A charming medieval Town, Kitzbuhel has long had a strong link with skiing stretching back as far as 1893.
Kitzbuhel's Hahnenkamm downhill race course is the most exciting on the World Cup circuit, and race weekend is one of the liveliest parties in the Alps. But the place has powerful attractions at other times too. This is one of the most attractive ski towns on the planet. The pedestrianized town centre set within the heavy city walls give a real sense of the town's history.
The lift system, once a bit of an embarrassment, has been transformed in the last decade and it now gets our highest rating for fast lifts. The slopes perfectly suit intermediate and advanced skiers thanks to the huge range of on piste skiing options, found less often in Austrian resorts than high profile French ski areas.
Sadly, the snow quality tends to be the letdown for Kitzbuhel. These days, powerful snowmaking means it's not a matter of quantity, but of quality. Often the snow is fine high up but crunchy or slushy lower down.
