Kitzbühel Information

Apres-ski

As well as plenty of activities to do off the slopes, Kitzbühel has a far wider range of après-ski options than most ski resorts. For party people, the choice includes more than 40 bars and four nightclubs. There is also a casino that stays open until late.

Kitzbühel is not quite a 24-hour resort, but it comes close. Among the bar choices are Jimmy's (tel: +43 5356 64409), Franz-Reisch-Bar (tel: +43 5356 66466) and stylish Bergsinn (tel: +43 5356 066 818; www.bergsinn.at).

The lively Fünferl (tel: +43 5356 713 005; www.club-takefive.com) and close neighbour The Londoner pub (tel: +43 5356 71427; www.thelondoner.at), which has live music, are also popular venues and can be found on Franz-Reisch Strasse.

Eating out

Kitzbühel boasts a large selection of restaurants with over 70 establishments for visitors to choose from. The resort has a much more cosmopolitan flavour than most Austrian ski resorts, with eight of its gourmet restaurants sharing 12 Gault Millau Guide hats (the Germanic equivalent of the Michelin star) between them.

One of the most popular lunchtime options in a trip up to the Gasthof Melkalm Kitzbuhel (tel: +43 5356 62119; www.gasthof-melkalm.at), which serves great Austrian cuisine with spectacular views out over the valley and mountains beyond.

The Bichlalm (tel: +43 535 671 888; www.bichlalm.at), also on the mountain, offers similarly spectacular views, complemented with great food and wine. A new after-dinner snowcat service here can also take you higher up the mountain, for a calorie-burning off-piste run down from the summit.

There are plenty of places to try Tyrolean and other Austrian specialities down in town too. Among the best is Rasmushof (tel: +43 5356 652 520; www.rasmushof.at), an old-style stube (traditional Tyrolean bar) with an open fire. Alternatively, Hagstein (tel: +43 5356 65216; www.gasthof-hagstein.at) uses home-grown ingredients and will cook delectable duck dishes to order.

If you fancy mixing it up, Shang Hai (tel: +43 5356 62178) serves traditional Chinese cuisine, Il Gusto (tel: +43 5356 72790) cooks fantastic thin-based pizza, and La Fonda (tel: +43 5356 64464) dishes up tasty Mexican dishes.

Resort Information

Beyond the slopes

Although a ski centre for more than a century, Kitzbühel offers much more than skiing and boarding, and is a popular year-round destination for non-skiers.

The Aquarena (tel: +43 5356 6951 1734) is a major attraction with its spa and indoor pool, featuring a cascade, adventure slides, sauna, hamman and a range of treatments and massage options. This is one of several spa and beauty centres in the resort.

Another option is the Mercedes-Benz Sportpark (tel: +43 5356 20222; www.sportpark.kitz.net), which has an indoor ice rink, curling and climbing wall. Other possibilities include a cinema, casino, bowling alley and three museums.

Back outdoors, there's a long list of alternatives to downhill snow sports, including snowshoeing, tobogganing, Nordic walking, sleigh rides and snowmobiling. Alternatively, take to the air with a memorable hot air balloon or paragliding trip.

Family fun

Kitzbühel is a good choice for families with its expansive ski nursery areas, easy runs, huge choice of places to eat and off-slope activities that all ages can enjoy, including the Aquarena with its various water slides.

In terms of childcare, children can be looked after from birth at Kindergruppe Kunterbunt in Jochberg (www.kinderkunterbunt.co.at), and a list of babysitters is available from the tourist office.

On the snow all the nursery slopes/lifts operate free of charge – great for family budgets. There's also a new Bärenland play area located at Bärenbadkogel II, also in Jochberg, which incorporates a 500m-long (1,640ft) fun course lined with life-sized friendly bear figures.

Retail therapy

Kitzbühel is a good choice for shoppers with more than 40 retailers of most varieties; the majority of these are concentrated in the resort centre. Along with a wide selection of sports and fashion boutiques such as Beluna (tel: +43 5356 71345), there are a number of outlets for regional crafts. For gastronomes, a wide variety of wines are available at Vinothek Klosterhof (tel: +43 5356 63907).

Splashing out

For reinvigoration after a day or two on the slopes, spend a day in the wellness spa at the Hotel Tiefenbrunner (tel: +43 5356 66680; www.hotel-tiefenbrunner.at), which is equipped with all the latest facilities. Swim in the pool, which uses Kitzbühel's celebrated Grander water, or unwind in the Finnish and bio saunas or the steam room whilst looking up at the imposing peak of the Kitzbüheler Horn.

Hotels

Accommodation in Kitzbühel is primarily in the form of hotels, with an enormous choice of upscale accommodation amidst the charming cobbled streets and lovely medieval buildings. There is also a great range of inexpensive accommodation for the budget conscious visitor, as well as some chalets and apartments for those looking for self-catering options.

Luxury

Moderate

Cheap