It’s T-minus 10 days to the holiest day on the alpine skiing calendar, and an army of workers is feverishly transforming a long white ribbon of snow and ice on an insanely steep mountain slope, into the track that will host the Kitzbühel Hahnenkamm – the most hair-raising downhill race in the world.

“Over there we can see the famous Mausefalle (mousetrap), it’s one of the steepest parts of the downhill race,” my ski guide Moritz Diebetsberger tells me, pointing to one of the most precipitous and infamous sections of the course – an elevator shaft disguised as mountain fall line, with a mind-numbing maximum grade of 85 percent (40.4 degrees).

“The racers jump here usually about 40-50 meters, but they can fly as far as 80 meters (260 feet) sometimes. Up there they have a top speed of about 90 kph (55 mph), but there are parts of the Streif, which is the name of this course, where they can go as fast as 140-145 kph (85-90 mph), yeah it’s crazy,” he adds with a laugh.

For many skiers, the unparalleled spectacle of the Hahnenkamm downhill (over the years crowds of up to 80 thousand have watched the race first hand on site) is the first thing that comes to mind when the name Kitzbühel is mentioned. And full disclosure, I’ve covered no less than 20 Hahenkamms going back to 1998 as a World Cup ski journalist. But in reality, there is much more to this magnificent resort than one really famous downhill race, and that’s why I wanted to experience it when the White Circus (aka the World Cup ski tour) was not in town and the vibe was more low key.

I was very fortunate to spend 48 unforgettable hours skiing, dining, sightseeing, and wandering around Kitzbühel last January, about a week and a half before the big race. Here is what it looked, felt, and even tasted like…

Itinerary

I always love it when Seinfeld co-creator and star of Curb Your Enthusiasm Larry David makes reference to the concept of “the cool guy”, something he desires to be himself, and probably the highest compliment he can ever pay another male.

Why am I talking about “cool guys” in an article section that’s supposed to be about a hotel you’re probably wondering? Well the answer is simple, Sebastian and Max Witzmann, the two brothers who co-created this wonderfully non-traditional “alpenhotel” – with nary a decorative antler on site – are in my humble opinion THE TWO coolest guys in Kitzbühel.

“The Seebichl has always been more than just a hotel for my brother Max and I,” Sebastian Witzmann tells me at the bar after making me a very delicious, sparkling homemade cola soft drink from scratch.

“This was our house growing up. Our grandfather bought it in 1956 and eventually turned it into a hotel. So we grew up in the business, and when it was time for us to take it over, we decided to put our imprint on it, and the aesthetic we wanted was very different from what you normally see at conventional hotels in alpine resort settings,” Witzmann adds.

A large chalet-style building painted in an elegant carbon black, the 26 room Hotel Seebichl sits perched on a small hill (“bichl” means hill in German) overlooking beautiful Schwarzsee (black lake) on the outskirts of Kitzbühel, which is a five minute car ride away. The hotel itself is chock full of history – literally. Originally designed by Alfons Walde, one of Austria’s most famous early 20th century architects and painters, and once a film warehouse for movie director Leni Riefenstahl, the Seebichl is now home to hundreds of pieces of vintage designer furniture, lamps, books, and magazines from the 50s, 60s, and 70s meticulously collected and curated by the two brothers.

My room was crisply decorated with light coloured wood panelling and flooring, with an elegant Alfons Walde designed pine headboard anchoring the space, flanked overhead by modern-style skier art prints. The room also had access to a private wooden balcony with gorgeous panoramic views of the Schwarzsee lake and the surrounding Kitzbühler alps.   

Close your eyes and imagine a hotel bar and lounge that is one part library, one part furniture and industrial design living museum, one part bar, and one part cozy living room with mood lighting – and that’s exactly what you’ll see and experience first hand at the Hotel Seebichl’s uber hip “Pop Art Parlour” bar and lounge area.

There is no need for a fireplace in this wonderful space. The warmth of the room emanates from the colorful glow of a light table Sebastian later tells me was tailor made for a Viennese office by a custom design company. By the windows, two very collectable, orange molded, mid-century modern “shell”  chairs by Ray and Charles Eames sit watch over a glossy jade green Hay stool from Lothar Reisch, a very talented contemporary designer.

“It’s clear you and your brother love to collect books, art, and very cool furniture,” I say to Sebastian sipping another one of his bubbly homemade colas sitting on a very inviting bench believed to be of Italian origin, and very possibly a Memphis Milano piece according to its proud owner.

“Yes we are definitely collectors, but we believe it’s a collection that’s meant to be used and enjoyed by everyone who stays with us at Seebichl. We want our guests to feel like they’re in a real home when they’re here,” Sebastian tells me.

If you’re in the mood for an ultra traditional Tyrollean mountain dinner, one of the best choices for a fabulous meal in the region is the Landhotel-Gasthof Jodlbühel in the village of Jochberg, a short taxi-ride (or drive if you haven’t been drinking) from the Hotel Seebichl.

Owned and operated by the The Reisch family, this beautiful inn and restaurant run out of an impressive, ivory-colored traditional chalet-style house is definitely worth the trip out of Kitz.

All of my favourites were on the menu: pumpkin cream soup, Wienerschnitzel with parsley potatoes, and scrumptious “hausgemacht” (homemade) apple strudel for dessert! Sooooo delicious!

To say the Kitzbühel resort’s ski area is vast would be an understatement. With over 233 kilometers of slopes, serviced by 58 very modern lifts, skiing here seems endless, and making a plan before you hit the slopes is always a great idea.

On my first day out, I skied with a local friend named Sam Tomlin, an English ex-Pat from the Cotswolds who works with Kitzbühel’s tourism office. On Sam’s suggestion we decided to go out for a ski safari, starting at the Hahnenkammbahn gondola in the heart of Kitzbühel. After a few laps in Kitz, we skied all the way to the outer limits of the resort at Pass Thurn, the mountain pass on the border between the states of Tyrol and the neighboring state of Salzburg.

You could hire a guide or ski instructor to make this sort of journey, but signage in Kitzbühel is amazing and navigating from point to point on the resort is beyond simple and very easy to do by yourself.

At roughly the halfway point between Kitzbühel and Pass Thurn you would be well advised to pop into the Bärenbadalm hut for lunch. I love this rustic ski lodge-style restaurant partly for the food and classic vintage ski decor, but also because it sits at the peak of the Bärenbadkogel summit where you’ll find some of the butteriest corduroy groomers on the planet – and that’s my favorite type of pre-ski lunch appetizer.

You can order all the Austrian ski lunch classics here, but I love the hearty spaghetti Bolognese at Bärenbadalm and never miss ordering it when I’m there. Dessert for me at this fabulous restaurant is usually a two-step routine that begins with it in liquid form –  a little glass of hazelnut schnapps. For part two, I usually indulge in a heaping helping of apple strudel in warm vanilla sauce, oh what a combo! Lastly, and most importantly, make sure to have cash on hand, as Bärenbadalm does not accept credit cards or other forms of virtual payment.

Kitzbühel’s walled town center dates back to the 13th century, and clipity-clopping your way on cobblestones amongst the ancient buildings of this heartstoppingly gorgeous town is always special – but even more so when night falls and the fairy lights are switched on!

If you’re really feeling romantic you can take a horse-drawn sleigh ride through town under toasty blankets. If you’d rather stretch your legs and go out for a little shopping safari, you can drop into luxury boutiques like Louis Vuitton, Moncler, Lacoste, and Gössl for a little retail therapy. If neither of these turn your crank, you can always just wander around town and peruse Kitzbühel’s assortment of beautiful old churches and cloisters, all of which are stunning.

Despite having visited Kitzbühel countless times over the years, I had never taken a guided walking tour of the town. So I remedied this by meeting up with a very friendly local historian named Pepi Treichl, who was a fountain of knowledge and energy as we walked through the town’s streets and churchyards.

I learned a lot from Pepi, but the coolest thing I found out was how Kitzbühel got its name. According to Pepi, the name “Kitzbühel” is connected to a 12th century Bavarian nobleman called “Chizzo” and Kitzbühel was originally “Chizbühel” – which translates to “Chizzo’s Hill” in English – fascinating stuff indeed!

As a confirmed lifelong carnivore, I find it hard NOT to devour a succulent filet mignon steak at Restaurant Das Reisch whenever I’m in Kitz. Located at the elegant Reisch Hotel in the center of Kitzbühel, this fabulous restaurant also has lots of vegetarian options, and an assortment of traditional Austrian, German, Italian, French, and Asian dishes on its very cosmopolitan menu, if straight-up steak isn’t your thing.

Before my perfectly grilled (medium rare) Tyrolean beef filet, I inhaled a bamboo basket full of delicious Gyoza prawns with Tsukuri soya sauce in no time flat. For dessert, a scrumptious chocolate mousse with raspberry camouflaged as an ice cream bar on a stick – as ingenious as it was delicious!

After a hearty buffet breakfast at Seebichl, I hopped on the hotel’s private shuttle and five minutes later was deposited in front of the Hahnenkammbahn – THE MOST famous gondola station in the world of downhill ski racing.

A couple of minutes later, I met my ski guide Moritz Diebetsberger, a very friendly and humble young gentleman who was super keen to take me and a journalist friend of mine on a tour of the famed Streif – THE MOST challenging and terrifying downhill alpine ski racing track on the planet. Again, full disclosure, I’ve been on the Streif (which means “strip” in English) before during race inspections, and have skied it top to bottom when it’s not in World Cup race condition – and yes it’s still intimidating even when it’s not an icy roller coaster named  “Rooster’s Comb” (which is what Hahnenkamm means in English).

But before setting our skis on downhill racing’s holiest of holy ground, we boarded one of the shiny, red, Christmas ornament-looking gondola cars emblazoned with the names of the race’s champions. As luck would have it we got to ride up the Ken Read gondola. Read, one of Canada’s famed “Crazy Canucks” was the first North American to win the Hahnenkamm downhill in 1980, and is still a local legend and frequent visitor, as both his sons (Erik and Jeff) currently race on the World Cup tour.

Once we reached the top of the Hahenkammbahn station we made our way to the legendary Streif start house and were allowed to take a quick tour of the race’s opening section. Peering into the icy abyss at the insanely steep “Startschuss” (aka “Starthang”) with it’s 27 degree/51% incline gradient, it’s hard to fathom the talent, skill, endless training, and bravery it takes to push out of this gate – and within seconds find yourself plummeting into the Mausefalle (the steepest section of the course mentioned at this beginning of this article) within seconds at mach speed.

“Are you ready to ski down the Streif now,” Moritz asked us with a devious grin once we’d finished taking pictures and picking our jaws up off the snowy ground in front of the start house.

“Don’t worry, we’ll be skiing on the ‘Family Streif’, it’s mostly a blue run that goes along the side of the main Streif which is almost entirely closed as they work to prepare it for the race next week. But if we’re lucky we’ll still get onto parts of the race course that are still not closed off if you’re up for it,” he added with a wink.

We were definitely stoked and definitely up for it. So we skied down the much tamer Family Streif, and even we made our way onto a few race sections that were not closed off yet, like the “Steilhang Ausfahrt” and even right next to the iconic “Hausbergkante” section near the end of the track with its eyecatching Red Bull Arch, where we pitstopped for some photos. Trust me when I say an unbelievable ski day was had by all!

With miles of morning vertical in the books ripping all over the Hahenkamm and it’s neighbouring peaks we decided to have lunch at one of my favorite ski-in/ski-out restaurants – Usterwies – on the Pengelstein section of the resort not too far from the Hahnenkamm’s slopes.

Usterwies has a gorgeous panoramic, open-air terrace and a vast menu full of Tyrolean specialities. We decided to order three mains and share, so we could sample some of the restaurant’s most popular dishes.

First up, a mixed salad with pork schnitzel strips and pumpkin seed oil – wunderbar! Next we tried “Tris”, a trio of large, round, traditional Tyrolean “Knödel” dumplings (spinach and two different cheese versions) – each one more delicious than the one before. And finally, the mother of all Tyrolean mountain dishes – Tiroler Gröstl (roasted potatoes with beef, topped with a fried egg) which was to-die-for!

The topper of all toppers was our dessert – Tyrolean Cremeschnitte –  which Moritz asked our server to reserve for us knowing it would be sold out quickly.

Cremeschnitte is a delicious puff pastry and custard dessert that is sometimes referred to as a “Napoleon”  or “mille-feuille” in other parts of the culinary world. Unlike traditional Napoleons with numerous alternating layers of puff pastry and custard, the Tyrolean version resembles a big bouncy brick of custard. Our servings were GINORMOUS and one portion could easily have been enough for three of us – but we couldn’t resist (okay I couldn’t resist) – so we ordered two. Pure heaven!

If you love ski-related art then you should definitely check out the Alfons Walde art collection at the Kitzbühel Museum right in the center of Kitz’s old town.

Born in 1891, and influenced by Secessionism, Walde is considered to be one of Austria’s most inspired modern artists and architects. Best known for paintings depicting winter landscapes and alpine sporting scenes in Kitzbühel and around his native province of Tyrol, Walde’s artwork is very impressive.

The museum also has a wonderful collection of ski memorabilia including vintage equipment and photographs – definitely not to be missed if you love this sport.

Open to its hotel guests and the general public and helmed by Max Witzmann, this divine restaurant is a magnet for gourmandes who love culinary creations made from locally sourced, seasonal ingredients.

Friends who frequent Seebichl often, suggested I order one of the restaurant’s staples – Rib Eye Tagliata (a rib eye steak sandwich doused in smoked trout sauce, with lettuce and parmesan shavings on fresh baked baguette) but when I heard there was an eggplant dish as a special option on the night’s dining carte, I couldn’t resist!

Melintzanes Papoutsakia is a Greek eggplant dish I love and even more so when it’s served on a bed of couscous with warm tomato and pepper salsa. It was available with ground beef, or in vegetarian Saganaki-style, coated with cheese and pan-fried. I chose the Saganaki version and it was absolutely sublime.

For dessert – “Affogato Vanilleeis” (a shot of espresso coffee served over creamy vanilla ice cream) and a delectable slice of apple strudel soaked in warm vanilla custard – simply irresistible, and the perfect way to end two dreamy days in stunning Kitzbühel!

MORE INFO ON KITZBÜHEL: 

Kitzbühel has a vast array of hotels for every budget. For my visit, I chose the historic and very charming Hotel Seebichl Kitzbühel. To find out more or to book a stay, go to: https://www.hotel-seebichl.at/en/

For more info about Kitzbühel, go to: https://www.kitzbuehel.com/en/

For equipment rentals, I always go to the INTERSPORT Kitzsport shop located directly in the Hahnenkammbahn gondola station. This wonderful ski shop had very friendly English-speaking staff and excellent service! For more info, go to: https://www.intersportrent.at/skirent-kitzbuehel/intersport-kitzsport_12594

To book your own Kitzbühel guided walking tour with Pepi Treichl, go to: https://kitzevents.at/

Kitzbühel is easily accessible via train, bus, and car and is only a 90-minute drive from Munich Airport. For more info on how to get there go to: https://www.kitzbuehel.com/en/holiday-service/getting-here/