Kitzbühel
A medieval Tyrolean town with a car-free centre, the Streif falling from the Hahnenkamm above its roofs, and lifts that turn first in early November.
- Arrival
- Salzburg Airport · SZG
- To the town
- About 90 minutes from Salzburg by car
- Private jets
- Salzburg or Innsbruck, then by road
- Best time
- December to March
The city
A medieval town under the Streif.
Kitzbühel has been a town since 1271, when Duke Ludwig II granted its charter. The old walls were later lowered and their stone reused in houses, and the centre, mostly free of cars, still has the Gothic tower of St. Catherine's among its shops and cafés. Every January the World Cup comes for the Hahnenkamm races, run on the Streif since 1937.
The season starts early. On 6 November 2026 a single run opens on the Resterkogel, made from snow kept under cover through the summer; the Horn follows in late November, and from 11 December the whole circuit should link up, from the Hahnenkamm to Jochberg and the Resterhöhe. The lifts are due to close on 4 April 2027.
Arriving
Salzburg or Innsbruck, then the valley.
Salzburg is the nearest airport, 81 kilometres away and about an hour and a half by car. Innsbruck is 96 kilometres away and Munich 127.
- Vienna 45 min
- Nice 1 h 05
- Lisbon 2 h 55
- Riyadh 5 h 25
- Nairobi 8 h 00 long-range jet
When to go
December to March.
At 762 metres the town sits low for a ski resort, so midwinter afternoons hover just above freezing, from 1 to 4 °C between December and February. The full ski area is due to be linked from 11 December 2026 to 4 April 2027. Summer is warm, about 23 °C, and July is the wettest month.
- 1° J 71
- 4° F 67
- 9° M 85
- 13° A 82
- 19° M 109
- 21° J 157
- 23° J 172
- 23° A 151
- 19° S 103
- 14° O 74
- 6° N 82
- 2° D 83
What to see and do
Days in and around Kitzbühel.
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Landmark
The Streif
The downhill of the Hahnenkamm races since 1937, dropping from the 1,712-metre summit towards the town.
-
Landmark
The old town
A largely car-free centre of shops and cafés, on the line of the medieval walls.
-
Landmark
St. Catherine's Church
High Gothic, built between 1360 and 1365, and the landmark of the town centre.
-
Snow
KitzSki
Between 800 and 2,000 metres, 58 lifts serve 233 km of slopes linking Kitzbühel with Kirchberg, Jochberg and Pass Thurn.
Official site -
Culture
Museum Kitzbühel
The town museum on Hinterstadt holds the largest permanent display of Alfons Walde, about 60 paintings, and remembers Toni Sailer and the 1950s ski team.
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Golf
Golfclub Kitzbühel Schwarzsee Reith
Laid out in the Kitzbühel Alps at Reith, this course has 18 holes and a par of 72.
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Nature
Alpine Flower Garden on the Kitzbüheler Horn
More than 400 high mountain plants grow in this garden, a short walk from the Hornbahn top station at 1,996 metres.
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Nature
Schwarzsee
Swimmers use the lido of this moorland lake and nature reserve in summer, and a footpath around its shore stays open all year.
On the calendar
A date to plan around.
Dates as published by the organisers. Runways, hotels and slots fill early around these weeks: the sooner we know, the more choice you have.
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22–24 Jan 2027
Skiing
Hahnenkamm Races
Annual alpine skiing World Cup weekend in Kitzbühel, including the downhill on the Streif course.
Streif
In 3 months
Where to stay
Old town rooms and a golf-course resort.
Shown for information. We have no arrangement with any of these hotels.
- Grand Tirolia Kitzbühel A 145-room resort on the Eichenheim golf course, with two MICHELIN Keys and a shuttle to the Hahnenkamm, the Horn and Jochberg.
- Hotel Weisses Rössl Forty-five rooms and suites on Bichlstrasse, a few steps from the house where Toni Sailer was born.
- Schwarzer Adler - Adults Only Adults only, five minutes on foot from the gondola, with a rooftop pool that opens in summer.
- Hotel Kitzhof Mountain Design Resort Meals on a terrace beside a waterfall and a pond, looking across to the Kitzbüheler Horn.
Where to dine
One star and three gourmet tables in town.
Les Deux holds a MICHELIN star. The other three are listed by the Kitzbühel tourist office among the town’s gourmet restaurants.
- Les Deux Kitzbühel - Brasserie & Bar One Michelin star Kitzbühel
- Restaurant Tennerhof Tourist office, gourmet restaurant Austrian Griesenauweg, Kitzbühel
- Lois Stern Tourist office, gourmet restaurant Asian-influenced Josef-Pirchl-Straße, Kitzbühel
- Restaurant Neuwirt Tourist office, gourmet restaurant Modern, regional Hotel Schwarzer Adler, Kitzbühel
Elsewhere in Austria
More reasons to come.
- Vienna The Musikverein, the Spanish Riding School, and the Ringstrasse.
- Salzburg Mozart's birthplace, and the festival every summer.
- Lech A village that caps the number of skiers on its slopes.
- St. Anton The cradle of alpine skiing, at the other end of the Arlberg.
- Innsbruck The golden roof of the old town, and Alps at the end of every street.
Flying to Kitzbühel?
Choose how you arrive.
A Business or First Class seat on a scheduled airline, or an aircraft of your own. Tell us the date and how many are travelling, and we reply with one final price, our margin included.