Kitzbühel | The rise of a spa town # 2021

Kitzbühel was not always primarily a place for skiing. The history of the community goes back deep into Austrian history - this year it is celebrating its 750th anniversary. 

The rise of the mining community to its historical height began at the same time as that of the Habsburg dynasty. The paths of the two - Kitzbühel and Habsburg - should have crossed more often. The heyday of Tyrol and Kitzbühel began with the Emperor Maximilian, not only because of his personal love for the mountains, but above all because of the rich natural resources with which Casa d’Austria financed its expansion of power in Europe. 

There is a gap of more than a century between the end of mining and the beginning of ski tourism - a difficult time for Kitzbühel, in which the place was looking for a new purpose. The painter Alfons Walde made Kitzbühel famous with his iconic views and thus opened the door to the new identity of the place.