This is a large and lively town with a beautiful walled medieval centre. Think quaint church, cobbled streets, attractive buildings, charming shops and a traffic free centre and you have the middle of Kitzbuhel.
Kitzbühel is one of the big names of the ski world, largely thanks to its spectacular Hahnenkamm downhill race course – the most exciting on the World Cup circuit. Hahenkamm race weekend is one of the key dates on the Alpine social calendar. But the place has powerful attractions for the rest of us, too.
We quite like the slopes, too – especially since the huge 3S cross-valley gondola made the link to Jochberg and Pass Thurn in 2004.
The lift system as a whole is slowly being brought up to scratch – this year there will be rejoicing in Kirchberg at the replacement, at last, of the infamous slow Maierl chairlifts. It’s just a pity the place isn’t 300m higher. In countless visits over a 25-year period we’ve encountered good snow down to the village just once. Our advice is to book late, when you know the conditions are good.
What's New
An eight-pack with covers replaced the old Kasereck double chair on Pengelstein recently. The Asten red run from Hahnenkamm to the valley became an easier blue piste. Ganslernalm was a new hut on the Streif slope. The 5-star Kitzbühel Royal Spa hotel opened in Jochberg, complete with its own ski lift.
At last, the chain of slow Maierl chairs from Kirchberg are to be replaced – and with state-of-the-art lifts: a 10-seat gondola and an eight-seat chair. So suddenly Kirchberg is a much more attractive base. A two-stage gondola is planned for the Bichlalm area, but this is less definite.
