Award-Winning Skiing in the "Kitzbüheler Alpen"

The most charming ski resort, the most challenging downhill run or the best snow park: in the last three years the Kitzbüheler Alpen have amazed independent testers in a variety of categories, and, as such, have duly been awarded with 19 awards and various seals of approval for exhilarating ski pleasure. The seven ski regions, which are included in the Kitzbüheler Alpen AllStarCard, have received 19 different awards, and quite a number of piste seals of approval in the last three years.

Especially the SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser – Brixental, in the heart of the Kitzbüheler Alpen, has received numerous awards. In 2006/07 it was named as the “Best Ski Resort in the World” by Skiresort.de - and in the following winter - the winner in the category “Best Information”. In 2008/09 the SkiWelt was chosen by snowonline.de as the “Best ski area for expert skiers”. Visionary projects like the new cable car line from Brixen to Westendorf, or the world’s first solar-powered tow-lift convinced the jury of the English publication “Where to Ski & Snowboard Guide” that the SkiWelt desired the coveted top award in the category “Best Resort Development Europe” in 2008. The world-famous adjacent ski region, Kitzbühel-Kirchberg, won this award in 2004. In the latest ADAC (German AA) SkiGuide test, SkiWelt picked up a second place award in the category “Most Promising Resort of the year”, thanks to its three new gondolas; Kitzbühel ranked third in the category “Versatility”. The current “Top of the Mountains Tourism Award” for the best ski region and the “Sustainability Award” from the Austrian Chamber of Commerce, which has twice been awarded to Bergbahn Kitzbühel, the only cable car provider in Austria to receive the award, underlines the level of dedication to professionalism by all the staff working for the Kitzbühel cable car company.

In winter 2007/08, Schmittenhöhe in Zell am See won the top award in the category “Best Improver” in the ADAC Skiguide Test; Mellow Park in the neighbouring glacier ski region of Kitzsteinhorn won the “Best Fun Park in Europe Award 2009”. In the pre-winter period the ADAC Skiguide not only recognised Schmittenhöhe as a particularly family-friendly resort, the Schmidolin Club was chosen by the federal government as having the most innovative children's activity programme in Austria. And it was not just "Austria’s Friendliest Cashiers" that emerged from the Skicircus Saalbach - Hinterglemm - Leogang region in 2008, the Skicircus was also awarded second place in a Europe-wide ski area test.

Since 2006 daredevil skiers have officially been enjoying the “Best Black Track in the Alps”:the summit ski run to the Markbachjoch was given the accolade of „Best Black Run“ by Skiresort.de

In 2008, Wildschönau also won the “Small is beautiful Award” in the venerated ADAC SkiGuide test – however in winter 2009 it was ousted from first place by the neighbouring resort of Alpbachtal. The hard work of the staff at Alpbachtal was also recognised in the same year with the “Small Resort of the Year Award” from the “Good Skiing Guide” and the “Most Charming Ski Resort in the World Award” from Sweden's most influential ski magazine, Aka Skidor. Last but not least, Schneewinkel, comprising of the three ski resorts - St. Johann in Tirol, Fieberbrunn and Steinplatte/Waidring - received the “Top of the Mountains Tourism Award” as the best ski region for 2008.