With these 5 tips, you’ll spend a delicious mountain weekend in Kitzbühel

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Kitzbühel – the legendary Streif, holiday resort of the rich and famous, exclusive chalets and celebrities drinking champagne. The traditional Tyrolean sports town and its holiday villages of Reith, Aurach and Jochberg have much more to offer than the clichés listed in the introduction. At the end of August, we made a two-day stopover in Kitzbühel on our “Austria Tour” and used the time on site to explore the regional gastronomy, picturesque old town alleys and wonderful vantage points.

One thing we quickly noticed: In Kitzbühel you don’t necessarily have to pull out your “fat” wallet. The Gamsstadt covers the entire culinary spectrum, from down-to-earth inns to award-winning cuisine. This makes Kitzbühel the perfect holiday destination for connoisseurs – all year round. For a guaranteed delicious holiday, it is worth taking a look at the following lines with our restaurant recommendations. We have put the focus on high-quality family businesses on site and tracked down one or two insider tips in the process.

1. Take a detour to the Hahnenkammstüberl

As soon as you arrive in Kitzbühel, you’re off to the mountain. For our first culinary detour, we take the Hahnenkamm cable car from the valley up a good 600 metres in altitude into the Kitzbühel mountains to the start house of the Streif. Officially opened in 1929, the mountain and valley station of the Hahnenkamm cable car bears the same signature as the unmistakable logo of Kitzbühel – the elegant chamois. Both were designed by the Austrian painter and creative architect Alfons Walde. In keeping with Walde’s stylish and concise design language, Kitzbühel architect Michael Egger has created a pent roof for the renovated and extended start house. The start house is now also accessible to visitors and allows visitors to experience the spectacular view from the perspective of the athletes.

In the summer months, a themed hiking trail leads from the start house four kilometres down the Streif into the valley. A “must” for all alpine skiing enthusiasts. We, on the other hand, set off on the almost three-kilometre-long panoramic circular trail on the Hahnenkamm. About an hour’s walk is required for the leisurely (stroller-friendly) circular hike from the mountain station of the Hahnenkamm cable car over gravel paths to the Ehrenbachhöhe reservoir and back. Along the way, there are also nine adventure stations for children on the Streif Active Adventure Course. These are modelled on the key sections of the Streif and allow the children to playfully experience the mousetrap or the bridge shot, among other things.

At the end of the round, young and old can look forward to a stop at Lisi’s in the Hahnenkammstüberl. The cranberry pancakes (with home-picked blueberries from the surrounding area) are legendary and taste delicious! Another highlight are the seasonal chanterelles dishes.

2. Stroll through the alleys of Kitzbühel’s old town

Freshly strengthened, we then set off on an exploration tour through the old town streets of Kitzbühel together with city guide Pepi Treichl. During my first stay in Kitzbühel in spring 2017, I was already impressed by the spacious pedestrian zone in the old town centre, lined with colourfully painted historic townhouses. That didn’t correspond at all to the image I had of Kitzbühel in my head until then. It is worth taking an hour or two to walk from the Town Hall Square, where the tourist office is also located, along the alleys of the Hinterstand and Vorderstand to the “Church Hill” with its striking ensemble of parish church and Church of Our Lady.

Of course, you will also pass numerous restaurants. Inexpensive Tyrolean food is served, for example, in the Huberbräu-Stüberl. If you want to taste traditional dishes in a new way and interpreted at star level, you should take a closer look at the Berggericht restaurant – one of the new openings in 2021. And if you, like us, have reserved a table for dinner in the holiday villages around Kitzbühel, you should at least treat yourself to an aperitif on one of the sun terraces. For the 2021 summer season, Kitzbühel even launched its own summer drink – we are curious to see what the busy tourism organisation will come up with for 2022.

3. Go on a culinary high-altitude hike

The next morning we head to the valley station of the Bichlalm chairlift. This is where our 3-course tour over the panoramic mountain ranges south of Kitzbühel starts. The culinary hike offers the perfect combination of an active day on the mountain and enjoyable stops for refreshments. In addition, it leads to three restaurants that would be worth a detour in themselves, regardless of a hike. With the comfortable 2-seater chairlift, we overcome the first crisp meters of altitude up to the Bichlalm without losing a single drop of sweat. On the other hand, we enjoy the view over Aurach and Jochberg all the more to the end of the valley.

At the mountain station of the chairlift, the first course awaits us in the form of a delicious cheese dumpling soup. In addition, host Niko Gasteiger recommends a glass of sprayed Granggl water. This is not only wonderfully refreshing, but also healthy (“Granggl” here are the vitamin-rich cranberries).

By the way, you can not only stop for a bite to eat at the Bichlalm, but also spend the night. And at the sight of the cozy armchairs behind the panoramic windows, the boyfriend and I immediately feel like spending the Christmas days here – not that our list of ideas with beautiful places isn’t already long enough…

Then we follow the ridge along a narrow but pleasant hiking path to the Branderhof. There the path turns into a gravel path that zigzags us to the Aurach wildlife park. The wildlife park, which has been run by the Pletzer family since the 1970s, is a popular destination for families. In a spacious outdoor enclosure you can encounter red deer and fallow deer without separating fences (of course with the necessary safety distance – wild animals are not petting animals) and observe other native animal species.

The wildlife park also includes the Gasthaus Branderhofstube, where regional food is served and we can enjoy our 2nd course. You can choose between a seasonal dish or the classic spinach dumplings. I opt for the seasonal option and order a venison Käsekrainer with cabbage.

In the meantime the clouds have cleared and we can tackle the last third in bright sunshine. We follow the signpost over pastures and through a wooded ravine further down the valley to Aurach.

In the middle of the idyllic town centre of Oberaurach is the Erbhof Hallerwirt. One of the oldest and largest wooden log houses around Kitzbühel and a hot tip for local and foreign connoisseurs. The inn has an organic farm with “Jochberger Hummeln”. The genetically polled cows come from the Pinzgau cattle – an endangered breed of domestic animal. Products that the Stelzhammer family, who have been running the business since 2002, do not produce themselves, are sourced in the best quality from the region. And I’ll put it this way: The homemade apple rads with vanilla ice cream from the Trattnerhof in St. Johann make you want more!

The vouchers for the culinary high-altitude hike can be obtained from Kitzbühel Tourism for 44 euros (season from the beginning of July to the beginning of October). This includes the three courses as well as a 0.3 l drink per course (there is also a drink tip at each stop). The distance of the hiking route from the Bichlalm via Aurach back to Kitzbühel is 12 kilometres. The walking time is around 3.5 to 4 hours. With the three stops for refreshments, a whole day is planned for the tour.

4. Stop off at traditional inns around Kitzbühel

In addition to the Bichlalm, the Gasthaus Branderhofstube and the Hallerwirt in Aurach, we have scouted out two other traditional inns in the villages of Reith and Jochberg, which belong to Kitzbühel.

On the one hand, the rustic Gasthof Jodlbühel in Jochberg. Here, too, Ursula and Franz Reisch, two thoroughbred restaurateurs, head the business. At the same time, the two also run the Alpenhaus on the Kitzbüheler Horn. But that doesn’t stop Ursula Reisch from serving her many regular guests at the Jodlbühel herself in the evening after a strenuous day at the Alpenhaus. The menu includes numerous classics such as Wiener Schnitzel or Tyrolean Gröstl. But here, too, you can enjoy fine chanterelle goulash with dumplings and sinfully sweet cranberry dumplings.

On the other hand, hearty Tyrolean home cooking is also served in the restaurant s’Pfandl in Reith. I was particularly impressed by the homemade spaetzle and the daily soups.

The Pfandl in Reith and the Hallerwirt are two of 20 businesses from the Kitzbühel Alps region that are jointly committed to regionality and sustainability in gastronomy under the slogan “KochArt“. If you need more tips for refreshments, it’s worth taking a look at their website.

5. Shop for local products in a farm shop

Before you make your way home after an enjoyable weekend in Kitzbühel, you should definitely take a look at the Maurachhof farm shop at the foot of the Hahnenkamm. In the farm shop, you will find everything your culinary heart desires, from syrup to jams, crispbread, sausages and schnapps. A real foodie paradise, which you can see at first glance that there is a lot of heart and soul in it!

Practical tips for your delicious mountain weekend in and around Kitzbühel

• Kitzbühel can be reached from Zurich with 1x change in about 4.5 by train. You are not much faster by car. When buying tickets, keep in mind that Kitzbühel has three train stations.
• This time we stayed at the Hotel Kaiserhof directly behind the Hahnenkamm cable car. A great location (especially in winter, where you can ski right up to the hotel).
• We also recommend the Hotel Tiefenbrunner in the middle of the old town centre of Kitzbühel – that’s where we stayed during our first Kitzbühel stay.
• Directly opposite the Hotel Kaiserhof is the Wirtshaus Mocking. Unfortunately, we didn’t have enough time to test this – but it should also be very good!
• Since Kitzbühel itself is located at almost 800 metres above sea level, the sports town is an excellent year-round holiday destination. From hiking, biking and cycling to golfing and skiing, you can be active to your heart’s content, depending on the season. At the same time, there are also a number of culinary events on the agenda throughout the year. Now in October, for example, “KITZ Kulinarik” meets delicacies from the Piedmont region.