Summit of the Schwarzkogel (Route 47)
6 KITZBÜHELER ALPS
Spreading east of the lower Zillertal, the Kitzbüheler Alps cover an extensive region of mostly grass-covered mountains nonoindented with numerous relatively short valleys. Named after the well-known ski resort, the district is a firm favourite with first-time visitors to the Alps, and the walking potential, though not as demanding as in the majority of other areas covered in this guidebook, is richly rewarding, with hundreds of kilometres of good paths along broad ridges and easily-accessible summits. There are some very fine villages to use for a holiday base: among the best of these are Saalbach and Hinterglemm, Söll, Scheffau and Ellmau, Westendorf and Brixen in the Brixental west of Kitzbühel and, to a lesser extent, Zell am See and Kitzbühel itself. Around Kitzbühel the gently domed ridges and sparsely wooded slopes have made this one of Austria’s most popular ski areas, but elsewhere there are large swathes of hill and valley that remain piste-free. Traditional dairy farms dot the pastures through which walkers’ trails and farm tracks entice the visitor. From some of the highest of these the snowy Venediger and Glockner groups can be clearly seen to the south and southeast, while views in the opposite direction often reveal various compact groups of the Northern Limestone Alps.
Summit of the Schwarzkogel (Route 47)
The highest of the Kitzbüheler Alps is the 2558m Kreuzjoch in the southwest corner, but the most striking of its summits has to be the 2362m Grosser Rettenstein above Aschau in the Spertental. But it’s not so much individual mountains that encourage the visitor to return time and again, but the wealth of walking opportunities that exist for all the family.
The northern limit of the region is scored by a broad green valley running between Wörgl and St Johann. Nestling in that valley lie the small resort villages of Söll, Scheffau, Ellmau and Going. With the rolling hills of the Kitzbüheler Alps spreading to the south, and the stark limestone wall of the Kaisergebirge to the north, this makes an idyllic base for a walking holiday, as does the Brixental which slices through the hills between Wörgl and Kitzbühel a little south of the valley in which Söll and Ellmau reside; the two valleys separated by big hills criss-crossed with trails accessed by cable lifts.
Close to Zell am See the Glemmtal cuts into the eastern edge of the region, and makes an excellent introduction to alpine walking. There are no great rock peaks here, no glaciers nor permanent snowfields, but many undemanding routes from which the quintessential Alps can be seen as a distant backdrop. One of these routes gives a wonderful ridge-walk and acts as a link with Zell am See. From it the Venediger and Glockner groups dazzle their snowpeaks across the valley of the Salzach.
| Location | A large rectangular block lying east of the Zillertal. Its southern limit is drawn by the road running from Zell am Ziller to Zell am See, its northern extent marked by the Inn Valley as far as Wörgl, then by the road to St Johann in Tirol, and Saalfelden downstream from Zell am See. |
| Maps | Alpenvereins Karte 34/1 Kitzbüheler Alpen Westliches Blatt and Östliches Blatt 1:50,000; Kompass Wanderkarte 9 Kaisergebirge and 29 Kitzbüheler Alpen 1:50,000; Mayr 51 Wilder Kaiser, 55 Kitzbühel, 56 Brixental and 72 SaalbachHinterglemm 1:25,000; Freytag & Berndt WK301 Kufstein, Kaisergebirge, Kitzbühel 1:50,000 |
| Bases | Westendorf, Brixen, Kitzbühel, Söll, Scheffau, Ellmau, Saalbach, Hinterglemm, Zell am See |
| Information | Kitzbüheler Alpen-Brixental (e-mail: info@kitzbuehel-alpen.at; website: www.kitzbuehel-alpen.com, www.kitzalps.com/en); Westendorf Tourismus (website: www.westendorf.com); Brixen im Thale Tourismus (website: www.brixenimthale.at); Kitzbühel Tourismus (e-mail: info@kitzbuehel.com; website: www.kitzbuehel.com); Infobüro Söll (e-mail: soell@wilderkaiser.info; website: www.wilderkaiser.info); Infobüro Ellmau (e-mail: ellmau@wilderkaiser.info; website: www.wilderkaiser.info); Saalbach Tourismus (e-mail: contact@saalbach.com; website: www.saalbach.com); Zell am See Tourismus (e-mail: welcome@zellamsee-kaprun.com; website: www.zellamsee-kaprun.com) |
| Access | Mainline trains serve Kitzbühel, Wörgl, St Johann, Saalfelden and Zell am See. Bus services feed most resorts neighbouring mainline train stations. Good roads serve all sides of the district, with the Gerlos Pass (toll road) and 1274m Pass Thurn carrying traffic to and from the Zillertal and Kitzbühel respectively. |
Nestling between the Wilder Kaiser and Kitzbüheler Alps, Ellmau makes a near-perfect base for a walking holiday
Westendorf (783m) An attractive, typical farming village, Westendorf stands among open meadows at the western end of the Brixental about 15km from Kitzbühel, close to the Windautal. Although small, it has most services required for a week’s holiday, with a choice of hotels and holiday apartments and a tourist office. The railway station lies on the north bank of the Brixentaler Ache near Bichling, and there’s also a bus service to Kitzbühel and Wörgl. Chairlifts and gondolas carry visitors onto the Hohe Salve to the north and Nachsöllberg to the southeast where a network of footpaths and tracks offers plenty of walking possibilities.
Brixen (794m) With Lauterbach adjacent, Brixen (or Brixen im Thale to give its full title) is a little larger than Westendorf, and lies about 4km from it on the railway to Kitzbühel. It has an attractive twin-towered parish church, a few hotels and pensionen, shops, restaurants and a tourist office. Behind the village lift systems are useful for quick access to the broad, flat-topped ridge that stretches out from Hochbrixen and provides easy walking.
Kitzbühel (766m) One of Austria’s largest and best-known ski resorts, the town lies in the heart of the Kitzbüheler Alps at the foot of the Kitzbüheler Horn on the road from St Johann to the Thurn Pass. With no shortage of accommodation, plenty of restaurants, bars and shops, a bank, post office, hospital and railway station, the town is less glitzy and more egalitarian in summer than in winter. There’s a campsite at the Schwarzsee about 2km north of the town centre. The tourist office stocks hiking maps and in summer organizes free walks for local guests.
Söll (698m) This fairly small, modern resort nestles at the foot of the Wilder Kaiser mountains south of Kufstein, but has gondola access to the nearby Hochsöll and Hohe Salve on the Kitzbüheler Alps. The Hintersteiner See lies in a wooded basin to the northeast (see under Kaisergebirge section), and buses link the village with Scheffau, Ellmau and Going on the way to St Johann. Facilities are somewhat limited, but there’s plenty of accommodation to meet most needs, and the tourist office in the heart of the village can provide details.
Ellmau (810m) A very pleasant village lying below the Hartkaiser with views across the valley to the limestone peaks of the Wilder Kaiser, like Söll it is equally suited for walks on both the gentle Kitzbüheler Alps and the more challenging mountains to the north. It has several hotels and pensionen, holiday apartments and a few private rooms. There are shops, restaurants and a useful tourist office, and the village is on a bus route between St Johann (9km) and Kufstein (19km). From Ellmau a funicular carries passengers up to the Hartkaiser for a wealth of gentle walks with big views.
Saalbach (1002m) Located in the Glemmtal northwest of Zell am See, by which it is linked by bus, Saalbach and its neighbour Hinterglemm are among the most popular walking centres in the Kitzbüheler Alps. Located midvalley, Saalbach has plenty of accommodation of all standards. Its main street has shops, bars, restaurants, a bank with ATM and a tourist office. The Schattberg to the south and Kohlmaiskopf to the north are accessible by cablecar or gondola, and well-marked trails abound.
Hinterglemm (1035m) Just 4km upvalley from Saalbach, Hinterglemm is primarily known as a winter resort suitable for beginners and intermediates, but in the context of this guide, it makes a good base for a walking holiday. Quieter than its neighbour, the village has hotels, pensionen, holiday apartments and private rooms, and a modest number of shops, restaurants and bars.
Zell am See, the ultimate ‘lakes and mountains’ resort
Zell am See (750m) The ultimate ‘Lakes and Mountains’ resort, Zell is crowded on the west shore of the Zeller See below the 1965m Schmittenhöhe. On the opposite bank, a romantic ferry ride away, Thumersbach lies at the foot of the grassy Hundstein range. To the south rises the snowy spike of the Kitzsteinhorn, while to the north the valley appears to be blocked by the limestone wall of the Steinernes Meer which carries the border with Bavaria. Among the many accommodation possibilities, there’s a youth hostel at the southern end of the lake, and campsites on the north shore. The town has all facilities, including banks and a large tourist office. Mainline trains call at the station, and buses serve neighbouring valleys and villages.
Numerous other villages and small resorts would make decent walking centres for holidays based on the Kitzbüheler Alps. Among these, Scheffau and Going in the so-called Berg-Welt region near Söll and Ellmau, or Hopfgarten and Kirchberg in the Brixental to the west of Kitzbühel. St Johann in Tirol at a crossroads north of Kitzbühel is another, as is Saalfelden downvalley from Zell am See.
Alpenrose Hut (1534m) This Category II hut stands on the slopes of the Nachsöllberg southeast of Westendorf, from which it is reached by a 2½hr walk, or a 20min descent from the Talkaser gondola station. Owned by the Schorndorf section of the DAV it has 20 beds and 40 dormitory places, and is staffed throughout the year except November, and mid-April to mid-May (tel 05334 6488 www.dav-schorndorf.de/huetten/alpenrose).
Bochumer Hut (1430m) Standing high in the Kelchalmgraben valley, and reached in 1½hrs from Hechenmoos (south of Kitzbühel), this Category I hut belongs to the DAV’s Bochum section (www.dav-bochum.de). With 22 beds and 48 dormitory places it is fully staffed all year except November and part of April (tel 0664 4150575). In addition to local walks and modest ascents, a cross-country route could be made via any one of several walkers’ cols to Hinterglemm in the Glemmtal.
Brechhornhaus (1660m) A privately owned berggasthaus/hut located below the 1957m Gampenkogel south of Brixen, it has 30 beds and 20 dormitory places, and is fully staffed throughout the year except November to mid-December (tel 0664 3807011 www.alpengasthof.co.at).
Bürgl Hut (1699m) Basically a dairy farm with hut-style accommodation, below the Geissstein on the Pinzgauer Spaziergang east of Pass Thurn. Privately owned, it is manned from June to the end of September, and has 15 beds and 20 dormitory places (tel 0676 9439141).
Hochwildalm Hut (1557m) Another privately owned hut, this stands near the head of the Aurach Graben valley (also known as the Wildalmgraben) east of Aurach near Kitzbühel. Manned from June to the end of October it has just 10 dormitory places (tel 0664 3819179 www.hochwildalm.at/huette).
Kobinger Hut (1504m) The privately owned Kobinger Hut is located above Rettenbach and may be reached in 1½hrs from the Brechhornhaus. With 20 beds and 14 dormitory places, it’s staffed from May to the end of October (tel 0664 3218553).
Pinzgauer Hut (1700m) Standing below the Hahnkopf near the Schmittenhöhe, this hut is owned by the Naturfreunde of Zell am See, and could be useful for walkers tackling the Pinzgauer Spaziergang. It has 46 places and is staffed from June to mid-October, and from Christmas to mid-April (tel 06549 7861 www.pinzgauer-huette.at).
Schönleiten Hut (1804m) Built on the ridge crest of the Glemmtal, and reached by cableway from Vorderglemm, this privately owned berghotel/hut has 40 beds and 40 dormitory places, and is fully staffed from mid-June to mid-October, and from December to mid-April (tel 06541 7649). It stands on the route of the Saalachtaler Höhenweg west of the Grosser Asitz.
Wildseeloderhaus (1854m) Owned by the Fieberbrunn section of the ÖAV, this Category I hut stands on the bank of the little Wildsee tarn high above Fieberbrunn southeast of St Johann. Reached by a 1hr walk from the upper gondola lift from Fieberbrunn, or a 3½hr approach from the Hochwildalm Hut, it has 38 dormitory places and is manned from June to the end of September (tel 0664 325483 www.wildseeloderhaus.at).
The Kitzbüheler Alps are clearly seen from the deep U-shaped col of Elmauer Tor
