The Snow
The most famous piste in Kitzbühel is the Hahnenkamm, which plays host every year to the appropriately named Hahnenkamm Downhill World Cup. As you can imagine, to earn such an accolade requires the resort to have some high quality as well as frightening slopes and Kitzbühel has them a-plenty. The world famous 'Streif' is a must for all you black sloping daredevils out there and even the Olympic champion gulps before he or she descends a near vertical drop referred to as the 'Mausefall' or mousetrap. To get on to the 164km of marked piste, holidaymakers can avail of the new Kitzbühel gondola, which transports 2000 skiers per hour to the top of the mountain. From there, whether easy, intermediate, difficult or snowboarding, there is going to be something for everyone in the audience – especially if you have a red slope fetish and cannot resist the sublimely kitsch 'Ski safari' run. This is a 35km stretch of safe but testing tour guided by elephant motif signs through some gorgeous ski runs in a gorgeous resort.
Après ski
You don't have to have skis to enjoy yourself in Kitzbühel, as the Alpine and traditional location and assortments of restaurants and pubs will tempt you to feign an injury and spend the day eating, drinking and shopping, while your friends spend it throwing themselves off a mountain. Check out the 'Aquarena' if you want to get wet or the casino if you want to lose your money at an even faster pace than you would otherwise. Kitzbühel is Austrian to the core but international to the bone. Watch out for the odd Italian playboy or a couple of Zsa Zsa Gabors floating around. This resort is also Fergie’s favourite (Sarah not Alex).
