The first ski run down the Kitzbüheler Horn mountain

Kitzbühel – Austria’s first winter sports destination.

In 1893 Franz Reisch was the first person to ski down the Kitzbüheler Horn. Records show that the first ski races in Kitzbühel were held in 1894/95.

Whether they are from real life, are about people or the local area, in Kitzbühel stories are more than just tales. When we talk about stories here, we do not necessarily think of the past. Kitzbühel has been and is home to numerous legends and has produced a series of heroes and champions. Year after year, the “Gamsstadt” hosts sports events that make history. The passion for its legendary heritage, the enthusiasm for sport and the love of the good things in life has become a lifestyle – the Kitzbühel lifestyle!

Nostalgia image
Skiers in the village center
The first descents

Franz Reisch is said to be the founder of skiing.

“Come here, I need to give you a clip round the ear because it was so good.” That is how the snow-covered and utterly euphoric Franz Reisch greeted his friend Josef Herold, who had been anxiously waiting for him on the edge of a field for hours. It’s spring 1893 and Franz Reisch has just become the first person to ski down the Kitzbüheler Horn.

The avalanche he triggered was fortunately only a metaphorical one: in the following years more and more locals and visitors found a love of the new type of sport – and Kitzbühel, which was only valued as a summer holiday destination up until this point, became Austria’s first winter sports destination.

Mastering the slopes

The experience and enthusiasm with which the heroes of the past mastered the slopes is still felt today in the passion for the mountains and for skiing we instill in our guests.