Kitzbühel, in the Austrian state of Tyrol, is one of the most picturesque ski resorts in the Alps, and frequently has good snow conditions in the week before Christmas. Whilst this owes much to the town’s substantial investment in snow-making machines, we were blessed this year with enough snowfall in mid-December to transform the valley and mountains into a real winter “wonderland”. Bright sunshine and temperatures down to around -20 C for much of the week also meant that the skiing was really excellent! I hope that the following photographs from the slopes catch something of the great conditions we experienced. At this time of year the resort is almost empty, except at weekends, and even then it was always possible to escape the crowds!
The town itself is full of character, with a winter market and lots of cosy bars and restaurants – as I hope the evening photographs below indicate. We stayed at the Kaiserhof, which now has a new manager and is greatly improved after a bit of a dip in the 2017-18 season. It is thoroughly to be recommended – has great staff, excellent cuisine and a very good wine list! It was a real pleasure to stay there again, and be pampered just for a change! I can’t wait to be back again next year.
For a comparison with the conditions in 2014, do have a look at my skiing post for that year!
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