Kirchberg is in the heart of the Tirol and has its own train station. The three nearest airports – Innsbruck, Salzburg and Munich – are all within an hour or two's drive. Hiring a car is useful for visiting other...
Kirchberg
Kirchberg in Tirol is a traditional Tirolean family-friendly ski resort with easy access to two ski areas and hundreds of miles of pistes, including some excellent intermediate skiing. It's also cheaper than its more famous neighbours. But it's too low to be 100% snowsure.
Situated in the heart of the Tirol, Kirchberg is regarded by many as a more affordable alternative to neighbouring Kitzbühel, with joint access to the KitzSki area, which boasts 170km of pistes, including the famous Hahnenkamm downhill. But that is just part of the skiing on offer, because 10 minutes’ drive down the road is Brixen im Thale, which is part of SkiWelt – an even larger lift-connected ski areas that includes ski resorts like Elmau, Soll and Westendorf. You can almost ski into it from Kirchberg: a short ride in a ski bus connects the KitzSki lift at Skirast with the SkiWelt lift at Ki-West. There are several different lift passes to choose from so less enthusiastic skiers don’t have to pay for ski areas they don’t intend to visit. For really keen skiers, however, the Kitzbüheler Alpen AllStarCard gives access to all the areas mentioned above plus St Johann in Tirol and the Saalbach Hinterglemm Skicircus.
Although much of the skiing in and around Kirchberg is suited to intermediates, the extent of the skiing means there is something for all abilities, with plenty of gentle runs for beginners and ski touring options for advanced skiers looking to test themselves. And there are also good ski schools for those who want to learn or improve.
With a base altitude of just 800 metres, and all its skiing below 2000m, Kirchberg can’t be regarded as snowsure, but a huge investment in snowmaking facilities has ensured that even in bad seasons most pistes remains skiable. In fact the resort often opens up some runs as early as November. Only in a warm spring does the lack of altitude really affect the runs.
Although Kirchberg has a well deserved ‘family- friendly’ reputation, the après ski bars on the run back down the mountain can get quite lively, and in the village there are more bars and restaurants, plus a handful of clubs, for those looking to make the most of the evening. And there are plenty of more wholesome activities, including night skiing on the Gaisberg, tobogganing, ice climbing, snowshoe hiking and skidooing. The village is generally attractive and has good value hotels and apartments, most graded 3 stars or better, and many with wellness facilities. Kirchberg is also easy to reach, being accessible from three main airports.
Ski Equipment Rental in Kirchberg
There is a reasonable choice of equipment rental shops in the resort, but generally they won’t give discounts if you just walk into them when you arrive. ALPINRESORTS.com work with several ski and snowboard hire shops in Kirchberg and some more in the surrounding villages and towns, and can secure discounts of up to 35% if you book online in advance. Click here to see shop locations and discounts available.
SKISET also has an outlet in the resort and it too gives discounts if you book online in advance via this link.
Kirchberg Pros & Cons
+ Big ski area (and an even larger one nearby).
+ Good intermediate skiing
+ Modern efficient lifts
+ Impressive artificial snowmaking
+ Good value for money
– Limited advanced skiing, unless ski touring
– Low resort and low mountains
– We prefer natural snow to artificial snow
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Kirchberg has plenty of hotels, including the 4-star superior Hotel Elisabeth located near the centre of town, and a large number of bed and breakfast guesthouses (pensions) and apartments, which have become increasingly popular with guests searching for value in...
Book Ski Schools & Ski Lessons in Kirchberg Looking for private or group ski lessons in Kirchberg? Ultimate-Ski and partner CheckYeti work with leading ski schools and ski instructors in over 500 ski destinations throughout Austria, France, Germany, Italy and...
Kirchberg Ski Area Kirchberg is perhaps best known for its proximity to illustrious Kitzbühel, but it is also an ideal location from which to explore the KitzSki area's 170km of pistes and offers easy access to the superb SkiWelt area...
Kirchberg Ski Lifts & Lift Passes Kirchberg is well-served by a modern and efficient ski lift system. The ski areas are well-connected and skiers have the option of purchasing the extensive All Star Card which gives access to ten different...
Kirchberg Beginner Skiing Kirchberg offers a range of good skiing for beginners able to tackle easy blues. While the provision of nursery slopes for novices and children is more limited, beginners in ski school can be expect to make good...
Kirchberg Intermediate Skiing Kirchberg is an excellent destination for intermediate skiers with 170km of well-groomed pistes in the KitzSki ski area, and easy access to a total of more than 1,000km of pistes across ten ski areas locally. All covered...
Kirchberg Advanced Skiing While there is a huge amount of skiing accessible from Kirchberg, including some steep and testing runs, advanced skiers and boarders visiting the KitzSki area are unlikely to be sustained by the pistes alone, but ski touring...
Kirchberg Boarding & Freestyle The KitzSki area has two snowparks, including one of the largest in Austria, and some good opportunities for riding off-piste, although visitors staying in Kirchberg will have to travel some distance to get to them. Coupled...
Kirchberg Mountain Restaurants Kirchberg and the KitzSki ski area have plenty of traditional Tirolean mountain restaurants, with a range of options to suit either a quick pit stop or a long mountain lunch. There are 60 mountain restaurants in total,...
Kirchberg Village Kirchberg is a modest and traditional Tirolean village at 837m above sea level in the heart of the Kitzbüheler Alps. Situated 6km west of Kitzbühel, Kirchberg does not share the same exclusive feel (or pricing) as its more...
Kirchberg Apres Ski Bars & Restaurants Kirchberg punches well above its weight on the après ski front with a good selection of lively on- and off-mountain bars and discos cater for groups looking for fun. There’s also a number of...
Kirchberg Other Activities Kirchberg is a well-rounded resort with something for everyone and offering a wide range of interesting winter sports and other activities for less sporty types. Though retail therapy in Kirchberg is limited mostly to sports shops, a...