KITZBUHEL

In January, the Hahnenkamm World Cup Downhill has a festive air and the kind of regional significance that compared to the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona or Mardi Gras in New Orleans – it’s a great time to be in Kitzbuhel. The rest of the season, the town serves an overdose of winter charm, the storybook winter wonderland complete with narrow streets, candles burning in the windows, and the constant jingle of bells on horse drawn sleighs. World-class skiing, endless nightlife, and romantic, old world charm draw an elite international crowd that can be likened to the rich and famous who frequent Aspen or Vail—but at about half the cost.

Claim to fame: The most famous skier of all time, Toni Sailer, is now the director of the Red Devils Ski School.