Kitzbühel ski resort, located 86kms east of Innsbruck in the province of Tyrol, is the country's winter entertainment capital and has always been known as a beautiful Alpine town as well as one of the hot spots for après-ski and excellent intermediate skiing. Among the Austrian resorts, Kitzbühel is the most commercial, glamorous and expensive, with long tree-lined runs providing picture-perfect settings.

Kitzbühel is a charming Tyrolean resort with cobbled streets and painted buildings. The main part of town is surrounded, in part, by a 12th century stone wall. The exterior of Kitzbühel is old, lovely and quite romantic, while the interior is modern and efficient with a bright and boisterous atmosphere owing to its busy après-ski and nightlife scene.

Accommodation-wise, everything is on offer, from the most modest and affordable guesthouse to the most deluxe hotel/resort complete with private saunas and fireplaces. For some, the après-ski nightlife in Kitzbühel is as important as the skiing itself, with a plethora of bars and discos open until 02:00 and beyond. There is also a casino available.

There are 56 prepared runs across an amazing 158kms of mountain at Kitzbühel, catering to all levels of competence; the longest run is 6.8kms. Six gondolas and 27 chairlifts move up to 30,000 skiers per hour. Kitzbühel is a paradise for the intermediate skier and there are plenty of beginner and expert runs also. The most extensive mogul runs in Europe can be found here. In addition, there are 250 instructors on hand.

Away from the slopes, scenic and spectacular mountains, enchanting valleys and a charming historic centre provide impressive sights for everyone. Heimatmuseum, built on the site of an early medieval castle, is the town's most visible showcase of its own culture and history, while Kitzbühel's shops contain mountains of luxury goods and sporting equipment. The nearby resort of Kirchberg shares the same mountain as Kitzbühel and offers excellent skiing on less crowded slopes.

The ski season runs from early December to mid-April with the cheapest rates at the beginning of the season to December 19, and from March 15 onwards. The most convenient way to get here is to take a flight to Salzburg, Innsbruck or Munich airports and take a train to Kitzbühel via Wörgl, or hire a car.