A measurement is presented of the $\mathrm{Z}/\gamma^{*} \to \tau\tau$ cross section in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s} = $ 13 TeV, using data recorded by the CMS experiment at the LHC, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 2.3 fb$^{-1}$. The product of the inclusive cross section and branching fraction is measured to be $\sigma(\mathrm{pp} \to \mathrm{Z}/\gamma^{*}\text{+X}) \, \mathcal{B}(\mathrm{Z}/\gamma^{*} \to \tau\tau) = $ 1848 $\pm$ 12 (stat) $\pm$ 67 (syst+lumi) pb, in agreement with the standard model expectation, computed at next-to-next-to-leading order accuracy in perturbative quantum chromodynamics. The measurement is used to validate new analysis techniques relevant for future measurements of $\tau$ lepton production. The measurement also provides the reconstruction efficiency and energy scale for $\tau$ decays to hadrons+$\nu_{\tau}$ final states, determined with respective relative uncertainties of 2.2% and 0.9%.