Kitzbuhel

From the edge of town a gondola lifts you to near the top of the Hahnenkamm in one go. Every cabin is named after a past downhill winner. In the January race week rooms and tickets sell out months ahead and the town is jammed.

The Hahnenkamm race course, where racers fly tens of metres off the Mausefalle (mousetrap) right after the start. In summer a trail along the course opens so you can feel that pitch underfoot. The descent is hard on the knees; trekking poles help.

The mountain across from town, with a TV transmitter and a small chapel near the top. Cable cars go up, and the paved road to the summit is famous among cyclists as a test of steep climbing. On clear days the Grossglockner shows from the top.

A garden high on the Kitzbuheler Horn, planted with hundreds of Alpine flower species. Late June through July, when edelweiss and gentians open, is its brightest time, and an hour covers the short paths. In May, under lingering snow, it is close to bare.

A gondola hung from three cables crosses the valley between two ski areas, at its highest 400 metres above the ground. Some cabins have part-glass floors that show the valley straight below. High wind halts it, so check the running status first.

Inside the medieval walls two main streets run in parallel, lined with bright houses showing their gables to the road. Cars barely enter, so walking is easy; luxury shops and cafes hold the ground floors. The Hahnenkamm rises dead ahead from the south gate.

A moor lake some thirty minutes' walk out, its water darkened by dissolved peat. Shallow and quick to warm, it is mild in summer by Alpine standards and pulls in many swimmers. The lido charges entry, while the shore path round it is open to all.

An old granary holding the town's history and its ski story, centred on paintings by local artist Alfons Walde. Walde painted snowy peaks and skiers in bold planes of colour and gave Kitzbuhel its image. The roof terrace gives a view across the old town.

A park on the hillside south of Kitzbuhel where red deer, ibex, marmots and other Alpine animals roam. At the set afternoon feeding time the animals crowd up to the fences. The paths are sloped, so a baby carrier beats a pushchair.

Two churches share the hill north of the old town; beside the Gothic parish church, the little Lady church has a squat, heavy tower. Graves of townsfolk, skiers and painters included, are kept in flowers in the churchyard. Steps between them overlook town.

A range of grey limestone peaks rising like saw teeth north of Kitzbuhel. It faces you from the Kitzbuheler Horn, and trails start from the foothill villages of Ellmau and Going. Photos are best when morning sun turns the rock walls red.

A fortress crowning a crag over the Inn, about 40 minutes' drive from Kitzbuhel. Its tower holds the Heroes' Organ, among the largest open-air organs in the world, played every day at noon. The sound carries over town, so you can listen from the square below.

By area the smallest town in Austria, its medieval streets squeezed between the Inn and a rock face. Glass studios abound, and in many shops you can watch glass being blown. In winter the mountain's shadow keeps the sun off it for weeks.