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Bad Kleinkirchheim Ski Resort
The ski resort is founded on an ancient Austrian spa town in the Nock Mountains, in Southern Austria’s state of Carinthia. Pronounced ‘Bad-kline-kursh-hyme’ and nicknamed BKK (possibly for ease!), the town’s first recorded mention was as early as 1166 and it has a long and interesting history as an Alpine wellness destination.
The area’s popularity with snow lovers has grown since the first ski lift was built in the fifties. You’ll struggle to find a description of this place where Franz Klammer doesn’t pop up – this is where the Downhill Champion honed his skills and there’s even a downhill named in his honour. FIS Ski World Cup downhill events are regularly held here, including the ladies downhill race in 2015.
The great thing about this as a ski destination is the balance: you’re surrounded by ancient architecture like the gothic St. Catherine’s Church, without forgoing the mod cons you’d want from a European ski holiday, including access straight from the town to the piste. The wellness facilities throw some serious R&R into the mix but this isn’t the quiet mountain village it first seems – the après in the bars and taverns actually gets quite lively.
The standard ski pass will keep you plenty busy on the slopes here and in neighbouring St Oswald, but if you’re feeling particularly adventurous and don’t mind the commute, the Top Ski Pass covers 80 ski areas in Carinthia and East Tyrol and a mammoth 877km of ski slopes.
The resort has good bus links to neighbouring villages for anyone who wants to explore when the boots come off - head to Field Am See to catch a glimpse of the wildlife you rarely see when whizzing down a piste. Slovenia and Italy are only an hour or so away by car if you fancy packing the passport for a day trip somewhere different.
Stats & FAQ
Location: Austria Alps.
Established: 1956
Open: December- April
Downhill: 103km
View our detailed Bad Kleinkirchheim snow forecast or snow report and see all live webcams, piste maps, road and travel maps and lift pass prices. For a picture of historic snow conditions see the snow depths month by month with our Bad Kleinkirchheim snow history.
| Nearest Airport & Transfer Time: | |
| Ljubljana (LJU) | 106km, 1h 25mins |
| Salzburg (SZG) | 172km, 1hr 55mins |
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| Top Altitude: | 2055m |
| Bottom Altitude: | 1100m |
| Resort Altitude: | 1100m |
| Longest run: | 4.8km |
| Slope Orientation: | N,S |
| Vertical Drop: | 955m |
| Skiable Vertical: | 955m |
| Night Skiing: | No |
| Glacier: | No |
Snow Report
Web Cam
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| Downhill Runs: | 103km |
| Beginner slopes: | 10% |
| Intermediate: | 85% |
| Advanced slopes: | 5% |
| Lift Pass Price: | €222 (adult 6 day) |
| Nearby resorts: Katschberg, Obertauern | |
Skiing/BoardingSkiing in Bad Kleinkirchheim
The nursery slopes are in the village, so beginners don’t have to go far to find their ski legs, with schools like Skischule Brunner providing instruction.
A handful of blue runs will keep beginners busy – the long Priedröfabfahrt is one of our favourites as it winds through the pines with great views of the surrounding mountains.
Intermediates can roam the whole area: take the Kaiserberg lift to the top station for a choice of reds all the way back to the village – the FIS K-70 is one of the best and longest (it used to be the men’s downhill route).
Take the left route when the run splits into two and when you reach the bottom, you can hop back on the Kaiserberg lift up to the middle station for more options. From Strohsack, ski the red Maibrunn all the way down and then cross over to St Oswald for super slopes like the Brunnachabfahrt, which makes for an exciting ski through snow dusted pines.
There’s tonnes to keep an advanced skier in their bindings. Of the black runs, our top picks are the Muldenabfahrt at the top of the mountain (the steepest in resort) and the World Cup Franz Klammer piste, where you can ski in the tracks of the man himself all the way back to resort (sometimes the tourist office to a program where you can race the man himself!).
The Kaiserburg top and middle stations give access to some good off piste through the treeline – hire a local guide to show you the very best of the area or book private lessons with one of the ski schools to learn the technique.
If you’re more park than powder, the snowpark (served by the Panoramalift) is crammed with features of different difficulties to test and thrill.
Bad Kleinkirchheim Apres Ski
While you’d expect a small Austrian spa town to be a bit on the sleepy side, BKK brings plenty to the après table. There’s a host of cosy inns for a quiet Glühwein by the fire (or around the outdoor fire pit in the case of the Einkehr) but you also have the chance to swap your ski boots for dancing shoes at venues like Take Five nightclub. One of our favourite spots is the Brechlstube which has a range of local beers - you might even be treated to some accordion music...
A number of family-run taverns like the Hübelbauer serve local specialities made with home-grown ingredients. Grab a pizza in Gasthof Sportalm (super for families as it comes complete with outdoor play area). Having won multiple culinary awards, the Lindenhoff is great for a special occasion if you fancy sampling some of Christian Regittnig’s gourmet wonders.
We’d forgive you for sidestepping the après bars in light of the après spas here... The main ones at St Katherin and Römerbad are lovely for a relaxing swim, steam or sauna (as well as a multitude of treatments) and both have special areas for families too. The resort often gives you the chance to buy and swap spa tickets with your lift pass – worth looking up before you book.
If you’d rather take advantage of your wintery surroundings, skate under the stars at the outdoor rink in resort or on Lake Brennsee. Hire a toboggan for hours of fun- the run at Wöllaner Nock is higher than the pistes themselves which you don’t find in many resorts. See the landscape from the comfort of a horse drawn sleigh for something really special; it’s usually possible to do this by moonlight and finish off with a fondue...
Best time to go
Best time to ski Bad Kleinkirchheim
Best time to visit & ski Bad Kleinkirchheim
The ski season usually runs between December and April. With the ski area covering grassy pastures, it needs less snow cover than ski areas on rocky terrain to be skiable – good news for the start of the season. There’s also a lot of tree-lined skiing if visibility is poor. If more snow’s needed and the mercury level’s low enough for the 800 snow cannons to do their jobs properly, an impressive 97% of the ski area can be covered.
For the best sunshine, head to the sunnier slopes on the St Oswald side. The north facing nature of the other side of the ski area is great for the later season, where the shade means less slushy skiing. Taking the Kaiserburg cable car will get you to the highest point in the resort at 2055m – which should be your best bet for snow conditions later in the season.
Look up the tourist office’s calendar of events - in recent years, there’s been the chance to ski with Franz Klammer himself before the lifts officially open on certain dates of the season.
Peak Dates
Escape to Carinthia for a week of skiing, spas and age-old traditions over Christmas at Bad Kleinkirchheim.
How you celebrate the New Year in Bad Kleinkirchheim is up to you – get merry with the locals, toast with a Glühwein by the fireside, book into one of the thermal baths or celebrate on the side of the Nock Mountains.
With spas and historic sites for non skiers and miles of red runs for intermediates, February half term in Bad Kleinkirchheim might be just the ticket for the week off school. Let’s not forget that this is usually the best time of year for snow...
You might even find yourself willing the snow to get slushy for an excuse to visit the spas over Easter in Bad Kleinkirchheim... this time of year usually involves great weather and skiing on quieter slopes as the season draws to a close.
Families in Bad Kleinkirchheim
With the amount to do on and off the slopes, Bad Kleinkirchheim is an easy one for parents and children to fall in love with – and with spa facilities, historic sites and more, there’s no reason not to invite Granny too...
Families who have been skiing for a few years already will be most at home here – nearly all the area is graded red and above. If you are bringing beginners, the ski schools operate from four different locations around resort, so you won’t have to worry about the convenience of dropping off and picking up. The nursery slopes are at the heart of resort and have features like magic carpets, to help the youngest skiers find their feet. Blue number 17 is a nice long one to ski as a family once the nursery slopes have been conquered – winding all the way from top to bottom through fairytale pine forests.
In past years, the ticket office have run a ‘family euro’ deal, where an under 12’s ski pass only costs €1 a day when bought with an adult 6 day pass. Kids equipment hire deals aren’t unheard of either, so if offers like these are still running in resort (we hope so!) a week here can be great value for money.
With spa hotels – with all the trimmings – complete with playrooms and WiFi, grown-ups, little ones and teens will find plenty to do without even going outside. The Römerbad and St Kathrein thermal baths, which the resort is famed for are open to adults and children alike - swimming outside surrounded by snow is a beautifully baffling experience for youngsters (and some of us older ones too). There’s no shortage of snow themed activities to get involved in either - skating and tobogganing are two favourites (you can actually toboggan above the pistes) but if you want something really special, book a horse drawn sleigh ride through the snowy pines.
GroupsGroup Holidays Bad Kleinkirchheim
The fact that this is a ski town AND a spa town opens up a lot more opportunity for group holidays (and the après ski in the local taverns isn’t bad either...).
Groups of intermediates will do best here with 85% of the area graded red. Experts can challenge each other to zip down the Franz Klammer downhill track or head to the speed testing piste for some friendly competition. Book a private powder or mogul lesson with Skischule Brunner if you want to learn something new together – beginners can learn to ski with the same school.
Non-skiers won’t struggle to find things to do in Bad Kleinkirchheim, so there’s no reason not to extend the invite to more people. Head to the St Kathrein and Römerbad thermal baths for swimming, wellness facilities galore and a long menu of spa treatments. If you can tear yourselves away from the pampering, the resort has lots of history and it’s well worth paying a visit to historic sites like St Catherine’s Church to clue up on the local area. Tobogganing is a great way to enjoy the snow as a group - hurtling down the run at Wöllaner Nock (accessible by the Kaiserburg cable car), gives skiers and non-skiers alike the chance to reach the highest point in resort. Grab a drink in any of the bars when you’ve finished on the slopes – gather with a glühwein round the fire pit at the Einkehr under the stars or check out the Take Five nightclub if you really want to let your hair down.
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