Colors of Kitzbuhel - traditions, festivals, mentality and lifestyle

Kitzbühel has become a regular venue for a wide variety of festivals throughout the year. One after another there would be a dozen of exciting holidays. In mid-March, the town traditionally welcomes gourmets from around the world, as at this time Kitzbühel hosts the Festival of haute cuisine (St.Moritz Gourmet Festival). It is attended by chefs from all around the world. Their main goal is to surprise the strict jury with extraordinary dishes. Town’s restaurants are always participating in this exciting event; visitors can taste original chef’s dishes and delicacies.

A variety of cultural and recreational activities, including workshops on cooking, interesting events and excursions to the outstanding gastronomic attractions are held for tourists. So-called ‘culinary tours’ for a fixed fee, where anyone can visit several towns’ restaurants and taste dishes from a special menu prepared for the festival, have gained a lot of popularity.

A few days after the end of the festival haute cuisine another large-scale festival, which will be interesting to all jazz fans, starts. Usually Jazz Festival takes place in the last week of March; not less than twenty concerts are held within festival. Among the participants of the festival, there are young music bands and popular artists that have fans all over the world. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

The scenes where concerts are held are built in the town square; some performances are held in specially prepared rooms. The majority of concerts are free, so they can be attended by anybody who wants to. The winter polo is considered the most interesting winter holiday event. This international event has received many comic titles because of its nature. Most competitions are called ‘dance of the cavalry’ or ‘horse ballet’; many foreign visitors often come to watch this original sport event.

The Jazz Festival is not the only event dedicated to music in Kitzbühel. We are talking about the Kitzbuehel Music Festival, which starts in mid-August and invites hundreds of tourists from all over the world to visit important locations of the city where music concerts are held. These are the mountains Kaisergebirge, Kitzbüheler Horn, Hahnenkamm, as well as the city center. The festival is held in the open air, which gives it some charm - who wouldn't like to listen to great music while having a picnic? Visitors are entertained by musicians from Austria and Germany who play the music of completely different genres - from fiery R'n'B to hard rock.

The famous ski race at the legendary ski resort - this is all about the Hahnenkamm-Race, a festival that has become the hallmark of the city. The event is held in late January when the best skiers and tourists who prefer spectacular actions gather here. The event is considered the most significant of its kind in town. There is an indispensable condition - one needs to support their favorites so that they do not lose hope for victory. Besides the race itself, tourists are offered an entertainment program including tasting local dishes, fireworks, meet-and-greets, as well as the long-awaited awarding ceremony.

The end of June is marked by the Streif-Attack, a golf tournament. It is worth noting that it is one of the most significant and famous events in certain circles. The festival is held not only on the Streif race track but also in other locations such as hotels Rasmushof, Grand SPA Resort A-Rosa, Hotel Cordial Reith, Hotel Kitzhof, Sporthotel Reisch, as well as four golf clubs (Kitzbühel Schwarzsee, GLC, Eichenheim, and Kitzbühel Kaps). Every year, the golf event is visited by about 900 participants who will compete for the title of the best golfers, as well as thousands of tourists wishing to watch how they will fight. And it must be said that it's a pleasure to witness such a great show.

Fans of luxury cars will be happy to visit Kitzbühel at the end of September when the International Sportwagenfestival is held. The audience will be presented about fifty sports cars from well-known brands such as Lamborghini, Ferrari, and Wiesmann. In addition to exhibitions that are organized in museums on the main streets, visitors can enjoy themed tours of the Old Town, restaurants joining the celebration by preparing a special menu, and popular hiking trails to the mountain peaks around Kitzbühel. Another festival taking place in the city will delight movie buffs. This is the Film Festival Kitzbühel that starts in the middle of the hot August. At this time, cinemas of the city show films from both widely recognized directors and novice filmmakers.