If you are not a full-time skiing aficionado, choosing a ski resort to spend your holiday in might prove a bit tricky. It has to be exciting enough when it comes to the slopes, but still offer some comfortable runs for lazier days. It has to be pretty and welcoming, allowing you to enjoy wandering around the town on random afternoons, and offer a suitable amount of dining and wining options. Don’t worry, though, because I have found the perfect destination for you.
Kitzbühel meets all these criteria and more, with pistes ideal for intermediates, a stunning town to get lost in, a glitzy atmosphere with plenty of opportunities for shopping and a handful of swanky cafes and bars. What else could you need?
Skiing in Kitzbühel
Considered by many seasoned skiers as one of the best resorts in the Alps, it is unsurprising to find out that Kitzbühel has around 170 kilometres of stunning slopes of all shapes and sizes. These slopes are best suited to beginner and intermediate skiers, although there are some 24 kilometres of great black runs and 32 kilometres of beautiful off-piste routes should you be looking for an adrenaline rush. Moreover, Kitzbühel’s tourist office offers over a dozen different itinerary routes if you’re not sure where to get started.
A real highlight of this resort is the 3 S-Umlaufbahn, also known as the tri-cable gondola, an amazing ski lift covering the Ski Safari route. This route takes you on a 50-kilometre circuit, travelling the fantastic area from Kitzbühel/Kirchberg to Pass Thurn, spanning the rugged Saukaser Valley. The landscape is breath-taking and the pistes are a delight to ski on.
Kitzbühel’s Beautiful Medieval Old Town
Kitzbühel also boasts a gorgeous, pedestrianised town centre, famous for its silver-mining past. Most of the Old Town’s buildings are over five centuries old and painted in lovely pastel colours, and they line cobble-stoned streets in a picture-perfect manner. One of the most charming ski towns in Europe, Kitzbühel is perfect for late afternoon strolls, taking in the delicate frescoes scattered throughout the town, the old city walls, and the remarkable views of the slopes surrounding it.
Eating in Kitzbühel: A Wonderful Experience
If you’re slightly worried that Kitzbühel sounds a bit too sleepy for you, don’t fret. The town has plenty of lively, après ski options, as well as 11 award-winning restaurants where you can try some delicious food – from traditional Tyrolese fare to innovative, modern cuisine.
Most of the resort’s high-flying visitors like to dine in one of the two (or both!) Michelin-starred restaurants. Kupferstube can be found in the Tennerhof Hotel, with Austria’s Chef of the Year 2015 at the helm dishing out some amazing food like gooseberry and buttermilk soup with baked lobster, accompanied by an excellent selection of wines. Neuwirt is at the Hotel Schwarzer Adler Kitzbühel, and offers more traditional options but with a few unexpected dessert options that are not to be missed.
Glitz and Glam: Kitzbühel’s Nightlife
You won’t be short of options when you go out in Kitzbühel! A really fun bar to go to is The Streifalm, which is just a three-minute walk from the town centre and has a wonderful, tavern-like atmosphere. It hosts Tyrolean Evenings that include lederhosen-clad men dancing and yodelling and plenty of other fun activities.
For a different type of experience, head to Club Take Five, regarded as one of the coolest nightclubs in town and always full of the visiting glitterati. It has three different bars, each slicker than the last, a wide-ranged selection of drinks and cocktails, and great music.
If you think this sounds like the resort for you, this article may whet your appetite even further. See you on the slopes!
How to Get to Kitzbühel
Thanks to its convenient location in the middle of the Tyrolean Alps, Kitzbühel can be easily reached from three different international airports. Munich Airport is around a two-hour drive away from the resort, but it offers the biggest variety of flight schedules and airlines, including premium ones such as British Airways leaving from London Heathrow.
Innsbruck Airport and Salzburg Airport are both closer to the resort, just a one-hour drive away, but they don’t have as many weekly flights to and from the UK. The easiest way to reach the resort and your accommodation is by booking a Shuttle Direct airport transfer to pick you up as soon as you land and drop you off right at the door of your accommodation.
Kitzbühel does have its own mainline train station, meaning that it is possible to arrive by direct train from Innsbruck. You can also connect from Munich via Innsbruck, from where there are several daily trains to the resort that take just an hour. Shuttle Direct also offer services from Kitzbühel’s train station, so you don’t have to worry about lugging all your suitcases through the town.
Where to Stay:
Tennerhof Gourmet & Spa de Charme Hotel – With panoramic views of Kitzbühel and its stunning surrounding mountains, a luxurious heated outdoor pool, and the above-mentioned Michelin-starred Kupferstube restaurant, there is plenty to love about the glamorous Tennerhof Gourmet & Spa de Charme Hotel. For even more indulgence, visit the hotel’s state-of-the-art spa and experience its relaxing Finnish sauna.
A-ROSA Kitzbühel – Perfectly combining a traditional Tyrolean façade and an ultramodern interior, the A-ROSA Kitzbühel is perfect if you want to immerse yourself in the glitz of Kitzbühel. With over 3000 m2 of spa (including exclusive traditional Turkish and Arab baths), spacious and heavenly rooms, and two onsite restaurants serving delicious food, you will struggle to set foot outside!
Austria Trend Hotel Schloss Lebenberg Kitzbühel – Slightly further away from the town centre (although still only a 10-minute walk!), the Austria Trend Hotel Schloss Lebenberg Kitzbühel offers a gorgeous panoramic indoor pool, a gym, and a Finnish outdoor sauna. There is also a tasty freshly-cooked breakfast buffet and stylish, modern rooms with plenty of space to lounge around on quiet days.
About Shuttle Direct
Shuttle Direct provides premium quality airport shuttles and taxis at competitive rates. With years of experience, these transit veterans pride themselves on a fast, pleasant and professional service, operating from airports all over the globe.
