Kitzbuhel Ski Resort

The historic picturesque Tirolean town of Kitzbühel attracts skiers and non-skiers from around the world. Each year it hosts the most famous World Cup downhill ski race - the Hahnenkamm - but at just 760m above sea level, it has to rely on artificial snow, and its celebrated nightlife, to sustain its ranking as a truly great ski resort.

Kitzbühel has it all, except altitude. The KitzSki area, which includes the nearby villages of Kirchberg and Jochberg, is vast, and there is an even bigger one - the SkiWelt - a short bus ride from its edge; the après ski and nightlife are enjoyed by thousands of non-skiers as well as winter sports enthusiasts; and the visual impact of the medieval town set among dramatic mountains never ceases to amaze; but at 760m Kitzbuhel is worryingly low for a ski resort, and its pistes are all below 2,000m.

After being forced to cancel the Hahnenkamm race in 1964, 1988 and 1993, the Kitzbühel Lift Company installed artificial snow-making  to provide total coverage along the Streif and Ganslern runs, and the resort has subsequently built up an awesome armoury of snow cannons to guarantee some skiing, no matter what Mother Nature provides.

And in a good season, when the clouds and the snow-guns work in harmony, there is a lot of skiing available. The Hahnenkamm directly above the town is still the highlight, but it's just one of several mountains with runs weaving down through the trees, along with Pengelstein, Wurzhohe, Resterhohe, Kitzbüheler Horn, Gaisberg and Bichlalm. And just a short ski bus-ride away is the Ki-West lift going up Gampenkogel from which Westendorf and the rest of the enormous SkiWelt ski area is accessible. Although most of Kitzbuhel's terrain is intermediate-friendly (including the famous Streif World Cup run, if taken slowly) there are enough black pistes, ungroomed ski routes and off-piste intineraries dotted around to keep experts occupied for a week. And whilst Kitzbuhel is not a great resort for beginners, it has all the basics they need, including nursery slopes and excellent ski schools.

But to get the most out of Kitzbuhel, you don't even have to ski at all: simply join the 70,000 well-wishers packed into the town centre on a big race weekend; the nearby Rasmusleitn finish area is always a sea of red and white Austrian flags and the post-race fireworks and celebrations go on late into the night. Just make sure you have booked your accommodation well in advance.

Ski & SnowBoard Hire in Kitzbuhel

Kitzbuhel is not short of ski rental shops, but usually they won't give discounts if you just walk into them. ALPINRESORTS.com works with several shops in and around the resort and can secure discounts of up to 35% if you book in advance. Click here to see shop locations and dicounts available. 

SKISET also has good outlets and it too gives discounts if you book online in advance.

Kitzbuhel Pros & Cons

+ Big ski area (and an even larger one nearby)
+ Runs for every standard
+ Attractive medieval centre
+ Fun après ski & nightlife
+ Efficient artificial snow-making

- Resort and mountains are very low
- Town is rather strung-out
- Quite expensive by Austrian standards
- We prefer natural snow to artificial snow.