Kitzbühel: The Ski Town That Earns Its Reputation

Every January, the Hahnenkamm downhill race on the Streif piste produces one of sport’s more extreme spectacles: racers hitting 140km/h through sections with gradients of up to 85%, the Mausfalle launching them airborne for several seconds, and the Hausbergkante section where the course makes a sharp compression that forces g-loads on the athletes’ bodies at speed. The Streif is 3.3 kilometres and takes the fastest competitors under two minutes. Watching it is free for spectators who plan ahead; the course side fills with tens of thousands of people who come to this particular event annually from across Europe. Race week tickets sell out a year in advance.

The race is the most famous thing about Kitzbühel internationally but it isn’t why the town works year-round. Kitzbühel is an Austrian ski resort town in Tyrol, at 750 metres elevation, with a medieval old town centre – the Innenstadt, a pedestrian zone of Gothic buildings in pale yellow and white – that predates the skiing by several centuries. The architectural quality is what distinguishes it from other luxury Alpine resorts that are entirely built around the ski infrastructure.

Skiing

The Ski Circus Kitzbühel covers about 170 kilometres of piste across four mountains: Hahnenkamm, Kitzbüheler Horn, Ehrenbachhöhe, and the Resterhöhe. The altitude is relatively low (summit 2,000 metres) compared to other major resorts, which creates snow reliability issues in warm years – the lower runs in bad-snow winters can be marginal. The Streif and Ganslern courses are open to the public outside race periods. A week’s ski pass runs around €320-360; ski hire near the Hahnenkamm cable car base runs €40-50 per day.

For guaranteed snow, Hintertux Glacier, 40 kilometres away, operates year-round.

Summer

Kitzbühel functions in summer in a way most ski resorts don’t manage. The Kitzbühel Country Club has an 18-hole golf course with mountain views. The cable cars operate in summer, making the walking network accessible from altitude – ascend and traverse rather than climbing from the valley.

Schwarzsee, a natural lake 2 kilometres from town (walkable), warms to swimming temperature from June through August. The beach area, sailing school, and lakeside café make it the specific reason to visit Kitzbühel in summer rather than a neighbouring town.

Where to Stay and Eat

Tennerhof Gourmet & Spa de Charme Hotel is consistently praised for food quality and setting – a chalet-style property with a Michelin-starred restaurant. From around €350 per night in shoulder season, considerably more in high ski season.

Zur Tenne is centrally located, traditional Tyrolean style, family-run. The bar is where people who’ve been coming here for decades come back to. Mid-range at €180-250 per night.

Gasthof Eggerwirt on the old town square has served schnitzel, goulash, and käsespätzle (egg noodles with cheese) to locals since the 1970s. Lois Stern on Hinterstadt has a good wine selection and straightforward Austrian food without the tourist premium. The Tennerhof restaurant runs a seasonal tasting menu around €120 per head – book weeks ahead in January.

Getting There

Kitzbühel has its own train station on the Salzburg-Innsbruck line. From Salzburg: 1.5 hours. From Innsbruck: 1.5 hours. From Munich: about 2.5 hours with one change at Kufstein. No car necessary once you’ve arrived – the old town is compact and walkable. Innsbruck Airport is the nearest international connection, about 1.5 hours by car or train.