KUFSTEIN 2023.

From the metropolis Hamburg to the PEARL OF TYROL

Tyrolean joie de vivre instead of a business mindset, Alpine peaks instead of the Landungsbrücken, 10 session venues instead of 9 session rooms: The DSTNCMPis reinventing itself in 2023. From May 9–12, Kufstein will be the new home of this industry event —complete with a workation, space for discovery, and new perspectives.

This small town at the foot of the Alps and the surrounding Kufstein region have a lot to offer: historical artifacts, breathtaking natural beauty, outstanding cuisine, and fantastic cultural highlights on the calendar of events.

The Kufstein Region

The Kufsteinerland region covers a total area of 289 km² , encompassing the city of Kufstein and 8 surrounding municipalities, and has a population of 43,000. A very special tourist attraction is the Kaiser Mountains, with the “Wild Kaiser” and the “Tame Kaiser,” which rise majestically above the region. Evidence of Tyrol’s oldest settlement was found in the 30,000-year-old Tischofer Cave. But it’s not just nature—culture also plays a significant role in the Kufsteinerland region. With Erl and Thiersee, there are not just one but two Passion Play venues that attract numerous visitors every year. The spa center of the Kufsteinerland region is the spa town of Bad Häring, which offers a wide range of health tourism services.

While tourism plays a significant role, the Kufsteinerland region is also an important economic hub in its own right. Not only was the major Austrian retail chain SPAR founded here, but international companies such as Stihl, Sandoz, Novartis, and many others have also established themselves in the Kufsteinerland region. The well-known glass manufacturer Riedel Glas has its headquarters in Kufstein and produces its high-quality hand-blown glassware on site.

KUFSTEIN

Kufstein is the second-largest municipality in Tyrol and has just under 20,000 residents. The town has a very long history; archaeological finds suggest that Tyrol was already inhabited here about 30,000 years ago.

Because of its proximity to the German border, Kufstein was, for many centuries, repeatedly at the center of disputes between Bavaria and Tyrol.

In 1842, the first major company—a cement plant—set up operations in the town, marking the beginning of Kufstein’s history as an industrial city. In addition to numerous well-known companies, Kufstein is now also home to a renowned university of applied sciences.

Things to See in Kufstein

KUFSTEIN FORTRESS
The most important landmark is undoubtedly the Kufstein Fortress, situated on the 90-meter-high Festungsberg in the center of the city, which was first mentioned in the 13th century. Visible from afar is the imposing Kaiserturm, built between 1518 and 1522. In the 18th century and during the occupation following World War II, the fortress served as a prison.

"Heroes' Organ" Kufstein Fortress is home to the "Heroes' Organ," the world's largest open-air organ, which can be heard throughout the city.

OLD TOWN

Parts of the Old Town, such as Römerhofgasse, Kirchgasse, the lower town square, and the Inn Promenade, are popular tourist destinations. So too are the Batzenhäusl wine bar and the former inn, now the Restaurant & Boutique Hotel Auracher Löchl—where Karl Ganzer wrote the “Kufsteinlied.” Kufstein lost much of its typical Inn-Salzach architectural style in a major fire during the Middle Ages, which destroyed nearly the entire city as it existed at the time. On the Lower Town Square, however, some buildings still feature elements such as gable walls, arcades (though now enclosed), and large bay windows. Between the Upper Town Square and Madersperger Street are several impressive Art Nouveau buildings, such as the Sparkasse building, the former Hotel Egger, the current Stadt Elementary School, and the Bundesrealgymnasium.

THE KUFSTEIN SONG

In the “Kufsteinlied”—with lyrics and music from 1947 by Karl Ganzer (1920–1988)—the fortress town is celebrated around the world. This song is considered one of the most widely sung and best-selling (100 million copies) folk songs in the world. The song also gave the city the nickname “The Pearl of Tyrol” and the river the nickname “The Green Inn.”

Kaisergebirge Nature Reserve
The Kaisergebirge Nature Reserve, which encompasses all the peaks of the Wilder Kaiser and the Zahmer Kaiser, covers an area of 102 km² and extends up to an elevation of 2,344 m at the Ellmauer Halt. The only man-made means of ascent is a chairlift to the Brentenjoch (Kaiserlift Kufstein). Other lift projects were not implemented due to the nature reserve.

Kaiserlift It was inaugurated in 1971. Even back then, the ride up to the Brentenjochalm at 1,200 meters was idyllic. For 40 years, the Kufstein Kaiserlift transported hikers and nature lovers up the Wilder Kaiser until it was decommissioned in 2011.

A significant investment was required to obtain the operating permit, but this was not financially viable for the owner at the time. A solution was sought for a long time, until Stadtwerke Kufstein breathed new life into the lift from early 2014 through May 2015, completely renovating and revitalizing it. Just in time for the hiking season on May 1, 2015, the turnstiles opened again. This makes the Kaiserlift Kufstein one of ten single-seat chairlifts in all of Austria.

Kaisertal

In 2016, the Kaisertal was voted Austria’s most beautiful place as part of the “9 Places – 9 Treasures” initiative. It was the last valley in Austria that could not be reached by car.

For just a few years now, the Kaisertal has been accessible via a tunnel—though only for the valley’s approximately 35 residents. For everyone else, a leisurely climb up 282 steps awaits, with an unparalleled reward: an idyllic natural setting, culinary experiences, regional specialties, rustic alpine huts, traditional mountain inns, and an unspoiled natural landscape.