This mediaeval silver-mining town (pop. 8,200) is set against the dramatic backdrop of the Wilderkaiser mountains, and is unquestionably the prettiest ski town in the Alps – and in my opinion among the top ten resorts in the world for pure "wow" factor. Inside Kitzbühel's buttressed town walls is an old quarter (above) with cobblestone streets and gorgeous frescoed buildings. It’s a real pleasure just to wander around the pedestrian centre gazing at the architecture before popping into a lovely boutique, or enjoying an apple strudel at one of its coffee houses. The romantic ambiance makes this just as good a destination for non-skiers as it is for skiers.
But the other side to Kitzbühel is its downhill racing. For this is home to the Hahnenkamm, the toughest event on the World Cup circuit, held each January on the Streif race course. When not prepared for racing, the Streif goes back to being a family trail – in fact most of the skiing and snowboarding on its 179 kilometres (111 miles) of trails area is suited to intermediates and there is a modern system of 54 lifts. The only minus point here is the low altitude. With the village set at a modest 760 metres (2,493 feet) above sea level, the best skiing is to be found from late January to to early March.
Gateways: Innsbruck (1 hour 15 minutes) and Munich (90 mins.).
Read more in our post 7 of Austria´s Best Winter Resorts.
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