Kufstein Fortress

Kufstein, Austria

Kufstein fortress is one of the most impressive medieval constructions in Tyrol. It is located on a hill rising above the city of Kufstein. This fortress has already been built very early in order to control the entrance from the Alpine foothills into the Inntal valley. However, it has been mentioned for the first time in 1205 AD, when it was in possession of the bishops of Regensburg. In 1415 it was reinforced by Louis VII, Duke of Bavaria.

In 1504 the city and the fortress were besieged and conquered by Emperor Maximilian I. Maximilian had the massive round tower built between 1518 and 1522, substantially adding to its defensibility. From 1703 to 1805 it was a Bavarian possession, returning to Austria in 1814. The fortress acted as prison for a number of political dissidents during the Austro-Hungarian empire.

Today it houses the City Museum of Kufstein. Part of it is also used for concerts and meetings.

References:

Comments

Your name



Details

Founded: c. 1205
Category: Castles and fortifications in Austria

Rating

4.6/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Yudah Vizel (7 months ago)
An amazing castle with beautiful displays, an elevator to reach the castle, the city hall is amazing, a must to tour the castle and the town
Iris O (8 months ago)
Beautiful place and lot of information about the fortress history on their app you can download! Worth visiting and spending couple of hours exploring!
未来Mirai (8 months ago)
1. Wonderful sightseeing 2. Historical place 3. Interesting underground tunnel 4. Beautiful view of the city from the elevator 5. Nice shop
Debby Morris (10 months ago)
This was a highlight on our Germany trip. The fortress is really incredible. It was very, very cold when we went so we did hurry through some of it. If you have mobility issues parts of this will be difficult to manage. On the top of the wall you can get spectacular views of the city. A nice gift shop is also available with a few nice local made wares but a larger selection of imports. We enjoyed this just as much as Salzburg and it wasn't nearly as crowded. If you go be sure to eat at Purlepons. Great Bavarian good and atmosphere.
david antoun (13 months ago)
the story behind this medieval fortress, the role of Maximilian 1 in it and the battles between Bavarians and tyrol till the ww2 is really impressive. a very nice shop at the entrance, 14€/adult. take first the bahn to the top with a view to the old city. the fortress is divided in Block A B C and D. with towers, prisons, armory, old pumps and tunnels and many more you will see in this place. in addition a very talented guy play the Organ every day at 12.00 Pm and you feel the sound from the Pfiferturm. it is really an iconic place. many platforms with awesome view to the city/river. duration visit 3 hrs.
Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Historic Site of the week

Clementinum

The Clementinum is a historic complex of buildings in Prague. Until recently the complex hosted the National, University and Technical libraries, the City Library also being located nearby on Mariánské Náměstí. The Technical library and the Municipal library have moved to the Prague National Technical Library at Technická 6 since 2009. It is currently in use as the National Library of the Czech Republic.

Its history dates from the existence of a chapel dedicated to Saint Clement in the 11th century. A Dominican monastery was founded in the medieval period, which was transformed in 1556 to a Jesuit college. In 1622 the Jesuits transferred the library of Charles University to the Klementinum, and the college was merged with the University in 1654. The Jesuits remained until 1773, when the Klementinum was established as an observatory, library, and university by the Empress Maria Theresa of Austria.