Kitzsteinhorn Resort
61km of pistes, 2,261m vertical drop, October-May season. Austria's first glacier ski area in Kaprun, Salzburg.
Season 2026 - 2027
Opens
2 Oct 2026
Closes
17 May 2027
Days open
227
Annual snow
8.5m
The Overview
Michael Fulton
Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
Austria's first glacier ski area opened in 1965 and spans 61 kilometres of marked pistes across terrain ranging from 768 metres at Maiskogel to 3,029 metres at the TOP OF SALZBURG summit platform. The resort delivers 2,261 metres of vertical - the greatest elevation change accessible by continuous gondola in the Eastern Alps. Twenty-four lifts serve 68 runs across three distinct zones: the high-alpine glacier above 2,600 metres, the intermediate Langwied sector, and the family-oriented Maiskogel below the treeline.
Terrain splits favour progression-focused skiers: 47% beginner, 37% intermediate, 10% advanced, and 6% expert. The glacier plateau hosts wide, open runs ideal for carving, whilst the Black Mamba delivers a 63% gradient challenge dropping 290 vertical metres from the Kristall lift base. Five marked freeride routes sit close to lifts in the Langwied area, with the X1 route accessible via a gated entry near the summit funicular. Red runs dominate the glacier proper, making up roughly two-thirds of that sector's terrain.
The ICE CAMP presented by Audi occupies a plateau at 2,600 metres from mid-January through mid-April - three igloos constructed from 60 tonnes of ice and 2,500 cubic metres of snow housing an ice bar and sun deck. The TOP OF SALZBURG attraction at the summit includes Austria's highest cinema (Cinema 3000) and a 360-metre tunnel called the National Park Gallery cutting through the mountain. On clear days, views extend to the Grossglockner, Austria's highest peak at 3,798 metres.
The Ski ALPIN CARD connects Kitzsteinhorn with Schmittenhöhe in Zell am See and Skicircus Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn - 408 kilometres of combined terrain accessible on a single pass. Free ski buses operate between resorts throughout winter. The extended October-to-May season suits skiers seeking guaranteed snow outside typical Alps operating dates, whilst the four terrain parks and Austria's largest superpipe - shaped by Olympic shaper Alli Zehetner with walls up to 6.5 metres - attract freestyle riders.
2262m
Vertical
68
Runs
61 km
Piste
8.5m
Annual snow
Ski Alpin
Pass
Watch
See Kitzsteinhorn Resort in motion
The Terrain
68 runs across 61 km of piste
Kitzsteinhorn offers 2,262 metres of vertical from the Maiskogel base at 766 metres to the 3,028-metre summit, spread over 68 runs and 61 kilometres of piste. The split is unusually beginner-friendly for a glacier, with 47% beginner, 37% intermediate, 10% advanced and 6% expert terrain, because the gentle lower slopes of Maiskogel sit near Kaprun and the wide glacier plateau suits carving. Three zones stack on top of each other: Maiskogel below the treeline, the Langwied sector at mid-height, and the high alpine glacier above it.
The sharpest piste on the mountain is the Black Mamba, a 63% gradient that falls 290 vertical metres from the Kristall lift base, which makes it the obvious run for strong skiers to warm up on. Freeriders have five marked routes close to the lifts around Langwied, with the X1 route reached through a gated entry near the summit funicular. Because the glacier is where the open, high-altitude terrain is, the best skiing for most visitors is the long, wide red runs between the glacier and Langwied.
Terrain split
68
runs
68 runs across 4 grades
Beginner32 runs · 47%
Intermediate25 runs · 37%
Advanced7 runs · 10%
Expert4 runs · 6%
Time it right
When to visit Kitzsteinhorn Resort
The 2025/26 season runs from 11 October 2025 to 25 May 2026, delivering over seven months of operations - among the longest in the Alps. Kitzsteinhorn typically opens first in Salzburgerland each autumn and closes last, making it the regional choice for pre-season training and late-spring skiing. Lift operations run daily from 8:15 to 16:15, with hours adjusted based on conditions and daylight.
The glacier receives between 7 and 10 metres of natural snowfall annually, with the high-altitude terrain above 2,600 metres maintaining reliable coverage throughout the season. Snowmaking covers 29 kilometres of runs using 200 snow cannons, concentrating on the Maiskogel slopes and key glacier connections. Base depths regularly exceed 2 metres mid-winter; the resort reported 135 centimetres in mid-May 2026 with a season total surpassing 534 centimetres.
Early-season visitors (October-December) find fewer crowds and racing teams using the glacier for training - arrive after 8:45 to avoid the first-lift rush. Freeride conditions peak from mid-January onwards once rocks and gullies fill in completely. Spring skiing (March-May) brings warmer temperatures, corn snow, and the ICE CAMP Sounds DJ sessions every Saturday at 2,600 metres - the sun deck draws skiers for afternoon lounging.
The Glacier Spring Festival on 2 May 2026 closes the season with live music, culinary highlights, and free ski testing on spring snow. Weekly programming includes Tuesday Kitzsteinhorn Explorer Tours with National Park rangers, Wednesday snowshoe hikes to the ICE CAMP, and Thursday guided ski touring to the 2,762-metre Tristkogel. The SnowTime opening weekend in November combines the Freeride Film Festival, expert talks, and equipment testing.
Season 2026 - 2027
2 Oct 2026
Opens
17 May 2027
Closes
227
Days open
8.5 m
Annual snow
The record
Historical snowfall at Kitzsteinhorn Resort
Daily snow reports at Kitzsteinhorn Resort go back to 2017, 10 winters on the books. Open the record to compare winters, lifts and piste.
170 cm
Snowiest day
14 Jan 2018
69 cm
This winter · 2026-27
so far
846 cm
Typical winter
average of complete seasons
Winter totals
cm
Past wintersThis winter
Getting there
Getting to Kitzsteinhorn Resort, and where to stay
Kitzsteinhorn rises within the Glockner Group of the High Tauern range in Austria's Salzburg province, positioned at the northern boundary of Hohe Tauern National Park - the largest protected alpine area in Europe. The mountain itself reaches 3,203 metres, though skiable terrain tops out at the 3,029-metre summit platform. The base village of Kaprun sits at 786 metres in the Pinzgau region, a former mining settlement of 3,000 residents now centred on tourism and the nearby hydroelectric power stations.
Zell am See lies 8 kilometres east along Lake Zell, offering additional accommodation, dining, and the Schmittenhöhe ski area connected via the ALPIN CARD. The city of Salzburg sits 100 kilometres north, reachable in approximately 80 minutes by car through the Salzach valley. The Grossglockner High Alpine Road - Austria's most famous mountain pass - begins south of Kaprun during summer months.
Drivers from Salzburg follow the A10 motorway south toward the Tauern tunnel, exiting before Bischofshofen and continuing through St Johann im Pongau and Bruck to Kaprun. From Innsbruck (150 kilometres), the route follows the motorway to Wörgl, then crosses Pass Thurn via Kitzbühel. Munich travellers (220 kilometres) head south through Rosenheim and cross at Kufstein. Free parking is available at both the Kaprun Center and the Gletscherjet valley station.
Salzburg Airport (SZG) provides the primary access point at 80-100 kilometres distance, with transfer times around 80 minutes. Innsbruck Airport sits 154 kilometres away; Munich Airport 223 kilometres. Zell am See railway station connects to Salzburg and Innsbruck, with Postbus line 660 running directly to Kaprun and the lift stations. From December 2025, WESTbahn operates three daily direct services from Vienna, and the ICE Großglockner runs weekend services from Hamburg and Munich through April 2026.
Where to stay
Search all stays →Hotels and lodges near Kitzsteinhorn Resort, powered by Stay22.
Latest News
From the SnowStash desk
Sierra Nevada Halloween Storm: Dodge Ridge Forecast to Lead With 19 Inches
Halloween weekend brings a wet, windy storm to the Sierra Nevada. Our five-day forecast has Dodge Ridge on top with 19 in, followed by Bear Valley at 15 in and Mammoth Mountain at 12 in, with most of it landing on Saturday. A winter weather advisory covers the Tahoe Basin and Mono County until 7 AM Sunday, gusts could reach 47 mph and the freezing level swings between 4,900 and 8,700 ft, so some bases will see rain. A dry spell follows from Monday.
31 Oct 2026
Lake Louise Opens Early on 1 November With Juniper Express and Easy Street
The Rockies get their first lift-served turns of the season early. Lake Louise opens Sunday 1 November, five days ahead of schedule, after a cold October and round-the-clock work from the snowmaking and mountain crews. Terrain is limited to Juniper Express Chair and Easy Street, with two small terrain parks and the beginner area for lessons. Opening-day tickets are over 60% off, with prices rising as more lifts open. First chair is at 9:30 am under the resort’s new lift hours.
31 Oct 2026
Kitzbüheler Horn Summit Cable Car to Be Replaced After 70 Years
A Tyrolean summit lift that has been carrying guests up the Kitzbüheler Horn since 1955 is on borrowed time. Its licence runs to 2045, but a new inspection rule has made refurbishment uneconomic, so Bergbahn AG Kitzbühel will spend around €15 million on a replacement on the same line. It should hold roughly 100 people and keep running in winds that would stop today’s lift. Building starts in autumn 2027, which makes this winter and next summer the last chances to ride the old one.
30 Oct 2026
What’s New in Japan Skiing This Winter: Niseko Gondola, a Private Resort and a Bigger Ikon Pass
Niseko Village is replacing a lift from the early 1980s with an eight-person gondola, Tsugaike gets a six-person chairlift, Madarao joins the Ikon Pass and Togari opens Asia’s first private ski resort. Here’s what is actually new in Japan skiing for 2026/27, plus what is still a year or two away.
30 Oct 2026
Wolf Creek Opens on Halloween Weekend as Colorado’s Early Season Gathers Pace
Colorado’s early-season dominoes keep falling. Arapahoe Basin opened on Wednesday, Keystone follows on Friday, and now Wolf Creek is joining in on Saturday 31 October, just in time for Halloween. A storm on 23 and 24 October left 20 inches of natural snow in the San Juans, and three lifts will turn from 9:00 am, covering about 30% of the mountain. Expect rocks, unmarked obstacles and open water, but also Local Appreciation lift tickets at $73 for adults.
30 Oct 2026
Keystone Resort Opens for 2026/27 With More Than Two Miles of Skiing
Keystone is next. After Arapahoe Basin claimed the first chairlift skiing of the season on Wednesday, Keystone opens on Friday 30 October at 9:00 am with more than two miles of snowmaking-built terrain on Schoolmarm and Silver Spoon, plus free donuts, coffee and a live DJ. Last year the order was reversed, when Keystone squeezed in a three-hour afternoon session to beat A-Basin by a day. Snowmaking has been running since 15 October.
29 Oct 2026
Beaver Creek Installs 16 Automated Snow Guns on Birds of Prey Ahead of Record World Cup
Beaver Creek is getting ready for the biggest Birds of Prey ever, and this time it is not leaving the snow to chance. Crews started making snow on 27 October with 16 newly installed automated guns on the lower third of the course, after last December’s warm spell forced a downhill off the schedule. Seven races across two weekends run from 3 to 13 December, the most the course has hosted since its 1997 debut, and the guns start themselves whenever the weather allows.
29 Oct 2026
Arapahoe Basin Opens First for North America’s 2026/27 Ski Season
Winter has officially started in North America, and it is one blue run long. On Wednesday 28 October, Arapahoe Basin fired up the Black Mountain Express at around 10:30 am after a surprise announcement just hours earlier, becoming the first major North American resort open for 2026/27. Cold nights, a dusting of natural snow and a lot of snowmaking made it happen in the resort’s 80th winter. More terrain is promised as the snow guns keep running.
28 Oct 2026
Kitzsteinhorn Resort Lift System
The lift system comprises 24 installations: six gondolas, seven chairlifts (including one aerial tram), one funicular serving the summit, and nine surface lifts scattered across the glacier plateau. The MK Maiskogelbahn, a 10-person gondola built by Leitner, transports 2,800 passengers per hour from Kaprun Center to Maiskogel summit in 12 minutes. The Gletscherjet series (stages 1 through 4) provides the traditional glacier access route from the valley station 6 kilometres outside town.
The 3K K-onnection opened in November 2019 as Salzburg's first tri-cable gondola and the centrepiece of a major infrastructure investment. The 4.3-kilometre lift carries 32 passengers per cabin in ATRIA-designed cars manufactured by Doppelmayr's CWA subsidiary - their world debut deployment. Capacity reaches 2,700 passengers per hour with a maximum speed of 6 metres per second, covering the Maiskogel-to-Langwied connection in nine minutes.
The complete K-onnection system links six consecutive gondolas over 12 kilometres from Kaprun town centre (768 metres) to the TOP OF SALZBURG at 3,029 metres - creating ski-in/ski-out capability for the first time in the resort's history. From Langwied, skiers transfer to Gletscherjet 2, then continue via Gletscherjet 3 and 4 to reach the glacier plateau. The Gletscher Shuttle funicular descends from the Gipfelwelt summit building to the skiing terrain.
A combined installation featuring 8-person chairs and 10-person gondolas with heated seats serves the Langwied area following upgrades in 2016/17. The Kaprun Center multifunction building at the valley station houses ticket offices, a 2,000-locker ski depot, and Bründl Sports rental facilities. Two access routes now operate: the new K-onnection from town or the established Gletscherjet from the dedicated valley station along Kesselfallstraße.
24lifts across 8 types
1
Train
1
Aerial Tram
6
Gondolas
2
8-Person Chairs
3
6-Person Chairs
1
Quad Chair
1
Double Chair
9
T-Bars
Kitzsteinhorn Resort lift system
Kitzsteinhorn Resort is served by 24 lifts, listed here by type. Check which lifts are turning against the live conditions before you plan your first laps - early lifts and high-speed chairs get you to the best snow fastest.
More Kitzsteinhorn Resort intelligence: trail map, snow report, webcams, resort overview.