In the footsteps of Emperor Franz I to the Kaisersäule

The route starts at the hiking parking lot, just above Thaur. After a few minutes, you can decide whether to follow the forest road or enter the Haslbergsteig. The trail crosses the forest road only twice and goes relatively steeply up to the Thaurer Alm, where shortly before it also joins the forest road.

If you follow the forest road, after about an hour you reach a nice viewpoint bench, where the Gasperlsteig (another ascent option) comes up. After a short break, the steepest section begins, leading to the Thaurer Alm. Only a few mountain bikers overtake hikers on this section shortly before the alm... just before the forest road forces you to your knees, the view opens over the Inn Valley and the Kaisersäule has come considerably closer! 40 minutes and about 200 meters altitude separate us from our goal.

The deserved refreshment at the Thaurer Alm is saved for the return journey, and continuing below avalanche cones above the Thaurer Klamm, the ascent proceeds to the elevation of the Kaisersäule. Beautiful deep views are granted down into the Thaurer Klamm, and one or another chamois jumps – unimaginable for us – down the steep slopes. There are no signs here, so you orient yourself by the markings "KS" on trees. At the lower part of the Törl meadows, take the first path right and continue over wonderful terrain up to the Kaisersäule. A viewpoint bench invites you to rest once more before the last steep meters to the Kaisersäule. Accompanied repeatedly by chamois...

Arrived at the top, the view makes you forget the effort of the ascent, and the warmth of the stone pyramid on your back invites you to rest. The view can almost endlessly wander here. From the Stubai Glacier, to the towering walls of the Latten and Rumerspitze, down to the Thaurer Alm, and across to the Zillertal Alps.

The return can be made the same way or shortly after the Kaisersäule follow a path behind a wayside cross down to the Törl. From here, you have a great view of the walls of the Bettelwurf and over to the Lafatscher Joch.

From the Törl, the descent to the Thaurer Alm can be done over the alpine meadows and further down on the forest road back to Thaur.

Bus 501 Thaur/center - approx. 30 minutes additional walking time to the starting point. If descending into the Halltal, you can return by bus 502.

From early summer until the first heavy snowfall, the route can be extended over the Haller and Thaurer Zunterköpfe and Hochmahdkopf! However, it is recommended to use public transport for this.