Oh, I would never leave. I’d move here right now if I had the money.” Said Antonia at the bus stop…
“Oh wow, the road is empty. I’ll catch the earlier train. Great!” Said Antonia five seconds before a traffic jam appeared out of absolutely nowhere in front of the bus…
Somehow, I still arrived at the train station on time. Twenty minutes until departure. Perfect.
Only to hear: “The train will be 15 minutes late.” Perfect…
And then, an even better notification from Deutsche Bahn: “Connection will probably not be reached. Please select an alternative.”
Here comes the anxiety.
Anyway, I got on the train and the ticket inspector reassured me that we’d make it on time and I’d catch my connection to Munich. Apparently, the Munich train would be waiting on the platform directly opposite ours, so all I’d have to do was get off and walk straight across.
I mean…she was right.
Except the train to Munich closed its doors right as we were about to get on. see video=))
So, here I am in Wörgl but great, there’s another train coming to Kufstein.
Already spoiled the title, didn’t I? =)
But yeah, this could still work. I’d arrive in Kufstein with exactly 13 minutes to change to the train to Munich, then catch the bus to the airport.
Everything was good. Perfect, actually. What could possibly go wrong?
“This train is delayed by 15 to 20 minutes.” Hahaha? Nightmare.
And then: “This train is delayed indefinitely.” Oh.
I immediately started searching for alternatives. There was one more train that could possibly get me there on time… and then that one got delayed indefinitely too. At this point, I started asking the locals, “Is this, like, a usual thing here?” Apparently not. Someone who takes that exact route every week told me it had never happened to them before.
But sure. Of course it happens when I’m there. =)
Back to searching for alternatives. There were none that would get me to Kufstein on time. Uber? Still wouldn’t make it. Bus? Nothing for at least another 50 minutes. I kept searching because there had to be some way of getting to Munich and catching that bus to the airport.The last alternative I found would’ve got me to the airport at exactly 16:25. My gate closed at 16:30. Yeah… no pressure.
There was one final possibility: a train towards Vienna that stopped in Kufstein, where I could change and somehow still make my way to Munich. That train didn’t come either. So, I did try. I really did.
Meanwhile, I had a small panic attack, but at some point I had to put that aside and tell myself, “Think rationally, Antonia. What’s the plan?” And thankfully, I did. I called my parents and told them I had enough money to get myself through another day, but not enough to book another flight home. I’m really grateful that they were able to help me get a flight for the next day.
So… I wasn’t going home. Not today, anyway. I was, however, finally on my train to… yep, Kufstein.
Before I get any further, I have to say… I had all the possible signs. Besides the whole “Oh, I’d move here” and “I’ll make it on time, perfect” situation, there was something else. Whenever I travel, I have a little pouch for dirty clothes and, usually, in the morning I leave, my pyjamas go straight in there. Except that morning, I woke up, looked at them and thought, “Hmm… I’m not going to put them in yet. What if…?”
Good job, Antonia. =)) And if we go back about two months, I’d actually had a dream that I got stuck in Austria instead of catching my flight home. Add a few more signs which, yeah, I’m not getting into here, and looking back at everything now, I genuinely think I had to be here and discover this town. And well… my favourite thing about it.
But keep reading. 👀
At this point, I was trying to figure out two things: how I was getting home the next day and, since I was apparently staying, how to make the most of this unexpected extra stop. I’d actually heard about Kufstein while researching Austria and had already put it on my list for a backpacking trip I wanted to do next year. Well… wishes come true. Just slightly earlier than expected.
Kufstein is a small Tyrolean town right by the German border, sitting along the River Inn and surrounded by mountains. Its most recognisable landmark is Festung Kufstein, a fortress that has stood above the town for more than 800 years. It was first mentioned in 1205 and, because of Kufstein’s location, spent centuries being fought over between Bavaria and Tyrol before eventually becoming Austrian again in 1814.
(I did spend two hours walking around and reading about its history, so yep…had to share with the class. =)))
I think pictures speak better about the beauty of this town, so I’ll just let them do the talking.
Views from Festung Kufstein 🏰
There’s quite a lot to walk, so I’d definitely allocate around two hours if you want to comfortably explore everything. But it was definitely worth the visit.
And, obviously, I couldn’t discover a new town without somehow ending up at its sports facilities. =)
I walked past their sports club and, honestly, they have pretty much everything: football, basketball, tennis, athletics and even an ice rink that was turned into beach volleyball courts during summer. And it wasn’t just the facilities themselves. There were actually people everywhere, each practising their own sport, which I really loved seeing.
Back in town, I was already too tired to keep walking, so I decided to sit down on a bench and research some things to do and, more importantly, where to eat.
And I found this place right on the River Inn called Restaurant Cafe Promenade.
I got an amazing schnitzel with fries and a strawberry lemonade, and I’m giving both the food and the service an 11/10. And then they gave me a coconut tiramisu (putting this in bold in case anyone else wants to make my day) on the house and… well, remember when I said I discovered my favourite thing about Kufstein? This was it.
Genuinely, one of the best desserts I’ve ever had in my life. I’d go back to Kufstein and ask for the whole tray. =))
I’d also never heard of coconut tiramisu before, and I’ve asked people about it since, but nobody seems to know where I can find one. So, if you know a place that serves coconut tiramisu, my DMs are open. Anywhere in Europe is accepted. I’ll fly for it haha.
Now, like I said, after that view… and with the boredom and the massive schnitzel I had to finish, I had quite a lot of time to research.
And I might’ve accidentally fallen in love with Kufstein…
And well… my little research session got slightly out of hand. =)) Kufstein has around 20,000 people, it’s a university and business town, and its location right on the German border puts it pretty much between two worlds. You’re surrounded by the Alps, but Munich, Innsbruck and Salzburg aren’t exactly far away either.
Small town, mountains everywhere (my dream?), Germany next door, trains connecting you pretty much everywhere (when they actually decide to show up)… you can see why my little “I’d move here” research session got slightly out of hand. And we’re definitely not going to mention that the university happens to have the perfect Master’s programme for me… =)
It’s also not the first time a train mishap has taken me somewhere I never expected to go and I’ve ended up falling in love with it. Once, I got on the wrong train in London and somehow ended up in Richmond. I loved it so much that, to this day, it’s one of those places where I think, “Yep, I’d move here.” But that’s a story for another time… Well…Richmond officially has competition.
Because, like I said, things don’t always go as planned. And somehow, some of the most beautiful experiences I’ve had are the ones I never planned in the first place.
I guess that’s part of the beauty of travelling. And well…of life too. ♡
So, here’s some things I found that I unfortunately didn’t get to do, but you could if you’re ever there. — Google Maps recommendations, and the local Instagram accounts too, where they post pretty much everything that’s happening in and around Kufstein. So, if you’re planning a trip, definitely have a look at those as well.
Oh, and in case anyone was still wondering… I did make it home the next day, guys, thanks to Animawings. =))
Not fully alive, considering I somehow managed to bump my head, but I made it. 😃 And then proceeded to sleep for the next 17 hours.
And I think that’s where I’ll leave Kufstein for now.
Looking back, this whole solo trip, and especially getting “stuck” here, might genuinely have been one of the best things that could’ve happened to me. Not necessarily because everything went well, because clearly it didn’t =)), but because somewhere between travelling alone, figuring things out when everything went wrong and ending up somewhere I was never supposed to be, I feel like I came home a slightly different person.
It sounds dramatic considering this all started with some delayed trains and a missed flight, but I genuinely feel like a new version of myself after this trip. Maybe a little more confident, a little less scared of things not going according to plan and definitely more willing to see where they take me when they don’t.
And Kufstein? I’m 100% coming back. For the coconut tiramisu, obviously. I still have an entire tray to ask for. =))
But also because I feel like I only got a little glimpse of the town this time. There’s still so much I want to see and do, and somehow, despite never actually planning to be there that day, it has become one of those places that feels a little close to my heart now.
So yeah… I got stuck in Kufstein.
I’m pretty glad I did. ♡
Until next time. ♡
