With ramps exceeding 22%, the Kitzbüheler Horn is considered Austria’s steepest paved road climb open to traffic. It towers over the famous Kitzbühel ski resort, world-renowned for its Hahnenkamm downhill course — and the parallel with skiing isn’t incidental: riding this road by bike takes preparation almost on par with an extreme Alpine wall.
The profile from Kitzbühel
From the town of Kitzbühel up to the Alpenhaus, it’s about 10.1 km for 1,256 m of climbing, averaging 12.4% over the whole route — an impressive figure already for a climb of this length. But it’s the stretch between the Goinger Alm (1,424 m) and the last of 18 hairpins that leaves the strongest impression: over just over a kilometre, the gradient rises from 16% to 22.3%, with no flat section to recover. The final 750 m then ease off to an almost “restful” 12% up to the Alpenhaus.
How to approach the ride
A very easy gear range isn’t optional here: an 11-34 cassette or wider keeps a decent cadence going through the central wall, where many riders are forced to weave or put a foot down. It pays to keep something in reserve through the gentler first section so you can tackle the Goinger Alm stretch with fresh legs.
The road, narrow and quiet outside the tourist season, leaves little margin for error on the steepest sections — better to ride a short, steady out-of-the-saddle rhythm than pure brute force.
When to climb it
The ideal window runs from June to September, once the snow has fully cleared from the higher ground. In summer, the Kitzbühel area sees frequent afternoon thunderstorms, so an early start remains the best way to catch a dry road.
Good to know
Kitzbühel, a famous winter sports resort that turns into a hiking and cycling base in summer, has plenty of rental shops and workshops used to this kind of ascent. The summit offers views over the Kitzbühel Alps and, on a clear day, as far as the Wilder Kaiser massif.
