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History of Kufstein
Kufstein is an old Tirolese border town in the lesser Inn valley, located at the point where the river cuts its way through the Alps between the Kaisergebirge in the east and the shortened cone of Pendling in the southwest. Possession of the town was much doubtful during the Middle Ages, and the imposing stranglehold of Feste Kufstein was built here. Kufstein is now a popular holiday resort, with good-looking lake scenery in the surrounding area and good walking and climbing in the Kaisergebirge. It plays an important part in trade and traffic between Bavaria and Tirol.

Feste Kufstein
Unlike the town of Kufstein, Feste Kufstein, the castle which rears above it on a steep crag, has survived the storms of the centuries relatively unscathed. It can be reached by a covered stepped lane to the right of the parish church or by a lift from the Römerhofgasse. First recorded in 1205, the fortress was considerably enlarged and strengthened after the Emperor Maximilian I captured it from the Bavarians in 1504. The 90m/295ft high Kaiserturm (Emperor's Tower) was built in 1518-22. There is a famous Heroes' Organ (Heldenorgel; 1931) in the Bürgerturm, with 4,307 pipes and 46 stops. The organ is played daily at noon (in summer also at 6pm) in memory of those who died in the two world wars; it can be heard 13km/8mi away. The Kaiserturm also houses a local museum (Heimatmuseum) with material illustrating the history of the town.

 

Pendling The viewpoint hill of Pendling (1,565m/5,135ft; Kufsteiner Haus; inn open in summer) southwest of Kufstein can be climbed in three and a half to four hours.

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