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Bad Kleinkirchheim Ski Holidays
Ski Holidays in Bad Kleinkirchheim, Austria
Bad Kleinkirchheim (BKK) is a ski and spa resort in southern Austria’s Carinthia region, situated on the slopes of the Nockberge Mountains. The resort sits at 1,070m, with skiing up to 2,055m, and offers 103km of pistes. It is especially strong for intermediate skiers, with red runs making up over 80% of the ski area, though beginners are well-served by ski schools and gentle progression areas, and experts have a FIS World Cup run and several fun and technical descents.
Bad Kleinkirchheim is also one of Austria’s best spa destinations, with two naturally heated public baths featuring dedicated areas for kids and adults. With its traditional villages and quiet après-ski scene, BKK is the perfect destination for a relaxing ski trip with the kids, a partner or a small group of friends.
Resort Statistics
| Level | Rating | Runs |
|---|---|---|
| Beginners | 8 | |
| Intermediates | 25 | |
| Advanced | 4 | |
| Snowboarders | ||
| Total Runs | 37 |
Resort Statistics
| Resort Altitude | 1070m |
| Highest Lift | 2055m |
| Total Piste | 103km |
| Longest Run | 4km |
| Total Lifts | 24 |
| Gondolas/Cable cars | 4 |
| Chairlifts | 8 |
| Drag Lifts | 12 |
| Snow Parks | 1 |
Top reasons to ski in Bad Kleinkirchheim
There are so many brilliant reasons to book your next ski holiday to Bad Kleinkirchheim. Here are a just a few:
Superb spa culture: A visit to BKK is not complete without taking to the thermal waters. The two naturally heated public baths offer a variety of bathing pools, saunas and spa treatments where you can unwind with family and friends. The standard BKK pass can be used to access either the baths or the ski slopes, though not both on the same day.
Great for intermediates: Over 80% of BKK’s pistes are graded as red, making it an intermediate paradise. You’ll be spoilt for choice, with loads of long reds offering scenic descents from peaks like Kaiserburg and Wiesernock as they wind down through the trees to resort level.
Great for families: There are also some excellent ski schools and enough accessible beginner terrain to make it a good choice for family ski trips, while activities like tobogganing and the bobsleigh track provide hours of non-skiing entertainment. The dedicated bathing pools for toddlers and children ensure the whole family can enjoy the famous thermal waters.
Beautiful scenery: BKK is within Austria’s largest UNESCO Biosphere Park in the Nockberge Mountains, so called for their distinctive dome-shaped peaks (nock is derived from the same root word that gives its name to dumplings). This gives the ski area a very different character to classically rugged Alpine terrain, but one that is no less beautiful.
What is Bad Kleinkirchheim like as a ski resort?
Bad Kleinkirchheim is a ski and spa town on the forested slopes of the Nockberge Mountains (named after their unique dome-shaped peaks). The 103km ski area is usually open from early December to late March, and with its high number of red runs, is particularly good for intermediates.
The valley has been settled for centuries, with a spa culture that dates back to the middle ages, and is home to a year-round population to this day. This, along with its cosy hotels and Austrian architecture, gives BKK the kind of charming, lived-in feel that you don’t find in more purpose-built resorts.
Beyond skiing and spa visits, you can enjoy outdoor pursuits like snowshoeing, winter hiking, and tobogganing. Or you can sample Carinthia’s slow food movement, which prioritises tasty and sustainable local cuisine, at one of the resort's many traditional restaurants. Book a table at Trattlers Einkehr or Restaurant Fuxbau for the finest regional dishes.
What is the accommodation like in Bad Kleinkirchheim?
BKK is home to a mixture of hotels, apartments, and chalet-style holiday homes.
The majority of properties in the area are apartments, and you can find everything from very spacious places with high end fixtures and fittings to cosier, more modest affairs. You can also find chalet-style homes that sleep anything from six to 12 guests, which are ideal for a few families or a bigger group to share.
There are several high-end hotels, which have pools and wellness facilities, as well as high-end restaurants. There are also more budget-friendly hotels and several B&Bs and pensions.
What is the après-ski and nightlife like in Bad Kleinkirchheim?
BKK is by no means a top après-ski destination, but there are plenty of cosy places on the mountain to grab an end of day bite and a beverage.
Zum Sepp, at the Kaiserburg cable car station, serves Austrian dishes like cheese spaetzle and yeast dumplings alongside a selection of beer, wine and cocktails. It’s open until 7pm or 8pm depending on the day. Pascha Pub is a charming spot for food and drinks at the base of the Kaiserburgbahn. If you’re looking for something fancier, book a table at Trattler's Inn, which is near the St. Kathrein thermal baths. There you can enjoy Carinthian specialties like trout and char, steak from Austrian heifers, and Reindling (a traditional sweet bread).
If you’re over in St Oswald, you can get a beer and a snack from the Snowman hut, which is next to the Sonnleiten lift and open during lift operating hours.
What activities are there to do in Bad Kleinkirchheim?
Bathing is practically compulsory for visitors to BKK, but there's also lots to do out on the mountain.
The resort has two public thermal spas, St. Kathrein Thermal Baths and the Thermal Römerbad. St. Kathrein is great for families, with a dedicated pool for very small children and an adventure pool for older kids, as well as saunas, massage and beauty treatments, and other wellness facilities for adults. Thermal Römerbad has bathing areas for kids and families, but also an adults-only sauna and wellness area with a strict no bathing suits policy.
There are 60km of winter hiking trails, and cross-country skiing trails for all abilities. The Kaiserburg roller bobsleigh run offers excellent views over the valley as it descends over its 1.4km track, reaching speeds of 40 km/h. There are toboggan runs near Kaiserburg and Wöllaner Nock, and you can find snowtubing at the Ottinger conveyor lift next to the Kaiserburgbahn station.
Skiing in Bad Kleinkirchheim
The family friendly ski resort is perfect for all levels of skiers and snowboarders with runs catering for everyone from beginners all the way through to experts.
Is Bad Kleinkirchheim good for beginners?
For first-timers and recent beginners, Bad Kleinkirchheim is one of the best places in Carinthia to learn to ski. There are four ski schools to choose from across BKK, where you can book child and adult group or private lessons for anything from one hour to a day.
There are a few dedicated novice areas across the resort. Start on the Übungshänge (practice slopes) at the foot of the Strohsack or over in St Oswald, short nursery slopes with drag lifts or conveyor belts. When you’re ready to progress, you can find a couple of gentle, high-altitude blues over in the Nockalm area – the no.15 Panoramaabfahrt and no.18 Höhenabfahrt are both served by drag lifts and reached via the Nockalmbahn gondola. The 2.5km 1T Talabfahrt Kaiserburg from the top of the Kaiserburg cable car is great for confident beginners.
Intermediate skiing in Bad Kleinkirchheim
BKK has the most to offer intermediate skiers. 84km (around 81%) of the total piste supply is red, which means that confident skiers have absolute freedom to move about the mountain and enjoy its long, winding descents through the treeline.
Prime examples include the 5.8km no.1 Kaiserburgabfahrt and the 4.8km no.7 Strohsackabfahrt, both long cruisey reds that run from the top of the mountain to the Kaiserburgbahn mid-station. There are also some lovely and lengthy descents down from Priedröf and Wiesernock on the opposite side of the valley.
Advanced and expert skiing in Bad Kleinkirchheim
BKK has 4 black slopes, amounting to 8km of advanced-level pistes.
Once used for Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) races, the World Cup run (no.8) is the big one to conquer if you’re an expert – a steep descent through the trees that runs for 3.4km. The no.4 Hirschsprung mogul slope and the no.3 Muldenabfahrt, both at the top of the Kaiserburg, are shorter, technical pistes that offer a fun challenge.
There’s also some off-piste terrain to explore. The best and safest way to do this is by booking a ski touring and freeriding course with somewhere like Ski School Schabus. Led by local expert, certified instructor, and Carinthian Mountain Rescue Service member Anna Schabus, the lessons cover safety, downhill technique, and correct equipment use in the backcountry.
Is Bad Kleinkirchheim good for family ski trips?
From discounted passes to excellent ski schools and fun slopes, Bad Kleinkirchheim is great for families.
With the family day ticket, kids skiing with at least one adult get 10% off the cost of their pass. And if you’re skiing with very young children there’s good news: the toddler pass (born 2020 or later) costs just €6 for six days, and €12 for seven to 12 days.
The ski schools are particularly good for young first timers. Most offer lessons for all ages, though Ski & Sports School Krainer-Wulschnig, with its easy to reach meeting points, a penguin mascot, and Kinderclub ski team, is a top-notch choice. It runs a variety of lessons, from group courses to private weekend lessons. With its gentle turns and friendly mascots, kids will love learning the basics on the fun run next to the Sonnleitenlift.
Is Bad Kleinkirchheim good for group ski trips?
If you’re looking for a resort where a large group of you can get stuck into après-ski and party until the early hours, then BKK probably isn’t the one for you.
But if you’re a group of friends with a penchant for red runs and relaxing in thermal baths after a day on the slopes, it just might be perfect. If that’s the case the larger capacity apartments or holiday homes should provide a comfortable base for the weeks. Or you could book separate rooms in one of the hotels or B&Bs.
Snow conditions in Bad Kleinkirchheim
Ranging from just over 1,000m to just over 2,000m in height, and with between 10cm and 15cm of snow per week during the season, BKK can usually open from December to late March.
The ski resort also has over 800 snow cannons throughout the 103 km of terrain which maintains snow coverage throughout the season.
How do you get to Bad Kleinkirchheim?
There are several airports within a few hours’ drive of the resort. The closest is Klagenfurt (KLU), which is just over an hour’s drive. London Stansted is the only airport currently offering direct flights to Klagenfurt from the UK. Ljubljana (LJU), the Slovenian capital, is around 1 hr 30 mins, which you can fly to from Gatwick and Luton. Salzburg (SZG) is just over 2 hours away and offers the biggest choice of direct flights from Gatwick, Stansted and Heathrow.
Innsbruck (INN) and Trieste (TRS) are both within a 3 hour drive. There are two access roads, one approaching from the west and one from the east.
Bad Kleinkirchheim Reviews
(1 Review)
Nice resort -
11/05/2023
We travelled to BKK as most people call it in the Half Term holidays - it was great value compared to other Austrian resorts and far cheaper than the big French resorts. The resort is set out down a long road and without a car we needed to use the Bus. The Bus runs every 30 mins and stops off at the main Gondola and also near the other ski school location, near the tourist office. There are two main areas and meeting points so do be careful when you book your lift passes and ski lessons. The ski area is bigger than it looks with lots of red runs, the only down side is there are not as many blue runs. Our children both enjoyed ski lessons with English speaking instructors.
Apres-Ski
3/5
S. McIntyre
Read all Bad Kleinkirchheim reviews