Kufstein Fortress

The Festung Kufstein sits on a limestone rock over the Inn where the valley narrows, which is why it was fought over between Bavaria and Tyrol repeatedly from the thirteenth century; Maximilian I took it in 1504 using heavy artillery and rebuilt it, and the Kaiserturm, a round tower with walls up to seven metres thick, dates from then. It later served as a prison, holding political prisoners of the Habsburg state. The Heldenorgel, installed in 1931 in the Bürgerturm as a memorial to the dead of the First World War, has over four thousand pipes and is claimed as the largest outdoor organ in the world; it is played at noon each day and the sound carries across the whole town and valley. A funicular runs up from the old town.

What you actually see

• The Heldenorgel - over four thousand pipes, played daily at noon across the town.
• The Kaiserturm - Maximilian's round tower with walls up to seven metres thick.
• A prison history - cells that held political prisoners of the Habsburg state.
• A funicular up the rock - the lift from the old town to the fortress.

When to go

April to October; noon for the organ. Half a day.

Honest expectations

The organ plays once a day and the recital is short. The fortress closes or reduces hours in winter. There are many steps inside beyond the funicular. The Inn valley motorway is audible.

Nearby

The Wilder Kaiser is east; Innsbruck is up the Inn valley.