Explore Kitzbühel for adventures beyond skiing

Try skating, tobogganing and even paragliding in this part of the Austrian Tirol

(Michael Werlberger)

As early as mid-October, the slopes of Kitzbühel are open and ready for business – Austria’s only non-glacier resort to do so.

This exquisitely pretty town in the Austrian Tirol has a medieval heart where life can be savoured slowly in elegant cafés and chic boutiques.

It’s a different story out on the slopes, where some of the most notorious ski races take place among the 215km of pistes in the Kitzbühel Alps. January’s Hahnenkamm race on the Streif run is an exhilarating affair for competitors and spectators alike.

(©Kitzbühel Tourism)

Take to the skies

But you don’t have to be a pro skier to discover the serene side of the Hahnenkamm mountain – especially from the bird’s-eye vantage point of an unforgettable tandem paraglide ride.

Nor do you have to be a fearless skier to tackle the Streif, thanks to the easier piste that runs alongside the race course. This takes you to one of Kitzbühel’s typical mountain huts, Seidlalm, where you can dive into a big plate of moosbeerschmarm, a decadent pancake dessert brimming with berries. It’s one of the flavours of Kitzbühel that mustn’t be missed.

Check out the other side of the valley from Hahnenkamm and you reach the Kitzbüheler Horn. There’s plenty of varied skiing terrain here, and it’s the place to catch the afternoon sun – best enjoyed from the panoramic terrace of a mountain restaurant. It’s also where winter sports in Kitzbühel started in 1893.

(Michael Werlberger)

Go off-piste

Adventurous types should hire a guide for some thrilling off-piste freeriding. Local guides can reveal the best places to explore, especially in the deep slopes of the Zweitausender and the Bichlalm.

The cobbled streets of Kitzbühel’s historic centre are just as magical, especially the pedestrianised Vorderstadt and its brightly coloured houses. Pamper yourself at the Aquarena Spa Centre while the kids play in the adventure pool.

If you have any energy left, take a walk around the frozen lake of Schwarzsee or try snowshoeing, a guided winter walk or even a horse sleigh ride.

Sophisticated as Kitzbühel is, it’s certainly not lacking in nightlife. After treating yourself to warming traditional food head out to the clubs, bars and discos that keep the buzz going in a jolly yet civilised way, carrying on the 124-year-old tradition of winter sports in this beautiful corner of the Tirol.

With daily scheduled flights to Innsbruck from London Heathrow and London Gatwick, as well as services from Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol and Liverpool, it’s easy to discover the Austrian Tirol. For more details see kitzbuehel.com/en and visittirol.co.uk

To view more articles in the series click here