This weekend just gone I was out in Innsbruck for Travel Bloggers Unite (TBU). It was a fantastic opportunity to meet other travel bloggers, learn more about our craft and to check out the stunning city of Innsbruck.

There were sessions on SEO, getting your content onto mobile devices, improving your writing, email marketing and pitching to PR. A very successful conference in my opinion, and I can’t wait for the next one in Umbria, Italy next year.

Innsbruck Uncovered

Upon landing into Innsbruck or approaching the city by car, you feel that this city is a special place in Austria. Why do I say that? Well the huge, towering snow-topped mountains on either side of you made me sit up and take notice straight away.

Situated smack bang in the alps in western Austria, Innsbruck is the capital of the state of Tirol. It’s a haven for skiers and snowboarders, students and group tours and is located close by to multiple resorts and ski runs.

By day, there’s the picturesque and compact Old Town to explore. An impressive compliment of churches, laneways and a raging river make Innsbruck one of the prettiest cities to discover on foot.

Dusk comes around, and it’s on for young and old in Innsbruck’s many bars and restaurants. For a beer mecca, you need to check out Stiftskeller. The home of Augustiner beer in Innsbruck, Stiftskeller is the first place any beer lover should make a beeline to. Here you’ll find 1 litre steins of the amber stuff (the type you find at Oktoberfest).

After a feast of schnitzel and beer, head across to Stadt Cafe, which is guaranteed to be heaving and chock-full of Euroteens doing their best to score on a Friday or Saturday night. Cheap drinks, an outside bar and huge dancefloor are the drawcards here.

Some Awesome News

Now let’s get to the part I’m most excited about to come out of TBU..

We all took over the Stadt Cafe on the Friday night for rounds and rounds of drinks and a great buffet BBQ. After devouring slabs of pork, potato salad and bread rolls, the Travel Bloggy Awards for 2011 were announced.

I’m stoked to announce that I was awarded Best Expat/Round the World Travel Blog!

Many thanks to all those that voted for me, I’m so so stoked to have won. It’s spurred me on to create even more awesome content this year and leading into 2012. I can’t wait to give the Hartmann Luggage 21″ Rolling Duffel Bag I won a go on my next trip also!