A stop is always possible – spring skiing in Kitzbühel

Lots of sunshine, perfectly groomed slopes and T-shirt temperatures on the wind-protected sun terraces. Spring skiing has its own special charm and one ski resort that celebrates this in full length is Kitzbühel. Part of the ski area will remain open until 1 May. On the last weekend in March, we took a look around the legendary winter sports area – which has been awarded the title of “best ski resort” several times – and found out that the culinary component of spring skiing is just as important as the kilometres of slopes skied.

Streif or Kasspatzl?

After an entertaining journey by train and a fine dinner in the Rasmushof restaurant, we shoulder our skis the next day. Shortly before 9 a.m., the Pengelstein mountain station at 1,938 metres above sea level already reports 6° Celsius. Will the snow melt away from under our skis? The concern is unfounded. After a 20-minute gondola ride, we find ourselves in winter. It’s hard to imagine that down in the valley everything is green and blooming. The slopes presented themselves in the early morning hours in the best condition. Kitzbühel itself is located at 800 meters above sea level – an altitude where hardly any ski lifts are put into operation even on the coldest days of January. We are all the more astonished that the Kitzbühel Hahnenkamm with the legendary “Streif” is actually still easily navigable down to the valley at the end of March. At least until noon. After that, the descent in the soft spring snow demands a lot of strength and concentration. But after 12 o’clock it’s time to swap ski goggles for sunglasses and look for a nice spot on a sun terrace. For example, in the Berghaus Tirol. The rustic hut, which is covered with shingles, is located practically between the Fleckalmbahn and the Hahnenkamm cable car and convinces with an absolutely fantastic homemade cream cake (we can also recommend the Kasspatzln and bacon dumplings). With so many delicious things, we like to sit for two or three hours.

Refreshments By Tomschi

And if you stay seated long enough, you can move on from the afternoon snack one restaurant further on to dinner. The great panoramic view of the Wilder Kaiser is free of charge as an encore. Every Friday evening, the restaurant Hochkitzbühel by Tomschi organizes a casual dinner. The menu design varies. We enjoyed a great barbecue buffet (and yes, even the friend who doesn’t like buffets was thrilled) and pancakes for dessert. The gondolas remain in operation until 11:00 p.m. and take guests back down to the valley after a fine dinner. But don’t forget to admire the magical starry sky on the way from the restaurant to the gondola.

No nonsense

The declared goal for the next morning: to whiz down the slopes of the Kitzbüheler Horn first. The family-friendly ski area is located opposite the Hahnenkamm and is its little sister, so to speak. Until a year ago, it was operated as a pure natural snow ski resort – since this season, snow cannons have been used. The big plus on the Kitzbüheler Horn is that you can enjoy deserted slopes and – in good snow conditions – great backcountry runs. Weather-wise, we had a bomb day. High above the sea of fog, skiing is twice as much fun. Whether you are a skier or not, the Hornköpfelhütte in the middle of the ski area is a magnet for attractions. No wonder, with the delicious Kaiserschmarrn.

Hut fun

And because one Kaiserschmarrn per day is not enough, we end this day of skiing in the rustic Tyrolean ambience with a wonderful blueberry Kaiserschmarrn in Rosi’s Sonnbergstuben (of course only after we had eaten Rosi’s oven-fresh farmer’s duck with red cabbage and bread dumplings).

With 2 horsepower through Kitzbühel

Apart from the good food and the varied range of slopes, Kitzbühel with its pretty town centre surprised me positively. While window shopping, I felt vaguely reminded of Zurich’s Bahnhofsstrasse in terms of shops and price level. If, like me, you prefer to save your money for culinary highlights, I can recommend a walk through the residential quarters (with beautiful local chalet buildings) to the Schwarzsee. It’s more comfortable with the horse-drawn carriage. It all depends on whether you want to take the calories home as a souvenir.

Practical tips around Kitzbühel

• Arrival by train in just under five hours (partly direct connections, without changing trains)
• Spend the night at the Hotel Tiefenbrunner (central location) or for design hotel lovers at the Hotel Kitzhof Mountain Design Resort
• Day ski pass from 41.50 Euro – detailed price information can be found here: Tariffs KitzSki
• As an alternative to skiing (and eating), Kitzbühel also offers exciting city tours

Note: Tyrol Tourism and Kitzbühel Tourism invited me to this blogger trip. All impressions and opinions are, as always, ours.