Kufstein, Austria

KUFSTEIN was a long-standing bone of contention between Bavaria and the Tyrol until Maximilian I finally brought it into the Habsburg fold in 1504. The man whose possession of modern artillery struck fear into the heart of many a Central European monarch placed a cannon nicknamed Weckauf ("Wake Up") on the opposite bank of the river and bombarded the defenders into submission. Nowadays the hilltop fortress draws a steady stream of visitors, and it's well known for its programme of operettas on weekend nights in August and its passion plays: one every six years with the next in 2014. Kufstein can also be a great base to explore the outdoors; in winter free ski shuttles run to Söll (late Dec to mid-March).

Immediately above the auditorium looms the pale sandstone fortress (daily: Easter to mid-Nov 9am–5pm; mid-Nov to Easter 10am–4pm; € 8.90), approached by a short funicular railway (just beside the Heldenorgel; included in entrance ticket) or on foot via a covered stairway. The latter route climbs through a rock-hewn tunnel to the northwestern watchtower, where Bavarian troops using ladders climbed through a window in 1703, ushering in a year of occupation. An archway just beyond leads to the Burgerturm, site of a display of the bright-blue tunics and ostrich-feather hats once worn by the Tyrolean Kaiserjäger, an elite rifle regiment formed by Emperor Francis I in 1815, and the focus of much local patriotism until its disbandment in 1918. One local veteran of the regiment, Max Depolo, was responsible for dreaming up the aforementioned Heldenorgel, the main body of which lurks beneath the tower's domed timber ceiling. From here paths lead out onto the ramparts or up to the fortress's most impressive feature, the cylindrical Kaiserturm, which towers above the central courtyard. Built in the sixteenth century, when much of the (by then 300-year-old) fortress was extensively modified, the tower is easily the most prominent part of the Kufstein skyline, and has become something of a town trademark as a result. Beside the Kaiserturm is the entrance to the Heimatmuseum, a modest but attractively presented collection which includes the skeletons of 30,000-year-old cave bears, local furniture, antique weaponry and, perhaps most compelling, an array of eighteenth-century wooden moulds used for casting wax votive objects – in this case miniature arms and legs intended to represent those parts of the body cured after a period of prayer.

Kufstein's train station is on the west bank of the Inn; cross the bridge in front of the station forecourt to reach the Unterer Stadtplatz and the tourist office at no. 8 (Mon– Fri 8.30am–12.30pm & 2–5pm, Sat 9am– noon; Tel:05372/62207, Web: www.kufstein.at ), which has a limited list of privaterooms (Price: € 31–45). Other options include the good-value Hauber Zellerstr 33 (Tel:05372/63539; Price: under € 30), a small pension on the western side of the train station. Ganderhof, Weissbachstr 41 (Tel:05372/62432; Price: € 46–60), is a quiet pension in a residential area south of the centre with en-suite rooms, while Zipferkeller, Marktgasse 14a (Tel:05372/62396, Web: members.nextra.at/zipferkeller ; Price: € 61–75), is the most reasonably priced of the town-centre establishments; all rooms have en-suite facilities and TV, and there's a buffet breakfast included. Hotel zum Bären Salurnerstr 36 (Tel:05372/62229, Web: www.hotelbaeren.at ; Price: € 76–90), is a comfortable suburban hotel 1km south of the centre, with TV and en-suite facilities in all rooms and sauna and free bikes for guests. Beautiful old Auracher Löchl Alstadt 3–5 (Tel:05372/62138, Web: www.auracher-loechl.at ; Price: € 111–130) sits right in the town centre; some rooms have a river view. The campground, Camping Kufstein, Salurnerstr 36 (Tel:05372/62229-55), occupies a grassy stretch of riverbank next to the Hotel zum Bären.

Innumerable restaurants, cafés and bars dot central Kufstein. Römerhofgasse particularly harbours atmospheric old inns offering Tyrolean specialities and standard Austrian fare. Auracher Löchl Weinhaus, Römerhofgasse 5 (Tel:05372/62138), is a superbly atmospheric, wooden-beamed old place that boasts regular live folk music in the winter, while the nearby Batzenhäusl, Römerhofgasse 1, has cosy dining rooms adorned with hunting trophies and assorted curios. Bräu-Stüberl, Oberer Stadtplatz 5a, is a dependable town-centre restaurant with moderately priced traditional dishes, and plenty of outdoor seating round the corner on Arkadenplatz. For nightlife, the best bet is to bar-hop until you find music and clientele you like: Arabia and Tscharly's are good places to start. Kulturfabrik, 2km north of town at Feldgasse 12 (Web: www.kulturfabrik.at ), hosts jazz, rock, and alternative gigs (the tourist office will have event information).