№29 — Kufstein Castle
I murdered multiple chocolate Easter bunnies over the weekend and therefore I had to face the appropriate punishment. Thus I was sent to the federal penitentiary in Kufstein Castle. After heavy bargaining, I managed to strike a deal and only spend a few hours there. And I even got to tour the place!
Unfortunately, Saturday before Easter did not allow for lots of skiing due to bad weather and therefore, we needed something else to keep us busy. Luckily, Kufstein castle was nearby and, most importantly, open to the public. I have walked and drove past it a few times but never actually visited.
The castle is located on a huge boulder in the middle of the city of Kufstein, overlooking the river Inn and guarding the Inn valley against invaders from Bavaria. Although — judging by the licence plates in town — not very effectively.
The castle itself is not too special if you have seen other medieval castles in Europe but the view of the valley and the surrounding mountains is quite nice. Inside, you can also find a museum dedicated to the former federal prison located there. Especially noteworthy was the inmate that started a small-scale peasants’ revolt just because his neighbor was annoying.
There are further exhibitions on people’s life in medieval Tyrol, torture in earlier times, and retro sports equipment. If you’re wondering what that last exhibition has to do with all the other, you feel the same as I do — feels very out of place.
The organ of the castle, the Heldenorgel, is the most noteworthy piece. It is currently the largest open air organ in the world and is played everyday at noon. Unfortunately, we missed it but it is supposed to be quite nice.
If you ever pass Kufstein and need something to do, especially with small children, head up the castle. It is a few hours of entertainment. But if you come from further away, do not travel there just for it. From my point of view, there are more exciting castles to visit.
