My Tirol: Wilder Kaiser
Above/featured: On the drive west from St. Johann in Tirol to the town of Going are the peaks Treffauer (2306 m), Ellmauer Halt (2344 m), Ackerlspitze (2329 m), and Maukspitze (2231 m).
Du bist die Krone über einem begnadet schönen Fleck Tiroler Erde.
(You are the crown above a beautiful patch of Tirolean soil.)– About the “Koasa” as the Wilder Kaiser is known by residents, written by Fritz Schmitt in his 1982 book “Das Buch vom Wilden Kaiser.”
About 95 kilometres northeast from Innsbruck, the alpine landscape in Austria’s northeast Tirol is dominated by the Wilder Kaiser (“Wild Emperor”) mountains which tower over the towns of Söll, Scheffau, Ellmau, Going, and St Johann. From a distance, the wall of rock appears like a crown over the region. Thanks to the establishment of a nature reserve in 1963, there are no lifts or ski areas on the Wilder Kaiser mountains. The benefits is the development over time of a diverse array of alpine and subalpine flora and fauna. For those who must, lifts and ski areas are available to the south on the slopes of the Kitzbühel Alps.
This day trip to the “Koasa” consisted of:
- regional ÖBB/S-Bahn Tirol trains from Innsbruck to St. Johann in Tirol;
- drive to Going (am Wilden Kaiser) for tea, followed by artisan ice cream;
- drive to Scheffau and a walk around Hintersteinersee (Hinterstein Lake); and
- drive to Gasthof Pension Jägerwirt for beer.
Outside the train station at St. Johann in Tirol.
Going am Wilden Kaiser; visible are Ackerlspitze (2329 m) and Maukspitze (2231 m).
Eismanufaktur kEISer (artisanal ice cream), Going am Wilden Kaiser.
Up the street is Wilder Kaiser Gasthof und Pension, whose exterior is used for the German ZDF drama-serial “Der Bergdoktor” (The Mountain Doctor).
Through Ellmau on Austria highway B178 (European route E641), accompanied by Treffauer, Ellmauer Halt, Karlspitzen, Ellmauer Tor, Ackerlspitze.
East view across the beautiful Hintersteinersee (Hinterstein Lake) with Treffauer (2306 m) anchoring the background at left.
Bumping into residents, around the Hintersteiner See.
Land use above the Hintersteinersee; looming behind are Grübler Kaiser, Zettenkaiser, and Scheffauer.
Choice of hiking trails and (hut) destinations. A walk back into Scheffau town is a mere 90 minutes.
Gasthof Pension Jägerwirt (Scheffau), framed by Kopfkraxen (2180 m), Sonneck (2260 m), Treffauer (2306 m), and Tuxeck (2226 m).
Greif zua! Vending machine, Austro-alpine style.
End the day in the “Koasa” with beer and schnitzel: “klassische Wiener Schnitzel vom Kalb, goldgelb in der Pfanne gebacken und serviert mit krossen Butter-Bratkartoffeln und Wild-Preiselbeeren” (pan-fried golden veal Schnitzel, served with crispy fried potatoes and wild cranberries). I think the schnitzel-to-plate size ratio is small, but the good food quality can yet be summarized as: “A.E.I.O.U.: alles Essen ist ordentlich urgemütlich.”
Late-spring/early-summer heat means afternoon thundershowers in the mountains: that’s my cue to leave and return to Innsbruck.
I used a Eurail two-country rail pass to travel between Innsbruck and St. Johann in Tirol. My thanks to N. Fejes and C. Burghardt for their warm hospitality. I made all photos above on 13 May 2018 with a Fujifilm X70 fixed-lens prime. Alle Fotoaufnahmen sind von Wasserzeichen versehen worden. This post appears on Fotoeins Fotografie at fotoeins DOT com as https://wp.me/p1BIdT-caq.
My Tirol, in 1-day trips:
• Alpbach valley.
• Brenner Pass.
• Scharnitz & Porta Claudia.
• Stubai valley.
• Wilder Kaiser.
Fotoeins Fotografie 
11 Responses to “My Tirol: Wilder Kaiser”
Der Wilde Kaiser ist absolut schoen. Henry Thank you for your virtual tour through such beautiful places. I always enjoy your images from places I have been. Stay safe my friend and have a great week.
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Hi and thanks, Cornelia. I’m glad I got to spend a day through a few parts in the Wilder Kaiser region. As with every place I visit for the first time, I always want more, and it’s no different with Wilder Kaiser. I’m not a winter sports person, but seeing the green mountains and blue skies in late-spring/early summer is as impressive and beautiful as I experienced in other parts of the Tirolean Alps. Thanks again for your very kind comments, and take care!
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Beautiful pictures Henry. Thank you for sharing. Perfect timing for people like us who could not go anywhere this summer.
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Thanks, A! Travel will likely look a lot different, but here’s to hoping that we’re able soon to get some travel going, from one place to another place around the world. Hope all’s well with you and your family!
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[…] Why: ice cream in Going, hiking, lakes, meadows, and a big beer in Scheffau. How: S-Bahn or regional train to St. Johann; bus 4060 to Going, Ellmau, Scheffau. Key: Wilder Kaiser. Full post here. […]
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[…] • Alpbach. • Brenner Pass. • Scharnitz & Porta Claudia. • Wilder Kaiser. […]
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[…] • Alpbach. • Brenner Pass. • Scharnitz & Porta Claudia. • Wilder Kaiser. […]
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[…] • Alpbach. • Brenner Pass. • Scharnitz & Porta Claudia. • Wilder Kaiser. […]
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[…] • Alpbach. • Brenner Pass. • Scharnitz & Porta Claudia. • Stubaital. • Wilder Kaiser. […]
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[…] On European E641 (Austria highway B178) with the Wilder Kaiser mountains as backdrop – 13 May 2018. […]
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[…] Located about 1 km north of the town of Scheffau, the Jägerwirt vacation guesthouse and accompanying restaurant sit at the western foot of the Wilder Kaiser mountain range. The image shows a north-facing view of the lodge framed by a big stone vertical wall with peaks Kopfkraxen (2180 m), Sonneck (2260 m), Treffauer (2306 m), and Tuxeck (2226 m). The motto here is “Genuss mit Weitblick” (enjoyment with vision), and the soothing view from altitude goes well with cold beer and a massive Schnitzel to end a good visit and day-trip to the Wilder Kaiser region. […]
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