Kaprun (Kitzsteinhorn) Ski Resort Austria

Skiing in Austria wouldn’t be complete for Powderhounds without a visit to wonderful Kaprun ski resort & the breathtaking Kitzsteinhorn. Lift pass linked with the nearby Zell am See ski resort, Kaprun provides something for everyone in a beautiful combination of high alpine glacier and a superb local village ski hill.

Snow-sure within the upper ski area reaching to 3029m, Kaprun offers ‘winter’ skiing from mid-October to the start of May & then 'summer' skiing after that. Kaprun has great off-piste skiing on powder days, perfect groomed slopes for intermediates, Austria’s biggest half pipe, modern lifts, a smaller family ski hill & glorious views across to Großglockner & the entire Hohe Tauern National Park.

Pros & Cons for Kaprun Ski Resort

Pros

• Guaranteed skiing from October to July on Kitzsteinhorn;
• Awesome variety of terrain in combination with lift pass linked Zell am See;
• Breathtaking views from Kitzsteinhorn;
• Diverse range of accommodation available;
• If the weather is poor (low visibility), lower elevation skiing available on Maiskogel or at Zell am See;
• Easy access by train & bus via Zell am See;
• Close to a vast number of other ski resorts in the region;
• Variety of non-ski activities to do in the ski resort & general area.

Cons

• Relatively small ski areas;
• *No direct easy access to Kitzsteinhorn from Kaprun. Shuttle bus required (*will be connected by gondola from Dec 2019);
• Maiskogel & Lechnerberg base areas vulnerable to vagaries of climate warming;
• No ski-in ski-out lodging at or near Kitzsteinhorn.

Pros or Cons (depending on your perspective!)

• Kitzsteinhorn is very exposed when the winter blizzards roll in, but hey, it doesn’t snow when the sun shines!
• Smallish ski areas that will vastly improve when connected for season 2019/20*

Kaprun Skiing & Snowboarding Terrain

The three Kaprun ski areas of Lechnerberg, Maiskogel and Kitzsteinhorn offer vastly different skiing and boarding experiences. Each brings a required element of ski resort to the table & put together with Zell am See offer the full spectrum of ski & snow experiences that anyone can wish for.

See the Kaprun Maiskogel Kitzsteinhorn ski trail map here.

Beginner tows called the Lechnerberg are right in town and great for first timers and families.

Maiskogel is Kaprun's other family ski hill rising a more than respectable 960m above town. It has some wonderful piste to suit all snow riders, winding their way back down to Kaprun. Brilliant views plus numerous bars & restaurants make it a real surprise package. The new gondola provides ease of access to newer skiers.

The high peak of Kitzsteinhorn is Kaprun’s jewel in the crown. Rising up to 3029m with a skiable vertical of 1053m, it provides mainly intermediate piste terrain, a huge half pipe & park plus extensive advanced off-piste freeride routes.

From Dec 2018, new gondola installations appeared to begin the process of linking Kaprun to Kitzsteinhorn via Maiskogel, removing the need for shuttle buses*. Exciting stuff indeed!

For detailed information see the Kaprun Skiing & Snowboarding page.

Snow & Weather

Whilst snowfall statistics are difficult to acquire, the high elevation and northerly aspect of Kitzsteinhorn will generally guarantee quality snow conditions – a pleasing thought for all Powderhounds. With its resident glacier, Kitzsteinhorn has a long season, effectively from mid-October to end of July, but can be susceptible to poor weather conditions. The lower elevations of Maiskogel (particularly the base) & Lechnerberg, leave them vulnerable to above freezing temperatures early & late in the season.

Where is Kaprun, Austria?

Kaprun is in Salzburg state, 110km south of the city of Salzburg in central Austria. Kaprun is close to Austria’s highest mountain – Großglockner (3798m).

Closest major gateway airports are Innsbruck (142km) & Salzburg (109km). Both service European and UK flight origins. For direct international flights from around the world, the best gateway airport is Munich. 

Public transport options abound. Trains run regularly direct to neighbouring Zell am See from all points in Austria. Zell am See is 7.5km by road north of Kaprun. Most train journeys to Zell am See from Innsbruck take around 2hr & from Salzburg about 1½hr. Regular buses, free for anyone with a ski pass, regularly connect Zell am See and Kaprun.

For detailed information on the best way to get there, see the Travel to Kaprun page.

Kaprun Accommodation

The village of Kaprun is a real town that is focused on tourism and has a wide array of accommodation available. Once in Kaprun you can put the car away as you can walk or take a bus everywhere you will need to go. There are only a handful of real ski-in ski-out accommodation options in Kaprun, all on the side of Maiskogel.

Search & book all Kaprun ski accommodation here.

For a full Austrian mountain experience, spending a few nights in nearby Zell am See or in a 'Berghotel' on Schmittenhohe is fantastic.

Search & book all Zell am See ski accommodation here.

For detailed information on the best places to stay in Kaprun & Zell am See, see the Kaprun Hotels, Apartments and Guesthouses page.

Facilities & Services

Kaprun, with its population of around 3000 people has a full range of services, shops, bars and restaurants including ski shops to hire ski or snowboard equipment.

Maiskogel can be skied like a moving feast. Seven bars & restaurants line it slopes from top to bottom. Kitzsteinhorn has food options placed in its 4 major hubs from top to bottom.

Ski rental depots are literally at every major centre and lift hub. To break the mould of using an Intersport shop, search & book your ski & snowboard gear from our Skiset partner located in the centre of Kaprun. Similarly, options for ski instruction, lessons & guiding abound in the town and on Kitzsteinhorn.

Kaprun Activities

Skiers and non-skiers alike should head up to Gipfelwelt 3000 (Gipfelwelt = Summit World) and Kitzsteinhorn’s highest lifted location. Spectacular lifts and a 360m tunnel walk provide an exciting experience and glorious views (cloud or not!) across to Austria’s highest peak Großglockner and the entire Hohe Tauern National Park.

The nearby Tauern Spa complex (access to 25 different pool, spas & saunas) will sooth anyone’s cares away.

Cross country(Nordic) skiing, sleigh rides through town and a mountain coaster for little and big kids alike, scenic train rides to Krimml, and Kaprun Castle provide additional entertainment.

Interlinked with Zell am See

The Kaprun ski area is interlinked via a short bus ride to delightful Zell am See ski area (also known as Schmitten). The combined Kaprun-Zell am See ski lift ticket covers the slopes of Kitzsteinhorn, Maiskogel & Schmittenhöhe. The difference in vertical from the base near Zell am See (760m) to the top of the ski-able area of Kitzsteinhorn (3029m) makes for an impressive 2269m vertical across the resorts – shame you can can’t ski it all in one hit! It does however provide access to a total of 138km of trails and 50 ski lifts. As an added bonus, all piste runs at Zell am See are covered by high tech snow-making.

Summer Skiing at Kaprun

The upper glacier area of Kitzsteinhorn is open in June and July for a short summer skiing season. Terrain is limited but good enough to have a bit of fun or learn to ski in the relative warmth.

Nearby Ski Resorts

A host of nearby ski resorts can be conveniently reached by car, bus or train from either Zell am See stations. Ski resorts accessible by train and bus include the vast Skicircus Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn, iconic Kitzbuhel, the huge SkiWelt , Wildkogel at Bramberg , Weiβee Glacier World, Rauris & resorts in the Zillertal via Krimml.