A traveler's guide to Kitzbühel
Book Kitzbühel for the town and the ski area together. If you only want guaranteed high-altitude snow, this is the wrong week.
Kitzbühel is the ski resort that is also a real medieval town. The Hahnenkamm and the Streif downhill are above the painted streets. The skiing links toward the SkiWelt on a long day. The town sits lower than the high French resorts, so the snow is less of a sure thing and the evenings are better than a purpose-built station.
When to go
February is the safest snow month and the most famous, because the Hahnenkamm race takes the town over. Go another week in January or March if you want the streets. Low altitude means a warm spell shows up as grass on the lower slopes. The upper mountain usually holds longer.
On the hill
The Hahnenkamm is the town mountain. The Streif is a World Cup downhill; the version you are allowed to ski is still a steep red or black, not a casual cruise, and it is not always open. The rest of the area is a broad intermediate resort with several bases. The link toward Kirchberg and the SkiWelt is a safari day with a bus or a train home. Check that plan before you drop into the far valley.
Village and passes
Stay in the old town if the evening matters, or near a gondola if the first chair matters more. You can do both if you pick carefully. The pedestrian center is the reason this resort is on the list. A car helps for the outlying bases and is a nuisance in the old town. The race week books out a year ahead and prices the rest.
If you only remember this
- Hahnenkamm week is a festival. Book it only if you want the race.
- The town is lower than the Tarentaise. A warm week shows on the bottom runs.
- The public Streif is still steep. Read the rating.
- A safari toward the SkiWelt needs a ride home. Do not invent one at 4 p.m.