountain. It is open for lunch every day, and serves a selection of traditional Austrian dishes. If you want to go into the Alps, either for a walk, a day’s skiing, or just to look at the view, take the funicular railway, the Hungerbergbahn, from its base station at the point where Rennweg meets the river. His empty tomb – he was actually buried in Wiener Neustadt, south of Vienna – is surrounded by a couple of dozen larger-than-life bronze figures of knights and various European royals, real or imaginary, including our own King Arthur, whose statue was sculpted by Dürer.
TAKE A RIDE
Innsbruck is one of very few cities that actually has mountains within its boundaries.

Not a great choice for vegetarians, the menu has plenty of pork and chicken, although often cooked in slightly lighter sauces than one might expect. Less expensive, but with plenty of atmosphere, is Sweet Basil, at Herzog-Friedrich-Strasse 31 (00 43 512 584996).
SUNDAY MORNING, GO TO CHURCH
The Hofkirche, once the chapel of the imperial court, no longer functions as a church, but it does contain one of Innsbruck’s most impressive attractions, a mausoleum to the Emperor Maximilian. If you are looking for something more sedate, like a glass of sekt , the local sparkling wine, the best option is to go to the bar of one of the hotels.
DEMURE DINNER
For a typical Austrian meal, the best restaurant in town is generally reckoned to be at the Goldener Adler hotel; this is where the locals go if they want something special. There is a Kaufhof department store halfway down the street, as well as various smaller shops.

The streets in the old town are also worth browsing through if you are looking for something more unusual: this is a particularly good place to start if you are looking for antique prints.
AN APERITIF
If you are a serious beer enthusiast, you may want to try out some of the local brews at Theresienbrau, a noisy beer hall at Maria-Theresien-Strasse 51-53 (00 43 512 587580); most of the beers it serves are brewed on the premises. There is also an interesting collection of photographs and costumes from past carnival celebrations in and around Innsbruck.
WINDOW SHOPPING
The main shopping area is Maria-Theresien-Strasse, which stretches from the Graben south as far as the triumphal arch. There are cooking utensils, clothing and interiors of old Tyrolean chalets, as well as examples of traditional medieval crafts. An entire room is devoted to a collection of Krippen, or nativity scenes, made by woodcarvers from the villages around Innsbruck; the tradition of carving continues in these areas to this day. If you find coffee and cakes hard to resist, try the Café Brazil at Leopoldstrasse 7, near the triumphal arch, or the Café Central in the Central Hotel on Gilmstrasse.
CULTURAL AFTERNOON
The Tyrolean Folk Museum, part of the Hofkirche complex in Universitatsstrasse, is a fascinating reflection of village life over the centuries in this part of Austria. There are plenty of places, though, on Maria-Theresien-Strasse where you can find a sandwich: try Nordsee, which specialises in fish, or Wienerwald (11) , which, although it is part of a chain, serves a decent lunch.