Why Kitzbühel
No other ski town has quite the same mix. Kitzbühel is a real medieval town with painted façades, cobbled lanes and smart boutiques, and right above it rises the Hahnenkamm with the Streif, the most famous downhill course in the world. Ski races have been held here since 1895, and every January the Hahnenkamm race turns the whole town into a festival.
Off the race weekend, Kitzbühel is a wonderfully relaxed place to ski: long, rolling runs through forest and over open alpine meadows, a remarkable number of excellent huts and an evening scene that goes from cosy wine bars to glamorous hotel lounges.
The ski area in numbers
The ski area is called KitzSki and links Kitzbühel with Kirchberg, Jochberg, Pass Thurn, Mittersill, Hollersbach, Reith, Aurach and Aschau, across Tyrol and Salzburg.
| Runs | 233 km of runs, of which 196 km are groomed pistes |
| Ski routes | 41 km |
| Lifts | 58 cable cars and lifts, plus 10 free practice lifts in the valley |
| Altitude | 800 m to 2,000 m |
| Highlights | the Streif on the Hahnenkamm, the 3S cable car from Pengelstein, the Kitzbüheler Horn |
| Extras | 3 snowparks, 2 high-altitude cross-country trails, a toboggan run on the Gaisberg |
The skiing
KitzSki is a paradise for intermediates. Most of the runs are wide, scenic reds and blues that string together into long circuits, and you can ski from the Hahnenkamm across to Pass Thurn and Resterhöhe and back in a day.
- Ride the 3S cable car from Pengelstein: it floats higher above the ground than any other cable car in Europe.
- Ski the Streif outside race season. Even on the sections open to the public, you’ll quickly understand why racers call it the most feared course on the World Cup circuit.
- Explore the Kitzbüheler Horn on the other side of town: quieter, sunny and with superb views.
- Beginners have 10 free practice lifts down in the valley.
Lee’s insider tip Kitzbühel’s skiing is lower than in the big high-altitude resorts, so timing matters. Come from mid-January to mid-March, and on sunny spring days start on the north-facing slopes in the morning and save the sunny side for the afternoon.
Where to eat on the mountain
Kitzbühel takes its huts seriously. Some of our favourites:
- Berggasthof Sonnbühel (Hahnenkamm): a legendary ski hut since 1924. Rustic outside, fine dining inside, with special steak cuts. Reservation essential.
- Hochkitzbühel bei Tomschy (Hahnenkamm top station): great food, a terrace with views to the Großglockner and DJs on Fridays and Saturdays.
- Hahnenkammstüberl: a cosy inn near the top station where the locals go.
- Seidlalm (1,206 m): a traditional hut right beside the Streif, where the idea of the Alpine Ski World Cup was born in 1966.
- Panorama Alm (about 1,980 m, Jochberg): modern alpine food, DJs, bubbles and a 360° view.
Dinner in town
Kitzbühel’s restaurant scene is one of the best in the Alps. In the old town, Mountain Court serves refined alpine cuisine by chef Marco Gatterer, and Zuma at the Weisses Rössl brings Japanese izakaya cooking to the mountains. Tell us what you’re in the mood for and we’ll book it.
Snow: what to expect
We looked at seven winters of measurements (2019/20 to 2025/26) from the GeoSphere Austria station Hahnenkamm-Sonnenrast (1,667 m), on the mountain above town. Average snow depth:
| Month | Average snow depth |
|---|---|
| December | 38 cm |
| January | 53 cm |
| February | 70 cm |
| March | 75 cm |
| April | 47 cm |
These numbers are honest: Kitzbühel is lower than the glacier and high-altitude resorts, and natural snow depth is often modest. That is why the ski area relies heavily on snowmaking, and why we recommend mid-January to mid-March for a Kitzbühel week. In return you get a real town, sheltered tree skiing on stormy days and some of the shortest transfers in the Alps.
You can check today’s measured snow depth and the forecast in the box next to this article.
Getting there
- By train: Kitzbühel has its own station right in town, with connections via Wörgl and Salzburg.
- By plane: Salzburg and Innsbruck are about 1.5 hours away, Munich about 2 hours.
- By car: via the A12 Inntal motorway and Kufstein or St. Johann.
Good to know
- Hahnenkamm weekend in late January is spectacular, but hotels book out a year ahead and prices soar. If you want quiet slopes, avoid it; if you want the party, let us plan early.
- Lift pass: the KitzSki pass covers the whole area from Kirchberg to Mittersill.
- Non-skiers love Kitzbühel: shopping, spa hotels, winter walks and the cable car rides alone make a great day.
Planning a week in Kitzbühel? A boutique hotel in the old town, a chalet on the slopes or tickets for the Hahnenkamm race: tell us what you’re after and we’ll send you two tailor-made proposals.
Our hotel picks
Hand-picked places we'd happily stay in ourselves. Want us to take care of it? We reserve your room in your name, often with perks you won't get online, and you pay the hotel directly. Prefer to book yourself? Check live prices below.
Weisses Rössl Kitzbühel
Classic address in the town centre, home of Zuma.
Kempinski Hotel Das Tirol
Five-star resort in Jochberg, right by the KitzSki slopes.
A-ROSA Kitzbühel
Large spa resort just outside the centre, great for families.
Prices are shown on Booking.com. If you book through these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. It never influences which hotels we recommend.
