The small provincial town of Kaprun is located at the foot of the high Tauern, not far from Lake Zell and the Kitzsteinhorn glacier, which is usually called the “Kaprun glacier”. These are real Alps, giving peace and beauty, and where everything is equipped for sports and recreation. On the glacier there are many wide and long slopes, on which there is a real expanse for skiers and snowboarders, but there are also several interesting red slopes.

Nearest airports: Salzburg (85 km), Innsbruck (170 km), Munich (185 km).

The year-round skiing area is the Kitzsteinhorn glacier near Kaprun. The slopes here seem to compete with each other in terms of excitement and their own popularity. The wide, medium-steep slopes in the area of the Maurer and Schmiedinger glaciers are always crowded, especially in early spring and autumn, outside the “high season”. A popular steep slope that runs from the top station of the Schmiedinger Gratbahn to the Alpzentrum. Two of the most beautiful descents begin here: one leads through the Lakertal valley to Niedernsill, the other is even more interesting, but requires an hour-long climb to the top of the Tristkogel; the path runs through protected snow valleys, and it is best done with an instructor.

Ski-pass for 6 days – 165-189 euros (depending on the season).

For snowboarders: Fun parks on the Kitzsteihorn glacier and on Schmittenhoch.

The choice of hotels up to ***** (including inexpensive, but quite comfortable ones) is quite impressive, and there are quite enough guesthouses in Zell am See, and in Schutdorf – a small village a couple of kilometers from the town center, and in Kaprun. In the city, it makes sense to choose hotels either by the lake, so that you can admire the amazing panorama, or as close as possible to the lifts. There are many restaurants, pubs and shelters at the high-altitude cable car stations. The music from the very top bar on the top of the Schmittenhoch can be heard almost throughout the rather large mountain. In early December, traditional snowboarding competitions are held in Kaprun. Additional exoticism of the resort is the January open-air vernissage on the Schmittenhoch and the International Balloon Week; February sled races and ski joring; May’s “happenings on ice” with a disco, a show and a lot of delicious dishes. Well, admiring the Alps from the plane is at least every day. The airport in Zell am See is open 7 days a week.

The region is good for family skiing, if the children are already firmly on skis. A very good choice for technical fans of downhill skiing.

Resort Features

Resort Altitude: 1980 m
Total Length of G/L Trails: 55 km
Skiing Elevation Difference: 1980-3029 m
Number of Lifts: 26

Features of G/L Trails

Blue (medium) – 31 km
Red (difficult) – 24 km
Black (very difficult) – 0 km

Skiing season – 15.11-1.05

Kaprun 2019: how to get there, where to stay, what to see

Glacier in Kaprun

How to get to Kaprun

Kaprun is a relatively small resort town, more like a village, but it retains enormous potential. Firstly, Kaprun is part of the European Sports Region; secondly, the climatic and natural conditions of the resort are such that snow is guaranteed to lie here from December to April, which means that the ski season here lasts longer than any other Austrian resort; thirdly, there is a glacier in the vicinity of Kaprun, so in the resort, in addition to the usual slopes for beginners and practitioners, there are also several very difficult slopes for pros, as well as a fun park and natural half-pipes. Thus, we can say that Kaprun is an ideal place for a winter ski holiday.

The atmosphere of the resort is such that there are no too noisy public places, on the contrary, Kaprun is famous for its cozy, almost homely atmosphere, where people come, tired of the bustle of large resorts. Every year Kaprun is gaining more and more popularity among amateurs and professionals of alpine skiing.

Of the major cities in Austria, the closest to the Kaprun resort are Innsbruck (142 km) and Salzburg (109 km). These cities can be reached both by direct and connecting flights. In addition, you can get to Kaprun from Munich, Germany (176 km). You can find current flights to Innsbruck, Salzburg and Munich on special sites Aviasales, Buruki and others. From these cities, you can get to Kaprun by public transport, taxi, transfer or rented car.

Munich-Kaprun

Getting from Munich to Kaprun by public transport is not very convenient, as you have to make several transfers along the way. First you will have to take a train to the Austrian Zell am See, and then transfer to a regular bus to Kaprun. In general, the travel time by public transport will be about 4 hours, which is why many tourists choose more convenient and fast modes of transport – they often take a taxi or order a transfer. In this case, the travel time will be about 2 hours 40 minutes, in addition, there is no need to make transfers along the way. You can order a transfer in advance on specialized services, such as Kiwitaxi, Intui.Travel and others.

Also, for independent travelers, a convenient means of transportation can be rent a car in Munich. Moreover, you can rent a car both in the city and at the arrival airport, which is very convenient if you are going directly to the resort. The car rental option in Munich is extremely popular and is in great demand among independent tourists.

Salzburg-Kaprun

From Salzburg to Kaprun you can also get by train to Zell am See, and then by bus, the total travel time is approximately 2 hours 40 minutes. You can get there 2 times faster by taxi or transfer, the travel time will be 1 hour 20 minutes. There are several rental offices at Salzburg Airport, so if you wish, tourists can rent a car and get there on their own. Salzburg and Kaprun are connected by highways No. A10 and B311.

Innsbruck-Kaprun

From Innsbruck you can get to Kaprun in a similar way – by taking the train to Zell am See, and then changing to a bus directly to the resort. You can get there directly by taxi or individual transfer, the journey time is about 2 hours. Car rental in Innsbruck also works both in the city itself and at the arrival airport. You can book a car in advance on specialized services, for example, on Autoeurope, Economybookings and other similar ones. Innsbruck and Kaprun are connected by highway No. A12.

Kaprun’s surroundings

Where to stay in Kaprun

Kaprun is a small town, so the number of places to stay here is limited, mainly apartments or hotel rooms. Due to the fact that there are not so many offers for accommodation in Kaprun, it is recommended to make a reservation in advance, preferably a few months before the intended date of travel, otherwise there may simply be no free places left. The average price policy for accommodation in the “high” season is from 1,600 to 4,000 hryvnias per day.

You can stay in Kaprun in one of the hotels, which are 3- and 4-star options, made in a typical Tyrolean style and equipped with everything you need. The vast majority of local hotels offer breakfast included in the price of accommodation, free private parking for those traveling by car, free Wi-Fi, and many hotels also have their own wellness and spa areas for relaxation after a busy day. Thus, we can say that the hotel infrastructure of Kaprun is developed at a high level, despite the small size of the resort itself.

A cheaper option to stay in Kaprun is to rent an apartment. The city has quite a few apart-hotels that offer studio rooms or full apartments for accommodation. The main difference between renting an apartment and staying in a hotel room is that there is no such option as meals in the apartments. But the apartments are equipped with their own kitchens, which have all the necessary equipment for cooking independently.

If you are planning to ski and relax in the European Sports Region, then in addition to Kaprun, you can also stay in neighboring towns, for example, in Zell am See (6.5 km), Piesendorf (4 km), Uttendorf (15 km), Maishofen (10 km) and others. You can check the prices for all possible accommodation options in Kaprun and neighboring towns on special sites Booking, Hotellook and others, which allow you to compare all existing offers for the necessary dates.

There are also accommodation options in Kaprun that are consistently in demand, including hotels:

Lederer`s living 4 * (Location – in the center of Kaprun. There is a restaurant, spa, family rooms, buffet breakfast, free indoor parking, ski storage);
Avenida Panorama Suites Kaprun by Alpin Rentals 4 * (Apart-hotel with rooms of various sizes, shared terrace, mountain views, spa center, meals – breakfast, free private parking, free Wi-Fi);
Tauern Spa Hotel & Therme 4 * (The hotel has a spa center with indoor and outdoor pools, saunas, steam baths, a fitness room, a massage room, a children’s section with water slides. The hotel has rooms of various sizes, the type of food is breakfast or half board. Free parking, ski storage is available);
Das Alpenhaus Kaprun 4 * (Location – in the center of the resort, there is a spa with indoor and outdoor pools, sauna, gym, as well as a terrace, restaurant, rooms of various sizes, food – breakfast or half board);
Hotel Martini 3 * (Quiet location, sauna, free parking, rooms of various sizes. Including family rooms, food – breakfast, ski storage, free Wi-Fi, terrace).

Kaprun

What to see in Kaprun

Kaprun is part of the only European Sports Region, which means that the opportunities for winter sports here are practically inexhaustible. 138 km of ski slopes in Kaprun are allocated, 57 km of which are easy slopes, 50 km are of medium difficulty and 31 km are difficult. The elevation difference is 2,200 meters, there are cross-country ski trails, sled runs, a half-pipe and 3 snowboard parks. Kaprun has some of the best conditions for freestyle skiing.

In addition, the resort has all the related services – ski schools, a family fun park, lifts, ski equipment rental, special tourist shuttles, an Alpine center and much more. The Kitzsteinhorn glacier is also open for skiing, where snow lies all year round. The cost of ski passes starts from 53 euros / day for an adult and 26 euros / day for a child.

Kaprun

In the summer season, Kaprun also offers a considerable amount of entertainment, ranging from everyone’s favorite hiking to extreme sports such as climbing, trekking, paragliding, canyoning and much more. Horseback riding, tobogganing (summer and winter) and trekking are also very popular. At any time of the year in Kaprun you can relax and unwind in the local wellness center “Optimum”. In addition to the swimming pool, there is a sauna and Turkish bath area, a massage area, a solarium, a jacuzzi and much more.

There are several other spas in the city and its surroundings. For example, TAUERN SPA Zell am See, located in Kaprun, offers such entertainment as 11 swimming pools, 11 saunas and steam rooms, a children’s area, an entertainment program, restaurants and bars on the territory of the complex. The entrance fee for adults starts from 21.5 euros for 3 hours and from 10.75 euros for children. There are various family and combination tickets.

Nearby Kaprun in summer

You can also relax in a spa center in the neighboring resort of Zell am See, where the Zell am See Leisure Center complex is located. In addition to the standard services in the form of a swimming pool, sauna and relaxation area, the center offers water aerobics courses, a children’s area, a Finnish sauna, an infrared cabin, a herbal bath, a lounge bar, and water slides. The price starts at 14.1 euros for adults and 7.6 euros for children.

Kaprun also has a limited number of restaurants and bars, but for an active social life it is better to go to neighboring Zell am See, and Kaprun is more suitable for a quiet family vacation or solitude in the midst of picturesque natural beauty.

Kaprun Ski Lifts