Kufstein is a gorgeous town located in the Tyrol region of Austria on the Inn River. Surrounded by epic mountains and with a medieval fortress overlooking it, it’s the perfect base for a summer adventure holiday in the wider area of Kufsteinerland.
With hiking, cycling, and wild swimming all on the doorstep, there’s plenty to do here. If adventurous activities aren’t for you, then you can wander around the beautiful old town, visit the glass factory and discover the historic fortress.
I visited the town for a few days in May and immediately fell in love with it. The people are friendly and welcoming, the scenery is incredible, and there is so much to discover.
Read on for things to do, places to eat, and where to stay in Kufstein.
How to get to Kufstein
Kufstein is in the Tyrol region of Austria and is easily accessible. The closest airports are Salzburg and Munich, just across the border in Germany.
Flights are available from most major airports in the UK with budget airlines. I flew from Manchester to Munich with Germany’s national airline, Lufthansa.
Once you’ve landed, you can catch a train straight to Kufstein or book a private transfer which takes around an hour and a half.
Getting around Kufstein is also easy. The town is quite compact and easily walkable.
They also have regular buses (except for Sundays) or you can grab a city bike to cycle to your destination. When you stay in Kufsteinerland, you get a KufsteinerlandCard which gives you access to free public transport in the area.
With the card you can also get discounts on attractions with free entry to some.
Things to do in Kufstein
Whether you’re into exploring in the mountains or you prefer a bit of culture on your holidays, you will find plenty to do in Kufstein.
Visit the fortress
One of the main landmarks in Kufstein is its magnificent fortress, Festung Kufstein. It is over 800 years old and you can take a guided tour, or visit the museum and see one of the exhibitions.
You can take a funicular up to the fortress which is a cool experience in itself. It offers some gorgeous views over Kufstein and the surrounding mountains.
They also offer a programme of special events throughout the year including concerts and shows. There is a restaurant on site where you can get refreshments.
While I was there in May they had a medieval festival called Ritter-Fest on. There were live music performances, food stalls, and a fire show in the evening.
Enjoy a free organ concert
Every day at 12 noon you can enjoy a free organ concert at the bottom of the fortress. It’s the world’s largest free pipe organ and the sounds can be heard throughout the town.
Visitors can sit in the pews opposite the organ player and listen to the sound of the pipes ringing out above them. The seating area is covered so you can enjoy it no matter what the weather.
The music is so atmospheric and this is a really magical experience that you can’t miss when visiting Kufstein. I actually got a little bit emotional while listening as it was so special.
The concert only lasts around ten minutes so you can combine this with a visit to the fortress.
Learn about wine glasses at the Riedel Factory
Riedel is a family-owned glassware company founded in Czechia in 1756 before moving their factory to Kufstein after the Second World War. They specialise in creating wine glasses to enhance the taste and the aroma of wine, creating revolutionary designs.
At the factory you can watch glass blowing taking place and learn more about the history of the company and its processes. You can also take part in glass tastings.
Yes, you read that right! Glass tastings still involve drinking wine but it’s the shape of the glass that changes, rather than the wine itself.
There’s also a shop here with hundreds of thousands of different wine glasses so you can choose your favourites to take home. Riedel is a must-visit for wine lovers.
Hiking
Of course, you can’t come to the Tyrol region without exploring the mountains and hiking is one of the best ways to do this. We explored Tischoferhöhle cave in Kaiseraufstieg with our guide Hiking Harry.
It was a short, sharp uphill hike to get to the cave which then felt quite mystical. On the way back we stopped for a carby dinner at a mountain hut, Alpengasthof Pfandlhof, before heading back down and enjoying some spectacular mountain views.
I also went hiking in the Kaiser Mountains nature reserve after taking the chairlift up there. There are over 1000km of hiking paths up here so you can choose your route according to your ability.
This area of the Austrian Tyrol had some of the most beautiful mountain scenery I’ve ever seen and there are some traditional mountain huts where you can stop for a bite to eat.
Cycling
I’m going to be completely honest here and say that I didn’t really enjoy cycling around Kufstein that much. The traffic was a little crazy and I found it a bit scary.
However, if you’re used to city cycling then this will be a breeze for you. With the KufsteinerlandCard you get the first half hour of cycling for free and then there is just a small charge after that.
You’ll need to download the app and link a credit card for this and then you just scan the QR code on the bike with your phone when you pick it up and this will unlock it. Cycling is a great way to get out of the town and into the surrounding nature.
There are bike stations all over Kufsteinerland so you should easily find a bike, no matter where you’re exploring.
Walking and wild swimming at Lake Hechtsee
If you haven’t had enough of hiking then head out to Lake Hechtsee for a relaxing circular walk. You can walk all the way around the lake, or choose one of the marked footpaths – you can even walk into Germany from here!
You can catch the bus to Lake Hechtsee from the centre of Kufstein and this route is included with the KufsteinerlandCard. It’s around a ten minute bus ride.
Walking around the lake is around four miles in total and will take around an hour. There are plenty of beautiful viewpoints along the way and benches where you can stop for a rest or a picnic.
The lake has a cafe, swimming platforms, and even changing rooms here so there’s everything you need for a swim after your stroll. I found that the lake didn’t feel that cold when I swam there in May and it was a really refreshing and pleasant swim.
Take the Kaiserlift
The Kaiserlift is a scenic chairlift which takes you up into the Kaiser Mountains. The chairlift is two tiers with single seats so you have to ride alone.
Dogs are welcome to ride on the Kaiserlift too and boxes are provided for them to travel in. On the lift you’ll get amazing views of the surrounding scenery and it takes around half an hour.
Once you get to the top, you can do some hiking or just enjoy the views before heading back down.
With the KufsteinerlandCard you can get one free return trip on the Kaiserlift. Without the card, prices per adult are around 22.50 euros.
Where to stay in Kufstein
I stayed in Stadthotel Alpenrose, a boutique hotel just a ten minute walk from the town centre. The rooms were spacious and comfortable with a coffee machine, en-suite bathroom, and stunning views of the mountains.
Downstairs there was a gym and sauna, conference facilities, and a restaurant.
The restaurant here was amazing and I ate here twice on the first day for lunch and dinner. The food was high quality fine dining with locally sourced ingredients.
It was asparagus season so I made the most of it, ordering asparagus and burrata for starters and steak with asparagus for my main course. The food was absolutely delicious and the service was excellent.
Where to eat in Kufstein
I must admit, when I decided to travel to Austria, I wasn’t necessarily thinking about the food. I wasn’t sure what to expect and I didn’t really know anything about the local Tyrolean dishes but I was very pleasantly surprised.
A lot of the food is quite stodgy which is great for fuelling you up for hiking and outdoor activities. Here are some of the best places I ate in Kufstein.
Hotel Stadt
We popped into Hotel Stadt in the centre of Kufstein for lunch. This is a stylish, modern hotel that has facilities for business travellers.
There’s a lovely bar and restaurant area where you can relax with a drink or treat yourself to a meal. We enjoyed a perfectly cooked steak here with vegetables.
Purlepaus
Purlepaus is a traditional Austrian restaurant in the centre of Kufstein. I tried the käsenodelsuppe which is a broth with a cheese dumpling in it followed by the chicken schnitzel.
The portions were very generous and the food was tasty. The staff here were really nice, too, explaining all the dishes to us and keeping us topped up with wine during dinner.
Alpengasthof Pfandlhof
This is a traditional mountain hut in the mountains above Kufstein. It’s super picturesque from the outside – exactly what you’d imagine from a mountain lodge!
You can choose to sit inside or make the most of sitting outside when the weather is fine. It’s a great place to stop off for lunch or dinner during a hike.
I tried the käsespätzle which is like the Tyrolean version of mac and cheese with a crunchy topping. This was delicious and just what I needed after a couple of hours of hiking.
Kaindhutte
Kaindhutte is another mountain hut in the Kaiser Mountains. I visited here for lunch at the weekend and there was a great atmosphere as it was full of hikers and mountain bikers.
I tried the spinatknödel (spinach dumplings) with salad. These were very tasty but the portion was huge and I could only finish one dumping.
Again, great food to fuel you up for hiking – I don’t think the Tirol do small portions!
Auracher Löchl
This restaurant in the Old Town of Kufstein has a gorgeous rooftop terrace overlooking the river and the mountains. It’s a fantastic spot to enjoy a cold glass of wine while you enjoy the spectacular views.
Downstairs, the restaurant is very traditional with the waiting staff wearing clothes that are typical of the region. The interiors are cosy with plenty of exposed wood and large tables for sociable dinners.
I had more asparagus here as it was in season and both the starter and main were delicious. I also tried kaisersharrn for dessert, which is like a chopped up pancake.
The kaisersharrn was yummy but again the portion was huge so I’d recommend getting one to share.
