- CHRISTMAS IN AUSTRIA -

Kitzbühel Part 1

LINKS to other pages in the 'Christmas in Austria' site and to the Travelling Days series:

KITZBÜHEL in the Austrian Tirol was a small town with few guesthouses until Edward, Prince of Wales, later King Edward VIII and, after his abdication, Duke of Windsor, placed the resort on the international map in 1928. He returned a few years later with Mrs Simpson following which the resort started to attract many 'upmarket' visitors. Its elegant past has given Kitzbühel a character of its own.

Situated at just 760 metres above sea level, the town of Kitzbühel is one of the lowest European ski resorts, but generally enjoys excellent snow and the annual winter season runs well into April. The grass-covered slopes, up to a height of 2,000 metres, provide ideal skiing conditions from a comparatively low volume of snowfall.

The resort has a variety of different terrains, including a limited number of nursery slopes. The resort features 54 modern cable cars and lifts. There are a number of ski schools and instructors operating in the town, catering for all ages and abilities.

Our group from Fieberbrunn travels by coach to Kitzbühel on the morning of Christmas Eve.....

From a car park north of the town the visitors set out on a 'sleigh ride' through the neighbouring countyside......

The approaches to the town of Kitzbühel (right)

Entering the town (left).....

....and return to our starting point.