Kitzbühel

Kitzbühel
InnenstadtKitzbühel.jpg
Coat of arms of Kitzbühel
Kitzbühel is located in Austria
Kitzbühel
Country  Austria
State Tyrol
District Kitzbühel
Mayor Klaus Winkler (ÖVP)
Area 58.02 km2 (22.4 sq mi)
Elevation 762 m  (2500 ft)
Population 8,437  (1 January 2008)
 - Density 145 /km² (377 /sq mi)
Time zone CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Licence plate KB
Postal code 6370
Area code 05356
Website Kitzbühel municipality

Kitzbühel is a medieval city in Tyrol, Austria, situated along the river Kitzbühler Ache, now best known as a ski resort. It is the administrative centre of the district (Bezirk) Kitzbühel.

Contents

History

The first known settlers, who surfaced between 1100 BC and 800 BC were Illyrians mining copper in the hills near Kitzbühel.

Around 15 BC the Roman Emperor Augustus occupied the Alps and proclaimed the province Noricum. After the fall of the western Roman Empire, Bavarii settled in the Kitzbühel region around 800 and started clearing forests.

In the twelfth century the name Chizzingensspuehel is mentioned for the first time in a document of the Chiemsee monastery. Chizzo relates to a Bavarii clan, Bühel describes the location of the settlement upon a hill.

Kitzbühel became part of Upper Bavaria in 1255. Louis II, Duke of Bavaria granted Kitzbühel the rights of a city on June 6, 1271, and it was fortified with mighty city walls. During the next centuries the city became a focus of trade, grew steadily and never was affected by wars. So the city walls were razed at the level of the first floor and used for building new houses.

When Margarete Maultasch married Bavarii Duke Louis V the Brandenburger in 1342, Kitzbühel became part of Tyrol. After the Peace of Schärding (1369) it was given back to Bavaria. On June 30, 1504 Kitzbühel became part of Tyrol again when Austrian Emperor Maximilian conquered Kitzbühel and Kufstein.

Maximilian took mortgage on Kitzbühel, and so at the end of sixteenth century it came under the rule of the Counts of Lamberg. On May 1, 1840 Kitzbühel was given to the state of Austria in a ceremony.

The wars of the eighteenth and nineteenth century didn't reach the city, whereas some inhabitants participated in the Tyrolean rebellion against Napoleon. Kitzbühel once more became part of Bavaria after the Treaty of Pressburg, but was reunited with Tyrol after the fall of Napoleon, at the Congress of Vienna.

When Emperor Franz Joseph finally resolved the remaining constitutional uncertainties, and furthermore railway construction of the Salzburg-Tiroler-Bahn was finished in 1875, the city's trade and industry flourished. Also during World War I and World War II Kitzbühel remained far from the areas of war.

A view of Kitzbühel from the Hahnenkammbahn Lift. Behind the city is Kitzbüheler Horn, which is another mountain for skiing.

Tourism and sport

Kitzbühel is one of Austria's best known and fanciest winter sport resorts, situated between the mountains Hahnenkamm (5616 ft., 1712 m) and Kitzbühler Horn (6548 ft., 1996 m). The Hahnenkamm is home of the annual world cup ski races, including the circuit's most important event, the downhill race on the famous Streif slope. This downhill is counted as one of the hardest downhill competitions in the world cup. During summer time Kitzbühel also hosts an ATP tennis tournament on clay, the Austrian Open.

Kitzbuehel01.JPG

In 2007 and 2008 ITU Triathlon World Cup races took place at the local Schwarzsee lake.[1]

The Kitzbüheler Alpenrallye is an annual festival of historic automobiles. It was first held in 1988. The first trip of the United Buddy Bears was 2004 to Kitzbühel, following by the first trip into the "big wide world" - when they went to Hong Kong and many other metropolises on all five continents.

A further sight is the 3S Aerial Tramway, the aerial tramway with the highest span in the world.

Transport

Highway B161, which connects St. Johann in Tirol with Mittersill, passes through Kitzbühel, intersecting here with highway B170 to Wörgl. Kitzbühel Bahnhof, Kitzbühel Hahnenkamm, and Kitzbühel Schwarzsee are train stops at the Salzburg-Tiroler-Bahn. Kitzbuhel Bahnhof is also a major bus stop for busses running to Lienz and Worgl. Most major trains stop at Worgl, and the express train (or REX) stops at both the Bahnhof and Hahnenkamm.

Kitzbühel
Climate chart ()
J F M A M J J A S O N D
 
 
71
 
1
−8
 
 
67
 
4
−6
 
 
85
 
9
−3
 
 
82
 
13
1
 
 
109
 
19
6
 
 
157
 
21
9
 
 
172
 
23
11
 
 
151
 
23
11
 
 
103
 
19
8
 
 
74
 
14
3
 
 
82
 
6
−2
 
 
83
 
2
−6
average max. and min. temperatures in °C
precipitation totals in mm
source: ZAMG
Historical populations
Year Pop.  %±
1869 2,982 —
1880 3,167 6.2%
1890 3,290 3.9%
1900 3,453 5.0%
1910 4,021 16.4%
1923 4,378 8.9%
1934 5,294 20.9%
1939 5,419 2.4%
1951 7,211 33.1%
1961 7,744 7.4%
1971 8,020 3.6%
1981 7,840 −2.2%
1991 8,119 3.6%
2001 8,574 5.6%
2008 8,437 −1.6%
Source: Statistik Austria

People

International relations

Twin towns — Sister cities

Kitzbühel is twinned with[2]:

Notes and references

  1. ↑ "2008 Kitzbuhel BG Triathlon World Cup". International Triathlon Union. http://www.triathlon.org/?call=TVRFdw==&id=MTEyMg==&kee. Retrieved 2008-08-04. 
  2. ↑ "Partnerstädte" (in German). Stadtgemeinde Kitzbühel. http://www.kitzbuehel.eu/system/web/zusatzseite.aspx?detailonr=34869817. Retrieved 2008-08-04. 

See also

External links

Municipalities in the district of Kitzbühel

Aurach bei Kitzbühel · Brixen im Thale · Fieberbrunn · Going am Wilden Kaiser · Hochfilzen · Hopfgarten im Brixental · Itter · Jochberg · Kirchberg in Tirol · Kirchdorf in Tirol · Kitzbühel · Kössen · Oberndorf in Tirol · Reith bei Kitzbühel · Sankt Jakob in Haus · Sankt Johann in Tirol · Sankt Ulrich am Pillersee · Schwendt · Waidring · Westendorf