By Vicky · Published Oct. 14th, 2024
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This hike leads from Kufstein through Kaisertal Valley with great views of the mountains up to scenic Vorderkaiserfeldenhütte.
Kaisertal Hike to Vorderkaiserfeldenhütte Hiking Map
Location
The hike in Kaisertal Valley to Vorderkaiserfeldenhütte starts at a Kaisertal Partplatz on the edge of Kustein. Parking costs €3 for the day, and you can only pay by cash. It’s just over an hour’s drive from Munich. It’s also just over an hour on public transport from Munich – take the train to Kufstein then a bus to the bus stop by the car park.
Tips
- Vorderkaiserfeldenhütte is open year-round but closed Jan-March on Wednesday & Thursday, and closed on Thursday in April. You can also overnight in this hut (see here for details – in German).
- Get some hiking poles* to save your knees on the way down.
- There’s no technical difficulty to this hike – it’s mainly on tracks with one section uphill along a slightly steep and rocky path.
- Check out other great hikes on our Austria or Germany Hiking Page.
Kaisertal Hike to Vorderkaiserfeldenhütte Hiking Route
From the car park, head across the road and turn left up the steps through the wood. This walk begins with many steps, which bring you quickly upwards. In a short distance, turn right to keep on the steps. As you ascend, you’ll have glimpses of Kufstein and its prominent castle through the trees. The best viewpoint is towards the top of the steps.
The steps end, but the ascent continues. Keep following the main track, and about 2 km from the start, you’ll get to an obvious junction. You’ll return here on the way back. For now, head straight on along the flat track. You’ll soon come to some open pastures with wildflowers and great views of the Kaiser Mountain Range – the very steep and rocky right in the distance on the right.
Continue on the track through the meadows and you’ll soon reach the Antonius Kapelle, a little chapel with a splendid backdrop. Keep right at the next farm, through the field and into the woodland. The track becomes a narrow path here for a few hundred metres before rejoining a track.
Turn left on the track, heading up the valley. After walking upwards and meeting another track, you have the option to detour to a viewpoint. It’s about 350 metres along the track to where it rounds a bend. From here you have great views over Kaisertal (Kaiser Valley) and the steep, rocky mountains on the other side. Return 350 metres to the junction.
Hiking up to Vorderkaiserfeldenhütte
Head along the upper track, which begins the ascent. Keep right at the first junction, then very soon you’ll see a path on your left heading steeply upwards. From here, it’s about 2 km and 375 metres upwards to Vorderkaiserfeldenhütte (translates to something like Front of Kaiser Fields Hut). It’s quite steep, on a small and sometimes rocky path through the forest, with occasional views up the valley.
Eventually, you’ll reach a track near the top. Vorderkaiserfeldenhütte is just around the corner heading right on the track. From the hut’s terrace, there are wonderful views over Kaisertal, the rocky Kaiser Mountain Ridge, as well as west over the Inn Valley and other mountains.
After enjoying the views, and perhaps ordering refreshments from the hut (average food/drink & quite expensive) it’s time to head back down. The descent is simple. Start by returning down the track, but this time keep on the track. Follow the track past Ritzaualm, through the open and then back into the woodland.
Stay on the track, and after a few kilometres, you’ll be back at the junction near the beginning. Turn right here, down the track and back down the stairs to reach the car park where you started. This is the end of the Kaisertal Hike to Vorderkaiserfeldenhütte.
Guidebooks for Hiking in the Alps
Check out other great hikes on our Austria or Germany Hiking Page.
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