Ski is embedded in the historic town of Kitzbühel’s very DNA. Over 125 years of skiing tradition are combined with easy accessibility, long winters, high snow reliability and a variety of sports activities, appealing to those who want to make sure they can maximise the season. But there is plenty on offer for those who prefer not to hurl themselves down a mountain, too.
An alluring medieval town located within the Kitzbühel Alps along the river Kitzbüheler Ache in Austria’s Tirol, Kitzbühel is one of the most famous ski resorts in the world. It offers pretty much everything you need for the perfect winter holiday, including cross-country skiing, tobogganing, ski touring, skating, curling, and more. Together with nearby villages including Reith, Aurach and Jochberg, it makes up the vast KitzSki area, offering an impressive 233km of downhill skiing. And these slopes are within easy reach; the Hahnenkamm lift – whisking you right up into the Alps – is just a three-minute walk from the 750-year-old historic centre, so you can, essentially, ski directly from the mountain to the middle of town.
Serious skiing
From dramatic gradients to gentle slopes, every skier is catered to in Kitzbühel
(Kitzbühel Tourismus, Michael Werlberger)
Although there is plenty to do here year-round, the winter moments are the stand out, and the season runs generously from November to April. One of the regular draws is the annual World Cup ski races on the Hahnenkamm (the name means ‘rooster’s comb’) mountain, including the circuit’s most notable, perhaps even notorious, event: the Hahnenkamm race on the famous Streif . To say this is not for the fainthearted would be an understatement; it’s a tough, twisty, long, snaking run, filled with blind drops, steep gradients and daredevil jumps, aimed at top level international athletes.
The 83rd edition will be held from January 16-22, and makes for a fascinating spectacle for onlookers: racers can reach speeds of up to 140kph, and both you and they will be holding their breath as they approach the Mausefalle (‘mousetrap’) jump, just eight seconds in, which has an 85 per cent gradient and launches them 80m through the air. Just to make things even more challenging, there’s also an event called the Streif Vertical Up, a race where competitors have to strive to get from ground level to the top of the Streif route – which spans 3,312m and 860 vertical m – as quickly as possible.
Traditional cuisine
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