Cable car nostalgia: Chairlift Kaiserlift Kufstein

A hidden gem near Kufstein

Tucked away on the outskirts of the city of Kufstein in the Sparchen district, you will find the Kaiserlift chairlift. If you don't know there's a chairlift here, you won't be able to find it. The Kaiserlift is a nostalgic lift and well worth visiting and using for a ride to the top. Because once at the top...

The Kaiserlift

The Kaiserlift is located on Kufstein's city mountain and was opened in 1971. It connected Kufstein to the Brentenjoch and the Steinberg area. Boarding in the valley at an altitude of 502m, it takes you via the middle station Duxer Alm (895m) to the mountain station at an altitude of 1256m.

In 2012, the old version of the Kaiserlift was closed because it needed a complete overhaul. The old seats were worn out, the supports needed replacing and the valley station radiated a lot of misery. So in 2014, work began on converting the chairlift. The old version was removed and a completely new chairlift was built in its place. On 1 May 2015, the new Kaiserlift opened.

View

As I said, a ride on the Kaiserlift is really worthwhile because once you get to the top, you have a fantastic view of the Wilder Kaiser and the Zahme Kaiser (Kaiser mountains). Behind the top of the Brentenjoch is a high plateau. Here you can enjoy hiking and the views of the entire Wilder Kaiser. There are plenty of Almen where you can go for something to eat and drink. At the time, we had something to eat at the Weinbergerhaus, a restaurant where you have a great view of Kufstein and the valley it lies in. By the way, the Käsebrot is very good and tasty at the Weinberghaus, highly recommended.

Kaisertal

Besides the view you have over the Wilder Kaiser, you also have a nice view of the Kaisertal from the mountain station. The Kaisertal (44 inhabitants in 2018) could only be reached on foot until 2008. At the time, the easiest route was from the village of Ebbs and a staircase with 285 steps allowed you to reach the valley.

In 2008, a tunnel was opened making the Kaisertal (Imperial valley) accessible by car as well, but only for residents. This made it the last valley in Austria that was not connected to the traffic network. In 2016, the Kaisertal was winner of the ‘9 Plätze - 9 Schätze’ programme in which Austria's most beautiful spots were chosen.