KITZBUHEL AUSTRIA
BEST FOR: EXCELLENT TUITION
As a three-year-old, this writer was fortunate to have his first lessons with Kitzbühel’s Rote Teufel (Red Devil) Ski School on the gentle nursery slopes at the bottom of the Hannenkamm.
I’ve no doubt my first ski teacher would have been surprised to see me 16 years later, charging down the Streif World Cup race course at 90mph and the teaching here remains first-class.
Kitzbühel is a large town and getting to the pistes can be a trek, but if you stay in the comfortable Rasmushof Hotel rasmushof. at, the nursery slopes are just outside the entrance. It’s brilliantly designed for beginners: the terrain is easy to practise on and is set near the excellent Restaurant Red Bull 00 43 5356 62700.
Learners can use some of the lower Rasmusleiten and Mocking lifts free of charge while they find their ski legs, although with good instruction it won’t be long before you progress further up the mountain. By the end of your first trip, expect to be sitting on the terrace of the Berggasthof Sonnbühel sonnbuehel.at at 1,700m enjoying a truly superb lunch. The Mountain Restaurant is run by former downhill racer Ivan Marzola, who has brought his Italian flair to the local cuisine.
After a day on the piste, there is nothing like a cold beer to recharge and a short walk down from the slopes is the Londoner Pub londoner.at, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. It has hosted many a party as downhill skiers celebrate completing their hardest challenge of the season, one of the venues for the area’s World Cup race.
THE DETAIL A one-day class with Rote Teufel Ski School costs £55pp. Six-day classes for a maximum of 12 people cost £217pp. A one-day lift pass is £45pp. en.rote-teufel.at