Most people know Kitzbühel from winter, at least all Austrians are familiar with the world-famous Hahnenkamm ski route, the Streif. Holidaymakers in Kitzbühel have 53 cable cars and lifts and 170 kilometers of slopes at their disposal in the local ski area, plus 32 kilometers of trails for cross-country skiers.
But the glamorous small town is also worth a visit in summer / autumn, as there is a lot to discover here. There are 120 km of trails to explore by mountain bike and 500 km with hiking boots.
We have put together a few tips for you in the Kitzbühel area:
Astbergsee
The lake is becoming increasingly popular, especially on Instagram. Many have probably seen the bench at the reflecting lake (and wondered why it is backwards). The view of the Wilder Kaiser is definitely overwhelming.
How do you get there? Either a cable car leads up, or it is best to park at the Brenneralm in Ellmau and then it’s about 10-15 minutes on foot. In any case, you can walk around the lake itself in a few minutes.
Tipp: geht früh morgens oder spät abends los, dann ist es am windstillsten und ihr bekommt eine schöne Spiegelung. Außerdem posieren dann nicht so viele Leute vor der Bank 😉
Accommodation
As a starting point, we can warmly recommend the wonderful “Stanglwirt”, which we have already described in detail in one of our blogs. Everyone is guaranteed to find a varied holiday in the bio and wellness resort.
Numerous pools, wellness and sauna worlds, tennis courts and other sports and entertainment options contribute to sustainable relaxation.
By the way: The Stanglwirt was the first and only hotel in Austria to be placed on the “Gold List” of the 142 best hotels in the world by the renowned international travel bible Condé Nast Traveler.
Kitzbühel city
Even the city center, the so-called “Gamsstadt”, is worth a stroll as it is largely free of cars. The inner city, which is very worth seeing, is partly still surrounded by an old castle wall. The houses are all beautifully maintained and colorfully restored. You can see straight away that money is at home here, as you will find a large number of exclusive shops and cafes.
Incidentally, the city is celebrating 750 years of Kitzbühel in 2021.
Hahnenkamm
What would Kitzbühel be without the famous Hahnenkamm? The Hahnenkamm cable car leads directly from the city up to the mountain. The journey takes about 15 minutes. Numerous hiking trails start from the mountain station. From all paths you have a breathtaking view of the Reutten valley basin and the Tannheim valley. Numerous alpine pastures and huts are easily accessible after a short walk. Most of them have a children’s playground, so that even the youngest can experience enough adventure.
Hut tour # 23 /, Ehrenbachhöhe
We complete the big hut tour number 23 (it’s not called hut tour for nothing). The view is beautiful. Again and again you come across cows grazing calmly in the surrounding alpine pastures. By the way, the path is paved, so you can safely take the stroller with you. We even meet wheelchair users.
After about half an hour the route forks at the St. Bernhard Chapel, but all paths lead to the Ehrenbachhöhe. We decide on the middle path and after a short ascent we get directly to the small reservoir, or better, the Ehrenbachhöhe reservoir. All around there are benches for resting. At the end we stop at the “Berghaus Tirol” hut.
Hahnenkamm-Streif hike
We can also recommend hiking down the most famous and at the same time most difficult and dangerous ski run in the world – the Hahnenkamm run, better known as the Streif.
Naturally, our hike begins at the start house. From here you have an incredible view of the surrounding mountains and Kitzbühel. Here are a few impressions, a detailed report will follow separately.
Schwarzsee (Black lake)
With a summer temperature of up to 27 degrees, the Schwarzsee is the warmest moor lake in Tyrol and therefore a particularly popular bathing lake. No wonder, it is only 7m deep. When we arrive at the end of June, however, it only has a fresh 19 °. Nevertheless, we are immediately enthusiastic about the beautiful lake, as it is embedded in the Kaiser Mountains, among other things.
You shouldn’t be put off by the name, because the lake is of course not black, but rather shimmers emerald green. There is a public lido here and right next to it you can also rent boats, pedal boats and SUP.
Tip: We can particularly recommend the lake round tour, which can even be done with a stroller. It takes a good half an hour to go around the lake.
