Cooling Down in Kitzbühel
AM's alpine diaries from July in the chic 007 ski town.
If there is one location that just makes sense as a former residence of 007 author Ian Fleming, it’s the quiet yet characterful Kitzbühel.
The remote, pastel-hued Austrian haven holds the innate feel of a Bond stomping ground, an air that is immediately noticeable upon original decampment to the medieval ski town.
ON BOND GROUND
Primarily a luxury ski hub in the icy months, the Kitz summer season is peaceful and uncontrived, accompanied with a light breeze and low 20s heat that makes the many surrounding walking trails a very pleasant way to pass a bright morning or afternoon.
The blend of blissfully remote location, with its easy sense of leisure meets luxury, marks it as the perfect home of both Fleming & his famed fictional protagonist Bond.
The innate feel of a Bond stomping ground
As the story goes, the creator of the 007 novel series and subsequent movie franchise, resided in Kitzbühel as a young man during what he dubbed his “golden years”. The dreamy Austrian town features in the Bond books, namely Octopussy & The Living Daylights and flagship Hotel Tennerhof houses a James Bond double room, where the author himself resided. (See our 007 themed IG reel, featuring the town here).
In Kitz, it does not take long to easily imagine the charming winter playground as the perfect backdrop for a romantic stroll between Daniel Craig’s rendition of James and the hazardous beauty Vesper Lynd (Casino Royale is a masterpiece). In the days of Fleming, the town hosted its fair share of mysterious agents and spies, as the original Tennerhof owner was a former British agent, as was another of Ian’s close companions. (Read more here.)
ALPINE UNWIND
If you’re seeking a seriously tranquil retreat from the outside world and the chaos of ordinary life, Kitzbühel may just be the best option about. You have the best of both worlds at your finger tips and depending on your personal preference, you can add whatever elements you wish to your getaway - whether its high-end shopping, quiet coffee sipping, fine dining, mountain hiking or biking or taking it easy poolside.
The old school Austrian town is a page out of the beloved Sound of Music book, with each mountain peak and perfect panorama like a sight straight from the 1965 classic film. The hills are well and truly alive! (See our reel on this, here.)
During our week-long stay, my family and I basked in long, leisurely breakfasts on the Tennerhof terrace before truly kicking off the day in action with cable car rides, mountain hikes & electric bikes. The following afternoons, cooler and calmer, were brought in by chalet lunches of bread, cheese, fruit and True Fruits smoothies (superb), sunbathing, swimming and reading.
Old School Austria
A true favourite evening of mine was a very rainy Sunday night, ushered in with a delicious dinner at the hotel (think old school light wood panelling and waiters in traditional Austrian dress… panna cotta was also included).
As we were eating, the gusts of wind against the dark night sky began to bluster through the wooden window shutters and we dashed home in the lashing rain back to our chalet, where a cosy fire was lit and a competitive game of Banangrams were played beside it. Magic.
For further Instagram snippets, see below:
WHAT I WORE
It’s an MMTD custom to share a handful of OOTDs from our travels, so here are a few below, as shared on the IG. See here & here for a more in-depth style brief.
TRAVEL NOTES
En Route:
Coming from the UK, I flew into Munich airport (cannot say I am a large fan of the place to be honest, Geneva Airport spoils you for life) and took three trains, a collective two hour ride, from the German city to Kitzbühel station.
The rail line there is ÖBB, and a word to the wise, if you happen to get delayed things can be rather confusing - at which point you should immediately consult Google Maps, who fixes all my (directional) problems as per.
To Eat:
For easy picnic lunches, the local supermarket Billa (of which there are two in Kitz) are the place to go. Shoutout to them for reawakening my great love for Milka, of which I needed remembering.
For dinner, we dined between Hugo’s in the town, the quintessential (and very tasty) Tennerhof restaurant & obtained a superb summer salad from Goldene Gams on the Main Street. I also acquired a fabulous tiramisu scoop from some gelato place around the corner near the pharmacy, and that’s the very best description I can give.
Major editor side note - Also, Austrian McDonalds is top tier and the size and topping generosity of their McFlurries will really have you re-evauating UK McDs. A very salient point to make, I know.
To See:
Mountain moment: We tackled the Kitzbüheler Horn (right above the Tennerhof) & the Hahnenkamm, with the much appreciated assistance of some cable cars (require Kitzski cards for usage) that offered some amazing views. At a chalet café at the top of Hahnenkamm, I’ll warn you that (stupidly) ordering an iced latte will warrant a massive sundae being brought to you, topped with lots of cream and just a little coffee, in ice-cream form, of course.
Both mountain walks were breathtaking, the first being incredibly quiet and peaceful (we only bumped into one other group at the top) and the second, and busier, offering the charming and memorable clanging of cow bells by the winding paths.
On bicycle: We also rented electric bikes from the local Element 3 sport shop in Kitzbühel to roam at our leisure around the winding mountain paths and family-owned chalets behind the hotel. Highly recommend doing so but go easy on the brakes! (No more said).
To Shop:
My Kitz shop favourites were: the lovely Läderach (whom we had the pleasure of partnering with in March to share their Mother’s Day collection), the town’s upscale Ralph Lauren store and the Messner jewellery shop, where I picked up an emerald Qudo ring that really adds a colour pop to recent outfits (see here).
As gifts from Läderach, I picked up the Limited Edition Tablet set (flavours are lemon, raspberry & caramel) and the Truffle Selection. The store also gives out free samples of their delicious Swiss family chocolate to visitors, which is a real treat when browsing.
That’s all from Austria! Kitzbühel, you were fabulous.
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Mwah,
MMTD editor