Everyday history & a passion for collecting

It's not like any other museum: Vötter's Museum in Kaprun sends you on a nostalgic journey back in time to the 1950s through to the 1970s. How did the museum come about, how did founder Helmuth Vötter leave his mark and what makes it so special? Karin Vötter, his daughter, has been telling us.

"Visitors to our museum shouldn't expect to see highly polished exhibits on pedestals, high-tech headlights, racing cars or a Porsche collection: our museum is a journey through time. If you are just a bit nostalgic, you will discover many pieces here that will inspire you," says Karin Vötter. The Kaprun native took over Vötter's Museum, her "family baby" as she calls it, from her father.

Born out of enthusiasm and a passion for collecting

The exhibition was founded by her father Helmuth Vötter, a passionate collector, who has always lost his heart to new exhibits. "Just six or seven years ago, my father bought Wagon No. 4 from the Giant Ferris Wheel in Vienna at auction. This brought great joy to all of us," says Karin with a wry smile. "He started with 12 cars in 1996, and we now have more than 160 vehicles with various focal points in our exhibition. But it's not just cars: there are also scooters, motorbikes, bicycles and even an original kitchen from grandma's time. Most of the items date from the 1950s to the 1970s and present mainly the vehicles of common people. There are also various focal points, such as a VW collection in honour of car pioneer Ferdinand Porsche. You can also admire a Ford from 1921, or the legendary Messerschmitt bubble car at the museum.

It all started with a VW Beetle for the daughter

To understand how much family history there is in the museum, you have to go back to the very beginning: "I was 18, had just got my driving licence and really wanted a VW Beetle. That's when my dad remembered how much he used to enjoy working on cars, so he restored an old Beetle for me," says Karin. Helmuth Vötter grew up in modest circumstances in Bruck am Großglockner. When he was young, he and his friend repaired, restored, and welded together crashed cars from the Großglocknerstraße to create new, unique vehicles. "He was a real autodidact and taught himself the skills of the craft."

Has the daughter inherited her father's enthusiasm for cars? "The passion for the vehicles, definitely. Unfortunately, not the craftsman’s skills," she smiles. She has been working at the museum since 1999, as has the whole family. Just last year, in 2023, her father passed away - leaving a huge gap at the museum and in the family’s life. "Now we're missing our most important advocate. But when I enter the museum, I see him," says Karin. The family wants to continue their father's work together. "He was quite a character, of course, and his guided tours of the museum were legendary and very long! We always asked him to keep them as short as possible. But he loved sharing his passion." For Karin and her family, it is a big and not always easy task to continue her father's work. "We already have a large number of vehicles and everyday objects from the past at the museum. And we have even more in storage, we just can't find room for them at the moment. That will be a task for the future."

No expectations, but big surprises: Why the museum is worth a visit

When visitors come the museum (which is located in the Hotel Vötter in Kaprun) for the first time, most of them are pleasantly surprised, says Karin. "They come with relatively few expectations and are then surprised by the variety and the love with which everything is displayed. The museum is a gem not expected in the region." Three cars in the collection were owned by Karin Vötter herself, including, of course, her first VW Beetle. It is one of her favourite pieces, along with the Messerschmitt bubble car, which also was much loved by her father. Incidentally, the family has made an exception for one very special treasure - and for once has actually placed it on a well-lit pedestal: The first BMW Isetta that Helmuth Vötter restored is exhibited in the lobby of the family-owned hotel and serves as a little teaser of what visitors can look forward to at the museum.

Opening hours & admission fees

• April & May and October & November, from Monday to Friday, 10am - 5pm
• June & September and December to Easter, daily, 10am to 6pm
• July & August, daily, 10am to 8pm
• Adults 12 euros, children aged 7 and older 5.90 euros, under the age of 7 free admission
• Reduced fees for holders of the Zell am See-Kaprun Summer Card

Here you can find further information.