TOP 20 RESORTS / Kitzbuhel
THE Hahnenkamm downhill race ensures that Kitzbuhel continues to occupy a place in the limelight. Well, normally: last year (not for the first time) the World Cup race had to be moved because of lack of snow. The resort's snowmaking has now been bolstered to make this a much less likely occurence; but there is no denying that Kitzbuhel suffers by comparison with other major Alpine ski areas simply because it lacks altitude.
But it's a beautiful, extensive ski area with long, easy runs and short steep ones, and great views. More important, the resort is exceptionally captivating: a medieval town as charming as any in the Tirol. I've always visited the place with a car, which simplifies the business of avoiding the queues for the antique main cable-car (which can be extremely serious) and of getting to the best snow in the area at Pass Thurn.
CHRIS GILL'S VERDICT: Outside race weekend, Kitzbuhel's glamour slips away and it becomes a mass- market package holiday resort; this is no exclusive hideaway in the style of Lech or Gstaad. But it is a rounded resort, with lots to do besides ski.
(Photograph omitted)
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies