- Details
- Written by: Jim Walker
- Last Updated: 20 Aug 2012
Kirchdorf is a small village with very little skiing of its own, a few kilometres from the better known resort of St Johann in Tirol, itself only 10km (6 miles) further on from world famous Kitzbühel. Heading the other way you reach the skiing of Waidring on the same Schneewinkel pass system as Kirchdorf and St Johann, although in any case all the skiing of two dozen resorts in the area, including Kitzbühel, are combined on the vast Kitzbüheler Alpen Pass. Kirchdorf has in fact established a niche market for itself by capitalising on its natural assets. This is a picturesque Tyrolean village with a small and inexpensive ski area of its own, making it an ideal destination for beginners, but at the same time its strategic location means that more experienced skiers can easily get to one of the large areas in the vicinity. The resort also has a very good reputation for its children's programs. Kirchdorf is indeed a very attractive village with typical wood and stone chalets in a pretty valley setting within the Wilder Kaiser mountains.
Picture-book Tyrolean village with a tranquil river meandering through the centre and a spectacular Alpine backdrop of the Kitzbüheler Alps. A wonderful place to learn to ski and with the Kitzbüheler Alpen Pass covering over 700km of trails in the area, a good choice for more experienced skiers with their own transport.
Mountain
Beginners will enjoy Kirchdorf's skiing the most. There are four lifts, including a quad chair and a magic carpet conveyor lift next to the village serving small nuisery slopes area on snowy meadows not far from the centre of the resort. It should be born in mind that the altitude range (640 to 850 metres) is low by modern standards however, so snow cover may be patchy at the ends of the season. That being said, the price to use the chairlift, quad-chairlift, T Bar and two rope tows is extremely reasonable for an international ski area, at about a third of the normal weekly pass rate of a big ski area. That makes Kirchdorf rather a good choice for mixed ability groups who are happy to be apart during the day, and for beginners who want to get an initial taste of skiing without spending a fortune or going to Eastern Europe. Intermediates and advanced skiers will not be satisfied with Kirchdorf's nursery slopes however, and for them it's a free short bus journey to either St Johann or Waidring to experience the more serious skiing opportunities presented by the Schneewinkel area pass. St Johann's skiing can be accessed from five different points, but all are on the outskirts of the town so, unless you happen to stay in accommodation nearby, you're likely to have to face a walk or need to take the ski bus in the morning. At one end of town at Eichenhof a long drag (number 13) links to the top of the mountain, but there's also a relatively quiet nursery area. The second access point is at Übungslift Baumoos not far from the rail station which again has a nursery slope. The Hauptkassa at the base of the gondola is the main access point and the fastest way straight to the top: it is located about 700 metres from the village centre. Chairs 3 and 4 in succession serve intermediate and easy terrain but don't interlink with the rest of the ski area. Finally, by driving over to Oberndorf, you can take the fifth route up on chair 8. Beginners will find wide open and well prepared nursery slopes at the base of the mountain with more runs to progress to all over the ski area. Intermediates will probably enjoy St Johann the most with interesting and varied terrain as their standard here, and at many of the neighbouring resorts on one of the multi-area passes available. From the top of the ski lifts at Harschbichl there's a good choice of 4 - 5km (3 mile) reds and blues back down to the village. The long Lacknerabfahrt run down from Jodlalm is especially highly thought of. Most of the terrain is cut through forest but there are powder fields and plenty of off piste opportunities, which a guide can show you. The one black Penzing run down to Oberndorf is regarded as being worthy of a special visit for many expert skiers that are in the area. Now protected by snow making, it's long, steep and full of bumps. Waidring in the other direction and slightly further away than St Johann, also has a small and undemanding ski area on its doorstep. However, further above the village is the more varied and expansive skiing on the Steinplatte, complete with six-pac chair and new high-capacity gondola. The resort has a reputation for snow-cover and grooming quality, with ten lifts locally serving 23km (14 miles) of runs, again mostly intermediate or beginner standard. Advanced skiers will find blacks dotted around the various ski areas but no one area especially good for experts. Bear in mind that the free ski bus only extends as far as the Schneewinkel resorts, of which Fieberbrunn probably has the most testing terrain, 75% of it intermediate or advanced (albeit mostly intermediate with one good black!). Cross country skiing is extremely popular in the area where there are about 70km (44 miles) of trails both in the valley and at higher elevations. These link in to a total network of over 300km (187 miles) and Kirchdorf has a specialist cross country skiing school.
Families
Childcare facilities are better than at many larger Austrian resorts, with the ski school operating daycare between 9am and 5pm daily except Saturday. Children aged from 6 months to four years are accepted and it should be noted that, whilst lunchtime cover is provided, lunch is not, so make sure you pack some for your child to take along! Children aged 4 and up can join ski kindergarten where snow adventures are the order of the day, including races with prizes, parties with Edelweiss the friendly skiing panda bear and supervised ice skating and tobogganing, as well as skiing of course. Children aged 6 and under receive free lift tickets, children 16 and under receive a discount of 40 - 50% on adult prices depending on which type of pass is purchased. The most generous discount is for the most expensive, the Kitzbüheler Alpen Ski Pass. Off the slopes Kirchdorf is a friendly, relaxed village with a relatively compact centre, making it a nice wholesome family destination that's easy to get the kids around! Many of the hotels have children's playrooms, playgrounds and entertainment. The Kamerhof has its own children's ski lift and the Gasteiger Jagdschlössl a children's pool.
Eating Out
Kirchdorf's 17 restaurants are mostly hotel based and generally serve traditional Austrian and Tyrolean specialities in well appointed dining rooms. Pizza has made it here however, and you can enjoy one at the Pizzeria Carmela and Giovanni or Pizzeria Marco. The Gasteiger Jagdschlössl offers gourmet meals but has a reputation also for healthy and vegetarian cuisine, using organically grown produce. The Gasthof Zur Mauth is also highly regarded.
Apres
Après ski is laid back and can get quite lively for a relatively small resort. Check out Mauth, the Oldy Bar, Dorfeofe, Alphof or Castello for the most activity. Nearly all of the major hotels have full entertainments schedules, many of which are open to non-residents. These include local theatre and Tyrolean evenings, fondue parties, toboggan nights and sleigh rides.
Boarding
Snowboarding facilities are seriously limited in Kirchdorf itself although its not a bad place to learn in peace and quiet, with a rope tow to get you up the gentle, but not too flat, slope. Head for St Johann for more choice, the varied natural and a park incorporating a 60m half pipe make it much more appealing prospect for the more experienced snowboarder. The natural terrain features off the forested trails and powder fields have a lot of mileage in them, and access to the top of the slopes by gondola or chair is easy. Indeed St Johann is a major 'boarding centre now and home of some of the world's best known snow surfers in recent seasons. Travelling in the opposite direction Waidring has a half pipe which opened in 1997 among its many natural attractions. The Kitzbüheler Alpen pass coverage of more than two dozen other ski areas nearby means there's much more choice available nearby if you're prepared to use the bus.
