.swf
| Since
the end of the 19th century the Alps have taken a special position in the European
leisure landscape. The former 'wilderness' at the heart of Europe has been transformed
into one of the most important touristic areas in the world. Tyrol has benefited
from this development. Its wide range of leisure facilities, together with the
vast amount of visitors every year, have led to the transformation of the urbanised
area into an Elastic City that expands and contracts according to seasonal fluctuations.
In winter and summer, numerous sports-minded skiers and hikers populate Alpine
villages, whereby the settlement area in the adjoining valleys is stretched to
its limits. Off-season, when there are fewer visitors, the city shrinks down to
its infrastructural backbone: the 'Inntal'. |
