Kaisertal

The Kaisertal is a steep-sided mountain valley in the Kaisergebirge range, set between the Zahmer and Wilder Kaiser chains in Tyrol. A narrow stream called the Kaiserbach flows down its ravine, joining the Inn north of Kufstein. Scattered farms such as Pfandlhof and Veitenhof stand on the valley floor, and St Anthony’s Chapel marks a popular footpath crossing. The valley forms part of the Kaisergebirge Nature Reserve, created in 1963 to protect its alpine scenery. Until 2008 the Kaisertal remained Austria’s last roadless inhabited valley. Farmers reached it on foot or by carrying dismantled vehicles up 280 steps on the Kaiseraufstieg from Eichelwang. For years proposals for an inclined lift or cable car were debated, but conservation concerns delayed progress. In 2006 work began on an 800-metre tunnel from Ebbs, agreed only after long talks between Ebbs and Kufstein, the valley’s largest landowner. Today the tunnel opens into a quiet valley where farms still operate without cars. Visitors walk the footpaths past St Anthony’s Chapel and follow the Kaiserbach upstream to the Klaushütte and Haupttrift-Klause. The Tischof Cave lies deeper in the limestone, adding to the valley’s rugged appeal. The surrounding peaks of the Kaisergebirge rise steeply, framing a landscape that feels remote despite its new road.