Are you looking to plan a winter vacation in Austria but not sure where to go? If so, you might consider Zell am See – Kaprun. These two neighboring towns in the Austrian alps both have great ski resorts to visit for a family ski trip. In this post, we are going to focus on Kaprun. We went last Christmas and had a blast. Check out all the details below to decide if a Kitzsteinhorn ski trip is right for you and your family.

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How To Get To Kitzsteinhorn

The ski resort in Kaprun is called Kitzsteinhorn and is really easy to get to. If you are staying in quaint town of Kaprun, you could easily walk to the Maiskogel Talstation. To get to the main glacier ski area, take the Maiskogelbahn cable car up the mountain and transfer to the 3K K-onnection. This gondola traverses the mountain and takes you to the base of the main ski resort.

If you are not staying in Kaprun, you can also take the free ski buses in the area to the Maiskogel Talstation or continue on to the Kitzsteinhorn Talstation. If you are taking the bus from Zell am See, I would recommend just getting off at Maiskogel and jumping on the gondola from there. Then you can spend less time on the bus.

If you are driving, there are a couple of different options for parking. There is a free parking lot in the town center of Kaprun near Maiskogel station. I don’t remember it being very big, but you could start there. Another option is to drive to the Kitzsteinhorn Talstation which is located a little further up the valley. Here there are a few different free parking lots to choose from. We parked here and didn’t have any problem finding a parking spot.

If you park or take the bus to the Kitzsteinhorn Valley Station, there are two cable cars that take you up the mountain to get to the resort. Both of them get you where you need to go.

Kaprun Ski Resort

The Kaprun ski resort, Kitzsteinhorn, is the smallest of the ski resorts in the Zell am See area. One of the advantages is that it is located in a glacier making the ski season at Kitzsteinhorn much longer than the other ski resorts and much more snow sure.

The top snow quality is one of the reasons I booked our Christmas trip here. With early season skiing, you never know how good the snow will be. We knew there would be good snow quality and skiing in Kaprun because of the glacier while we were visiting.

The Kitzsteinhorn ski resort is part of the ski group partnership between Schmittenhöhe (Zell am See) and Skicircus Saalbach-Hinterglemm-Leogang. You can visit all of these ski areas with just one pass, using the Ski Alpin Card. So, if you are interested in checking out multiple resorts during your stay in Kaprun, you can buy just one multi-day pass.

We did not know for sure how many days we wanted to ski on our winter trip, so we ultimately just bought the Kaprun ski pass for the day. We found that there isn’t a big difference in price if you purchase single day tickets or multi-day passes.

Skiing In Kaprun For Beginners

One area in Kitzsteinhorn that is great for kids that are learning to ski is the Maisi line. In this area, the easy slope is fun for kids with wave tracks, animal figures to encourage the young ones. To get to the Maisi line, take the Maiskogelbahn cable car to the top. Ski down #31 easy slope and veer off to #34 to reach the Maisi T-bar lift.

Another easy area to ski in Kaprun for beginners is at the very top of the mountain. At the top of the Gletscherjet 4 cable car, you can ski down 1a easy slope. You can easily go up and down this slope by taking the Magnetköpfli T-bar lift. If you are feeling adventurous, you can even try the fun wave track along the side of 1a.

There are other easy trails at the Kitzsteinhorn ski resort, but those are the ones I specifically remember as being great for beginners. If you are looking for a resort that is best for beginners, or has more variety of beginner slopes, I would, however, choose a different resort.

Ski School At Kitzsteinhorn

If you are a beginner or just want to improve your skiing, you may want to get ski lessons for you or the kids during your Kitzsteinhorn ski trip. There are many companies that do ski lessons. We already know how to ski, so we didn’t take lessons at Kitzsteinhorn. I can’t personally recommend any of these companies, but here is the list of companies that provide ski lessons in Kaprun.

Kaprun Ski Map

Take a look at this map of the trails at Kitzsteinhorn to get an idea of the trail levels. In Europe, the ski levels are blue – beginners, red – intermediate, and black – advanced.

Kitzsteinhorn also has an interactive ski map on their website.

Glacier Skiing In Austria

Skiing in Kaprun is just gorgeous. One of my favorite parts of Kitzsteinhorn was the views. The ski resort is really high in the mountains which makes the views out of this world.

We specifically planned our ski day at Kaprun for a sunny, warm day. We were told that it can get very windy and chilly on cloudy days. This makes sense since it is pretty high in altitude and exposed to the elements. Thankfully we didn’t experience that and we hope you don’t either.

In addition to the magnificent 360 degree views, you are skiing in a glacier. Kitzsteinhorn glacier is snowy all year and you can even go sledding on it in July and August! This makes skiing in Kaprun snow sure.

When we visited, we got really lucky with snow, so I’m not sure exactly how big the glacial area actually is. My guess is that if it is a bad snow year, the ski area might get crowded as Kitzsteinhorn resort isn’t really that big.

Kitzsteinhorn Ski Season

As previously mentioned, the Kitzsteinhorn ski season is extra long as it is located in a glacier with snow year round. The ski season isn’t all year, however. The slopes open up in October and stay open until mid-May.

A Kitzsteinhorn ski trip is best during January through March as you can also ski at other nearby resorts on cloudy or colder days.

Opening Hours – Skiing In Kaprun

Ski Rental In Kaprun

If you are going skiing in Kaprun and don’t have skis, you can rent them at various locations. The biggest and most popular place to rent is at Brundl sports. It is also located right at the base of the mountain which makes it convenient.

If you are staying in Zell am See, I would recommend renting from Rent 2 Ski. This is where we rented our skis and snowboards. They were high quality and the people that worked there were super friendly and helpful.

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Other Winter Activities – Kaprun In Winter

Top Of Salzburg

On the border of Hohe Tauern National Park is the Top Of Salzburg viewing platforms. If you are looking for a spectacular view, this is a must do attraction to do on a clear sunny day.

There are two viewing platforms at the Top of Salzburg. One overlooks the glacier and ski hills of Kitzsteinhorn while the other gives panoramic views of Hohe Tauern National Park and the highest mountains in Austria.

In addition to the views, you can also enjoy a snack or drink at the restaurant at the top, a cinema with a nature film and the National Park Gallery that has information stations about the history and nature of the area.

How To Get To The Top Of Salzburg

You can start your journey at either of the valley stations, Kitzsteinhorn or Maiskogel station in Kaprun.

From the Kitzsteinhorn Valley Station, take either of the cable cars up to the Alpincenter. From the Alpincenter, take the Gletscherjet 3 and 4 until you reach the top. There is one more short shuttle, the Gletschershuttle that will take you the rest of the way.

From the Maiskogel Station in Kaprun, take the MK Maiskogelbahn and then transfer to the 3K K-onnection gondola. At the end, get on the Gletscherjet 2 cable car that will take you to the Alpincenter. From the Alpincenter, take the Gletscherjet 3 and 4 until you reach the top. There is one more short shuttle, the Gletschershuttle that will take you the rest of the way.

This might sound confusing with all the different gondolas and cable cars, but they are in a row and quite easy to get from one to the next. Basically, you just need to follow the cable cars to the very top of the mountain!

Tauern Spa In Kaprun

After skiing in Kaprun, you might be looking to relax those tired muscles. A fantastic place to do just that is the Tauern Spa right in Kaprun. Here you can book a relaxing full body massage, a revitalizing facial or a soak in a thermal pool.

You can even stay at the Tauern Spa!

Maisi Flitzer Alpine Coaster

Something fun to add to your Kitzsteinhorn ski trip that the kids will especially enjoy is a thrilling ride down the Maisi Flitzer alpine coaster. This exhilarating ride can get up to 40kph. If that seems fast for your little one, there are controls where you can adjust your speed and go at your own pace.

Tickets are pretty affordable at €15 for adults, €7 for children 3-7 years old and €11 for children 8-15 years of age. You can purchase your tickets for Maisi Flitzer there or online.

Winter Hiking In Kaprun

In addition to skiing in Kaprun, you can also take a winter hike. One of the winter hikes right in Kitzsteinhorn is a groomed path that goes from the Alpincenter to the ICE CAMP Sun Deck. We had snacks and a drink at the ICE CAMP while we were skiing. It’s a nice little area to chill and take in the view. Be aware that most of the seating is outdoors which is nice on a sunny day but would be chilly on a windy day.

This easy path is only 0.41 km (0.25 miles) and takes about 30 minutes. This could be a fun hike to add to your day visiting the Top of Salzburg.

Another hike that is flat and leads through a protected area near Kaprun is the Filzmoosweg trail. This winter hiking trail is 4.46 km (2.77 mi) in length and easy. Grab those sturdy hiking boots and enjoy a pleasant hike along the river.

Snow Tubing

Very close to Kaprun is Erlebnisberg Naglköpfl Piesendorf where you can get pulled up a hill on a snow tube and then slide down the 270 meter long track. This was a super fun way for us to have a little fun and rest our sore ski legs.

We booked for an hour and it was the perfect amount of time to slip and slide down the mountain. Although our kids probably could have gone longer! 🤪 One hour of tubing is €13.90 per person.

Cross Country Skiing In Kaprun

If you are skiing in Kaprun, you might want to experience cross country skiing instead of downhill. There are many different trails around the area that are fantastic options. We walked by the easy trails next to lake Zell, but unfortunately didn’t have time to zip around any trails during our vacation. You can find all of the cross country skiing options in Kaprun and Zell am See here.

Spend A Day In Zell Am See

During your Kitzsteinhorn ski trip, a visit to Zell am See should be on your radar. You can drive or take the bus over to the picturesque town. The streets of Zell am See are filled with shops and restaurants to explore.

Zell am See is also located next to the stunning Lake Zell. If you are up for a long walk, you can even hike all the way around it. It is beautiful but also 11km long.

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