Our plans for today were pretty much dictated by the weather. It is supposed to rain for the rest of the week, so we had to adjust our hiking/alpine plans we had made which meant we got to explore more of the Tyrolean countryside! Before I even woke up today, Aaron had an alternate plan. Here is where we went:

Kufstein

Kufstein is the optimal medieval fortress. It has been a fortress for hundreds of years and is now home to a archeological museum and the largest open air organ dedicated to those fallen in WWI. I will admit, there is a huge area dedicated to the fallen in WWI that set a bit weirdly with me. It is a bit odd to be someone from America visiting a country that was part of both the Central powers and Axis powers in WWI and WWII. It’s fascinating to me that just 100 years ago, this country was signing the treaty to end WWI. There is also a huge armory, not yet accessible to the public, that has a ton of artifacts from WWII here as well. During WWII, this town was the base of the “United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation of Displaced Persons” camp…after Allied forces took it over.

Regardless, the fortress itself is very well preserved and perfect for anyone who loved medieval history. Maximilian I was also known as “The Last Knight” because he came of age during the time after King Arthur and the time just before more technological warfare (Late 1400’s, early 1500’s). His takeover of the Kufstein established it as fortress to be reckoned with for centuries. It was eventually sacked by the Bavarians, but still holds a pretty significant historical importance. On a non-rainy day, you can really see why this fortress has conquered the test of time. It’s 300 meters above anything else around it! You literally have to take a cable car or walk a ton of steps to get anywhere near the fortress. As I said, it was really rainy today but here are some shots of the town of Kufstein and the fortress.After the tour of the fortress, we were able to explpre the town a bit. I happened to discover a symbol I learned a year ago that I had no idea had anything to do with Kufstein: The Camino de Santiago. You may have remebered this from our trip in Spain last summer, but the Camino de Santiago is a religious pilgrimage that takes you to the Northwest of Spain. However, the pilgrimage has many different routes that are outlined by the symbol below. I happened to find a symbol on a wall outside the St. Vitus church!

Hall in Tirol

After our visit in Kufstein, we decided to explore Hall in Tirol. Hall in Tirol is another historic Tirolean town that has classic Tirol architecture mixed with gorgeous Italian-Austrian charm. Our friends Matt and Allison claim that this area is their favorite in Austria, and so far I am totally on board!If all goes as planned tomorrow, we should be able to do the Alpine Coaster in Imst and some much needed hiking in Germany. We shall see! (Weather permitting…). See you tomorrow!

BIG NEWS!

In other news, I would be remiss to say that today was without other important developments. While Aaron and I were exploring the fortress, I was pretty tied to my phone because my older sister had her third child! She gave birth to an adorable baby boy named River. Here is River and our subsequent reaction!I’m so excited to meet him when I get home. Uncle Aaron and Auntie Ellie love you so much! You are already SO LOVED, baby River! Until then, ciao!