Over 200 km of runs and more than 50 modern lifts, all set against an incredible mountain panorama – Kitzbühel certainly has plenty to offer experienced winter sports fanatics. If you come here to ski, you will no doubt have one run in particular in your sights: the “Streif”. This legendary World Cup hill is incredibly demanding for all skiers and certainly earns its reputation as the most difficult descent on the professional calendar. The actual race course partially takes in an ungroomed ski route, as well as a slightly less demanding version of the Streif family run (no. 21).
Crossing the ski area on the “KitzSki Line”
Don’t be fooled though, there is much more to Kitzbühel than just the Hahnenkamm! Thanks to its vast ski area, you certainly won’t be getting bored any time soon here. In fact, exploring all seven of the mountain peaks in the ski area is hardly possible in just one day. If you want to see as much of Kitzbühel as possible in a short space of time, the “KitzSki Line” ski circuit is a great option. If you head from Kitzbühel or Kirchberg towards Resterhöhe (via Ehrenbachhöhe, Steinbergkogel, Pengelstein, Wurzhöhe, Bärenbadkogel and Zweitausender) you will cover 47 km of runs. The same tour in the other direction even clocks up a whopping 57 km. The only slight downside is that you will have one or two flat sections to deal with along the way, and that the Gauxjoch (F8) and Trattenbach (F9) lifts, which are somewhat long in the tooth, cannot be avoided. Otherwise, the ski area offers state-of-the-art and comfortable lifts, which means that deducting any points here would be harsh. This tour should not be confused with the “KitzSki Extended” – the longest run in the ski area. It leads from the Steinbergkogel via Streiteck (nos. 16a & 16), Kaser (no. 26) and Kaser-Fleck (no. 25b) for 8.3 kilometres down into the valley to Kirchberg. This equates to a descent of over 1,000 vertical metres! If you are looking for white-knuckle black-marked descents, Steinbergkogel is the place to be, as is the Zweitausender and Bärenbadkogel. Off-piste ski routes also begin on these peaks – ideal for whenever there has been fresh snow (more on this in the freeride category). Kitzbühel also offers a speed check course on the Kitzbüheler Horn as well as a connection to the SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser – Brixental in Aschau. If you purchase the Kitzbüheler Alpen AllStarCard, you can explore the 280 km of the SkiWelt without further ado.