Zeller Berg is a modest but fascinating 597 m peak rising about 100 meters above the valley floor in the Zell district of Kufstein, Tyrol. Despite its small size, it hides a remarkable history stretching back to the era of Emperor Maximilian.

Separated from the Inn river only by the railway line, this hill offers views across to the famous Festung Kufstein just a few hundred meters away on the opposite bank. The steep slope facing the tracks requires ongoing protection against rockfall and falling trees. It's a quiet, low-key spot away from the crowds, with a surprising layer of history uncovered only in recent years through archaeological excavation.

• From Kufstein, Zell district — short, easy approach

• A sporty forest trail (Forstmeile) runs across the hill
• Between 2019 and 2021, the Institute of Archaeology at the University of Innsbruck excavated a fortress dating back to Emperor Maximilian's time
• Finds included a gilded belt buckle and a late-Gothic, green-glazed stove tile

Interesting fact: a retired non-commissioned officer, while measuring the hill for a cross-country race, noticed artificially shaped terraces — a discovery that led to the unearthing of a long-forgotten fortress, taken without a fight by Bavaria in 1805 and dismantled in the 19th century.