Visiting Austria wasn’t part of the plan.

No, the plan had been to visit some friends in the German Alps, about an hour south of Munich. Given the location, they would take me to a restaurant atop one of the mountains to enjoy traditional food and stunning local views.

But when I got off the train the morning of my visit, the weather looked to be putting something of a damper on those lofty plans.

“There’s no point going up the mountain,” they said as we drove through the mist. “Want to go to a medieval castle instead?”

The answer to that question is always yes.

So off we were to Austria…and Kufstein Fortress.

Getting there

We drove through the mist along winding Alpine roads. I was certainly glad I wasn’t the one driving – some of those turns were at a hairpin angle.

Sitting in the back also gave me the chance to admire the scenery. The mist was low enough that I couldn’t make out the tops of the mountains, but nevertheless I could observe traditional Alpine chalets – with their wooden top floors, decorated window shutters and steep, pitched roofs – dotted along the way.

While we drove to Kufstein, the town is easily accessible via public transportation. Just 1 hour 15 minutes from Munich by train, it’s a great option for a day trip from Munich.

If you are travelling by train, just be sure to bring your passport in case you are asked for it when crossing the border between Austria and Germany.

There were no border checks along the mountain roadway and we were in Kufstein town itself before I even knew we had entered Austria.

At the castle

Parking in a nearby public parking garage (there isn’t parking directly adjacent to the fortress), we walked a short distance to the fortress entrance, located just behind the parish church of St. Vitus.

We passed through the entrance gate and came to the ticket office/information center/gift shop, where we purchased our tickets.

Like many medieval castles, Kufstein was built on a hill to defend the surrounding area. This particular fortress protected the Tyrol region, a strategically important location because of its access to Alpine passes.

We had two options to get to the fortress: via funicular or the pathway up the hill.

Half of our group opted for the funicular, while I was in the half that took the pathway.

The hike up wasn’t as bad as I was expecting. It’s all stone, which was a little slippery in the outside portions given the rain, but most of the walk was through a lit stone passageway.

It felt, excitingly, like I was taking a secret tunnel into the castle.

Emerging into the main part of the fortress, our first stop was the hero’s organ, or “heldenorgel” in the more commanding-sounding German, built to commemorate those who were killed in WWI.

For any James Bond fans out there, the organ is mentioned in the novel On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.

It didn’t strike me as a particularly beautiful or impressive organ. We missed the concert time (it plays daily at noon), but it is an important local landmark and so was worth the look.

Speaking of local things, Kufstein Fortress does house an interesting Local History Museum, which was one of my favorite parts of the museum.

There was a surprising amount to see at the museum, which covers from pre-history to recent times, as well as natural history. Most of the museum information was in German, so my friends kindly translated. (Informational plaques around the rest of the castle are, helpfully, in both German and English.)

Highlights included bones (whether real or reproductions, I don’t know) of extinct animals that had been found in a nearby cave and reconstructed traditional rooms and local folk costumes. As I was admiring one garment, my friends told me that each village in the region has its own variation of traditional costume, so you could always tell which village a person belonged to.

Even though I can tour museums for hours, my companions wanted a break, so they stopped off at the restaurant, Festungswirtschaft Kufstein for some refreshments.

There was still much of the fortress to explore, however, so I instead climbed to the Emperor’s Tower, the large distinctive round tower that is the fortress’ signature feature. It can be seen for miles around and, likewise, gave the fortress’ defenders a 360-degree view of the surrounding area. (That is, at least, when it’s not totally foggy out.)

The Emperor’s Tower was originally built to house artillery, but during the revolutions that swept Europe in the 18^th and 19^th centuries, it was converted into a prison. Many of the prisoners who languished here for years were Hungarian.

The tower today tells the story of those former prisoners and the conditions they had to endure.

The rest of our time was spent wandering the castle grounds and gardens. Our dogs certainly got a good amount of exercise.

In case anyone is wondering, dogs are allowed throughout the castle grounds. They’re just not allowed in the museum portions, so some of my friends waited patiently outside while others of us explored inside.

Eventually, however, it was time to head back. The dogs and I retraced our steps down the pathway while others took the funicular.

Along the way, there was one last stop – the deep well, which back in the day, together with cisterns that caught rainwater, provided the castle with water, a critical component for life in the fortress.

The pathway brought us back to the gift shop. I bought a few Tyrolean chocolates infused with edible flowers and soon we bid Kufstein, and Austria, goodbye.

The clouds finally began to lift as we drove away, allowing me to catch one final glimpse of the fortress.

Perched on a hilltop with the Alps at its back, its imposing white walls and formidable round tower dominating town and river, here at last was the mighty Kufstein Fortress in its glory.

Looking for more day trips from Munich? Check out my picks here!