A Cosmopolitan Tyrolean Village in Austria – Kitzbühel
People always seem to think of either kangaroos or “the Sound of Music” when they think of Austria. Having been born and raised in Austria this is more than just a little frustrating. Austria may be small but it is a very diverse country. Since I want you to become an Austria expert I have asked bloggers to share their favourite stories, places and also mishaps with you. If you’d like to share your story and be a part of this series, please feel free to contact me. Mona x
First up is Paula from Contended Traveller with a write-up about Kitzbühel. I am super excited to have this post go live first in the series as I am from the area myself. My village is only about a 20 min drive away!! Thank you Paula for contributing!
To be quite honest, it was not until I started researching places in Austria that had both culture and snow that I discovered Kitzbühel. When I read more, I did remember about the legendary downhill Hahnenkamm ski race and also the Kitzbühel triathlon, which are held here. After that, I knew very little. It was hard choosing the place to go to, but Kitzbuhel won out because it is a small medieval town in the Tyrol region of Austria. That was appealing. Also tempting was the fact that it promised romantic alleys, a lovely historical district and a cosmopolitan feel in a Tyrolean village.
The town gets its name from a Bavarian clan who lived in the Tyrol mountains called the ‘Chizzo’, and ‘Buhel’ which indicates the position of the locality on a hill. So the town became “Chizbuhel” which is now known as Kitzbuhel. When it changed from the ‘ch’ to the ‘k’ I am unaware.
What we did find was that Kitzbuhel is really a small village that is big on cute. It is also big on chic and every designer boutique that I am aware of, and some more, are to be found lining the streets. There are horse and carriage rides around the streets and a man who follows the horses to pick up the droppings. Dogs are welcome in all cafes with their own little faux fur rugs and are given water before anything else.
People come from all over the world, and there are a lot of Austrians, Germans and Russians. We were the only Australians to our knowledge in Kitzbuhel according to the man at the ski hire place.
Kitzbuhel is really big on sports. It is one of Austria’s best-known sports resorts, situated between the mountains of Hahnenkamm and Kitzbühler Horn. It is a mecca for skiers and boarders, and that is why we went there after we had been to Japan. When we booked our flights, we didn’t realize that I would break my leg skiing here in Australia. So Gordon enjoyed skiing with our private ski instructor while I enjoyed the après scene and all of the People watching. The village is just picture postcard perfect. Coloured buildings, lots of different street art and great food. The people are very Tyrolean, and we felt that they didn’t really identify with being Austrian as much as they identified with being Tyrolean.
Paula is a travel writer at Contented Traveller, a travel site that she runs with her husband Gordon. She represents the fit, free and financial baby boomers who want to experience unique things and are savvy enough to organize their own travels. Follow them on Facebook and Instagram to see what they are up to.
