Beating the January blues is often mentioned in the media, especially when considering mindfulness and wellbeing around the days in the darkest month flagged each year as the 'most depressing' or 'most likely to lead to divorce'. So what better than a visit to the Alps to breathe some mountain air and enjoy the peace and quiet of the solitude they offer?
If that's what you are looking for then avoid the otherwise peaceful village of Kitzbuehel on the last weekend of January when it comes alive and multiplies its population by more than 10 times as it hosts the world's greatest downhill ski race, the Hahnenkamm, along with over 50,000+ screaming, partying, fancy dress-wearing fans.
Its colour and atmosphere add to the sport of the race itself, widely acknowledged as the toughest test of a ski racer. It attracts celebrities like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bernie Eccleston, Franz Beckenbauer and Patrick Dempsey, who pay a pretty penny for the best seats, but for just 30 euros you can stand right by the barrier as the likes of Beat Feuz, Matthais Mayer and Dominik Paris fly over the finish line at speeds of upwards of 140kph to a cacophony of noise.
Oompah bands play ridiculous ABBA mixes, while the plentiful bars offer Gluhwein, beer and the less popular tea and coffee as the warm up to the race itself.
Heralded by the arrival of the Red Bull sky diving team plunging onto the finish area with an array of flags and smoke trails, the racers fly off the Mousefalle (mousetrap) jump at the top of the course, round the Carousel and Steilhang icy corners, over the Hausberg jump and across a crazily steep adverse camber to fly down the last plunging slope and over the line. As each skier takes the lead the crowd goes wild, but never more so on my visit in 2020 when home favourite Mayer, son of an Olympic medallist, passes every checkpoint on green, being slightly ahead, bar the penultimate one, but then nicks ahead again with about 250 metres to go and speeds over the line 0.22 seconds in front of the field to win his first ever Hahnenkamm and join the likes of Franz Klammer and Didier Cuche on the world famous winners' list.
After the racing is over around 2pm the town throngs as the spectators flood bars and streets, gnawing on classic Austrian street food such as Bratwurst in Semmel (sausage in a roll) and drinking the locally brewed beer Gosser. Stages play host to techno-accordionists, fans wear lederhosen, chicken outfits (French fans) or telly tubby costumes (who knows?!), radio hosts roam the streets trying to get people who have never met before to kiss for the big screens amidst much merriment. If you're looking for fun then this is Europe's biggest party in the month of January. It is drunken and jovial and you can make friends in secondary, bonding over your comedy hat, choice of beer or, in my case, the uniqueness of merely being British in this most central European of environments.
You can also take haven in some of the posher and more reserved wine bars and stubes (bars), but don't expect to get a much-prized table. You will be standing. Avoid the British bars like Flannigan's and the Londoner as they host the brasher elements. Head instead for the central drag for an outdoor street party, Reisch's bar (next to the completely out of context McDonald's) or Spannger's wine bar, down the lift through the very posh 4-floor department store from the town centre.
Best eats are to be found at the Gondola pizza restaurant (ask to sit in the cellar in the bowels of the hill), typical Austrian fare at Huberbrau Stuberl, seafood in First Lobster or mountain tapas in Spannger's. You may struggle a bit for a wide range of vegetarian and particularly vegan options as so often in the mountains, but there are some to be found. Check menus online to choose.
Accommodation is expensive in race week (€400-900 per night for the 3 nights of the weekend), so consider the surrounding villages such as Kirchberg, Oberndorf or beautiful Mittersill where there are plenty of rooms or chalets on offer at far more reasonable prices. The first two of these can be reached in 10 minutes by bus and train, the last is a 40 minute bus ride away, but well worth the unspoilt views. If you do take the Mittersill option, be sure to taste the beer at the town's own brewery at Hotel Brauerup, where they serve enormous Knickerbocker Glory-style desserts.
You will never have more fun in the mountains than in race week in Kitzbuehel. Perhaps because everyone is there for a shared experience, but definitely because you are made very very welcome. Combine that with the greatest ski race in the world or even skiing yourself and you have the perfect weekend for blowing those January blues away... you could even pop up on the first lift for some of that highly recommended solitude before heading back down to the town to party hard amidst the chaos and hedonism.
The Hahnenkamm race is held late each January, but accommodation begins to get booked up a full year in advance. Fly with @britishairways or @easyjet to Innsbruck and book a taxi or take the train from there.
For further info follow @kitzbuehel and @hahnenkammrace on Twitter.
Below video: Matthais Mayer wins the Hahnenkamm dosnhill in Kitzbuehel, January 2020.
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