Innsbruck is an Alps town known for idyllic scenery surrounded by snow mountains, but with the coming of European football championship, the peaceful town has rejoiced up with football.
At the downtown square by the Inn river, a giant screen has been erected to cater for fans from home and abroad.
Among them, fans wearing Spanish and Russia flags are outstanding as the Group D Spain-Russia encounter will be staged here on Tuesday.
"Aller! Aller!" shouted Spanish fans, who were watching a Group C match between France and Romania.
The songs, laughs and trumpet blowing dominated the streets of Innsbruck, which hosts several group matches of Euro 2008.
"This fans' park is the smallest one, we have five in total in the city, the biggest one is close to the stadium," organizers told Xinhua.
"I like the atmosphere here," said Smith, a local fan, who brought his nephew with him. "I will go to Vienna to watch Austria's next game," said Smith proudly.
With the stage of the every-four-year football carnival in Europe, numerous football fans traveled or are to travel to Austria and Switzerland to watch or feel the football gala.
Most of them do not have the tickets to watch the games in the stadium, but they just go to the host cities to feel closer to their teams and enjoy the atmosphere.
According to organizers of Euro 2008, more than 230,000 foreign football fans poured in hosts Austria and Switzerland on the first day of the 24-day tournament.
In the fans' part in downtown Innsbruck, a father took his two-year-old daughter on the back to enjoy himself with the match broadcasting live on the screen.
"I'm not football fan, I took a walk here and found the carnival, so I stay," he told Xinhua.
His daughter had her face colored with Austrian flags, watching the crowds instead of the match for the most of time.
"Of course she is not a fan now," said the father, smiling.
"But she like coloring on her face, maybe she will become a fan in the future," he added.
Hundreds of meters away, a major commercial street has been fenced off to make another fans' zone, where beer, flags, toys and souvenirs for Euro 2008 are sold.
Several police officers were standing among the crowded fans, also with smile on their face.
"We come from Germany, we come here to help our Austrian colleagues, but it's very peaceful here," a police officer told Xinhua.
"Usually it is very calm here in this town, but the peace is disrupted these days because of football," he said.
As a tit-for-tat battle between Spain and Russia within Group Dis to stage on Tuesday, the Alps town will have more fans pouring in the fans' parks and streets.
"Maybe it will become crazy city at that time, but with football, it doesn't matter," said a local resident.
Source:Xinhua
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