Kitzbühel: Exploring Austria’s Luxury Alpine Paradise

Kitzbühel, Austria

Kitzbühel is a picturesque mountain village situated in the Austrian Alps about 100km east of Innsbruck.  Having started life as a mining town, it is the polar opposite of purpose-built modern ski villages. As a result, Kitzbühel has a real vibrancy and sense of history.  It was here in March 1893 that Franz Reisch walked up and managed to ski down from the Kitzbüheler Horn, making it the first Alpine ski run in Austria.  Word spread among fellow snow-sport enthusiasts and by 1895 Franz Reisch was organizing regular ski trips and ski races. This laid the foundations for Austrian winter tourism. 

As demand grew, hotels and rental properties sprung up and proficient skiers from the village started offering the first commercial ski lessons. In 1929 the world’s first cable car specifically to facilitate skiing, the Hahnenkammbahn, was built. This cemented Kitzbühel’s reputation as a ski destination of international renown. Today it is one of Austria’s most iconic – and upmarket – ski resorts.

Accommodation:

As we have lived in Kitzbühel for two years, we had our own apartment and have not personally stayed in any of the hotels. However, there are many higher end hotels in the city center or you can find cheaper accommodation a bit further out. Look here to find what fits your needs best:

When to visit 

Kitzbuhel might be most famous for being home to one of the top winter ski destinations of the world. However, it is considered to be an all-year round destination. It became internationally famous when the future King Edward VIII first came here in 1928 and made it popular with the British as a Summer destination.

Overview:

Good times to visit are June, July and August for hiking and end of October to February for skiing. It’s also interesting to note that the Hahnenkamm ski run’s average temperature has been getting colder for over 20 years!

Summer Highlights 

Kiztbühel is clearly famous for its winter attractions, so why would you want to visit during summer? We first moved here in August and I was pleasantly surprised by how much there was to do. With 4 golf courses including two 18 holes it is actually a very popular summer destination for some of Austrians wealthier citizens. Plus, there are many miles of hiking and mountain bike trails. Think Sound of Music running through the hills kind of vibes. Plus they have cows everywhere! You can certainly see the attraction of coming here during the warmer months. 

Winter highlights 

Awarded the accolade of the world’s best ski resort by Skiresort.de, the world’s largest test portal for ski resorts for the third year running, Kitzbuhel, Austria certainly has great credentials. Kitzbuhel ski resort is one of the pioneers of alpine skiing ever since Franz Reisch skied down the Kitzbüheler Horn, making it the first Alpine ski run in Austria. 

Skiing itself is possible from at least end of November to mid April as the resort has a combination of snow canons and natural snow with an average of 180 days skiing. There’s been a great deal of investment in the skiing infrastructure in Kitzbühel – around million Euros since 2000. Many of the chair lifts have heated seats and automatically opening covers. Free-riding, or snowboarding off-piste, is extremely popular too with extensive back country and deep snow. 

Hahnenkamm 

Arguably Kitzbuhel’s main attraction is the world famous Streif downhill ski-run, scene of the infamous Hahnenkamm downhill race. It certainly looks pretty steep from the top! Introduced 80 years ago in 1937, the northeast-facing Streif is among the world’s toughest downhill courses, and is infamous for the sheer number of spectacular crashes.

Hahnenkamm: Most Dangerous Ski Race in the World

With high speed jumps, exhilarating bumps and gliding sections, it’s an extremely diverse terrain for expert skiers. The race itself attracts 80,000 visitors every year.

Having said that, there are sections that can be tackled by intermediate skiers and there’s even a wacky uphill race held in February each year! Kitzbuhel, Austria also plays host to the largest snow polo tournament in the world, the Valartis Bank Snow Polo World Cup.

We had the pleasure of attending the race this year (2023) as locals and it was definitely an experience we will never forget! Countless celebrities visit every year (Arnold Schwarzenegger, Patrick Dempsey and of course many athletes). You can check out our weekend experience here

Jahrmarkt:

Most Austrian towns have their own version of Oktoberfest but with a wine version! Vienna has Kirtag and Kitzbühel has Jahrmarkt! You dress up in traditional Tracht and have a blast with live music and tasty food.

Kitzbuhel Village Center

The brightly colored houses and cobbled streets are extremely picturesque. It’s certainly one of the most beautiful ski resorts in Austria. There are some interesting art galleries, luxury stores selling designer ski gear and Austrian traditional Tracht and the all important coffee shops for a slice of sacher torte and a hot coco with rum to warm yourself up.  In Kitzbuhel village center, there are lots of cafes and shops to browse (windows shopping is recommended as the prices tend to be on the high end). There’s even a casino for those who are less worried about their expenses and wish to try their luck. 

Quick highlight of our favorite places to eat: 

Top 10 Places to Eat in Kitzbühel, Austria

The Church of Our Lady

Liebfrauenkirche has a stunning baroque interior and an impressive bell tower. The cemetery surround the area also has some interesting history and residents so I suggest taking a stroll but remember to be respectful. 

Happy Travels xx

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