Kaprun
Small, high altitude, snow sure resort with glacier skiing. Perfect for family skiing
Kaprun resort guide - a general overview
The ski resort of Kaprun is the closest village to Austria's fabulous Kitzsteinhorn glacier ski area, offering guaranteed snow and year-round snow sports. This likeable laid-back village also has its own local family-friendly ski hill, the Maiskogel, plus easy access to the slopes of the nearby lively lakeside resort of Zell am See.
Access from the town of Kaprun to the glacier slopes above was transformed in 2019/20 by the building of the new K-onnection gondola, linking the local Maiskogel pistes to the snowsure, lofty runs above. The Maiskogel slopes will keep you busy for a morning, with the main attraction lying higher up. Here, the snow sure glacier slopes reach 3,029m altitude and there is a good network of blues and reds, plus a couple of steeper slopes lower down that include the renowned Black Mamba piste.
Kaprun is a sizeable and pleasant riverside valley village, watched over by a picturesque spired church and a sturdy 13th century castle, with plenty of traditional-style buildings and a relaxed and friendly air about it. Yet it somehow feels more like a small suburban town than a ski resort.
Resort stats
130km
785m - 3,029m
Level of skiing
- Beginners
- Intermediates
- Experts
- Snow sure
- Off-piste
- Ski area
Qualities
- Charm factor
- Non-skiers
- Nightlife
- Resort layout
- Fine dining
- Short transfer
- Resort value
Airports
- Salzburg
- 2hrs
- Munich
- 3hrs
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Excellent easy cruising slopes for intermediates
- Charming village
- Good variety of off slope activities including a sports centre
- Access to the glacier
- Good snow conditions and snowmaking
Cons
- Little to challenge experts
- Lengthy lift queues for the gondola
- Limited apres ski
Restaurants
Kaprun Resort Restaurants
There is no shortage of places to eat in Kaprun. Most of the hotels in Kaprun have their own restaurants which are open to the public. These hotel restaurants specialise in traditional Austrian mountain cuisine which while being delicious, can be rather expensive. For a more cheap but just as cheerful option head to Hilberger's Beisl which is a delightful pub/restaurant located right in the centre of town where Wolfgang Hilberg and his team serve beautiful and fresh locally sourced meals which you can enjoy on the cosy terrace overlooking the mountains. If you're in need of a bit of variety away from the rich Austrian delicacies there is also a scattering of Italian restaurants in and around Kaprun, including the popular Pizzeria Paletti which has an impressively large and delicious menu.
Kaprun Mountain Restaurants
Kaprun has a large variety of tasty mountain restaurants. There are cosy chalet style restaurants where you can go and take a long relaxed gourmet lunch or there are the larger canteen style self service places where you can grab a quick bite and relax on the extensive sun decks. The aptly named Bella Vista does great food and boasts some of the best views in the valley. For something with a bit more charm the Krefelder serves great traditional Austrian mountain delights.
Kaprun Apres Ski
Although Kaprun is overshadowed by its famous neighbours St Anton and Zell am See in terms of nightlife, Kaprun is still relatively buzzing in terms of apres ski and is a great place for a fun night out. There are many popular bars located inside most of the village's hotels within walking distance of your chalet. The most popular of these are Baum Bar, Partykeller and Kitsch and Bitter. A great place to start your night is Paletti's bar where you can grab a very reasonably priced pizza whilst having a few beers straight off the slopes. Then head to Partykeller which begins to get a bit livelier around 10pm and stays open until about 2:30am. One of the local's favourites is the Austrian themed Baum Bar which is located a little bit further out of town but worth the walk if you want to sample some traditional Austrian apres ski.
Funicular
Cable Car
Gondola
Chair lift
Drag lift
Property
