Shortly behind the borders with Austria, next to the city of Kufstein, the road leadsup to Scheffau and Ellmau. There the massif of Wilder Kaiser rises powerfully over the dreamy towns. Yet, the compactness is soothing and impressive and the many hiking trails and fixed rope routes lure ten thousands into the great landscape every year. Since the area comes up with many different tours, this article just wants to give an overview. Certain routes with diverse levels of difficulty can be found at Frederics guide munich.

A light ascent is facilitated by the toll road from Ellmau (804 m) to Wochenbrunner Alm (1085 m). The farmed alp is the starting point of numerous hikes into the massif of Wilder Kaiser. Another recommende access is via Walchsee and Kössen towards Schwendt – from there a toll road leads to Griesener Alm, the beginning of many hikes to Zahmer and Wilder Kaiser.

Also Walchsee with its town of the same name is a real treasure in the Zahmen Kaiser area. Take a fresh bath in the lake, after a hike a jump into the wet is a real pleasure. The southern Parallel-Massiv of Wilder Kaiser differs from the „Zahme“ (tame) brother further north in the high high rock crowns and the tough tops beyond 2.000 m. So, the names don't come from nothing and as this amazing massif has in store a great number of tours, the hiking season is too short to cover this entire natural space.

Contemplative or a bit sad is the word for a visit of the cemetery of the fallen in Hinterbärenbad in the rearmost Kaisertal: The careless and the audacious are lying here. In memory of these people you should ask yourself, if you are wearing the adequate equipment and if some tours might be a little too much.

During a hike to the Pendling, which hosts up high the Kufsteiner Haus, you can gaze down the often sung about town Kufstein with its powerful fortress (also called Geroldseck). The latter was first mentioned in 1205 as "Castrum Kufstein". The impressive building is enthroned above the old city and dominates the entire Unterinntal. A small panorama train facilitates the easy access to historic buildings and battlements. The deep fortress fountain, therocky path and the hero organ are as worth seeing as the Heimatmuseum, the exhibition of the Kufstein riflemen and the Alpen-Kräutergarten.

A side tour to Antoniuskapelle, which was built in 1711 in mittlere Kaisertal,  is not only great for its spectacular view to the northern Kaisergebirge. It is also a beautiful building and therefore one of the most often photographed objects in Tyrol.

by Dietmar Stanka