KITZBHEL

town, Bundesland (federal province) Tirol, western Austria, in the Kitzbhel Alps, at the southern foot of the Kitzbheler Horn (6,548 ft ). First mentioned in 1165 and chartered in 1271, it was held by the bishops of Regensburg and Bamberg under the dukes of Bavaria until it passed to Tirol in 1504. Silver and copper mining brought great prosperity in the 16th and 17th centuries. The town has many old gabled houses, and several of its medieval castles have been converted into hotels. Notable buildings include the parish church of St. Andreas (14351506, with a Baroque interior), the 14th-century church of St. Katharina, and the two-story Liebfrauenkirche (Church of Our Lady, with lower and upper levels; converted to Baroque style 1738). A world-famous winter-sports centre, Kitzbhel is also a climatic health resort with a busy summer tourist trade. Adjacent is the spa of Schwarzsee (a warm mountain lake). Pop. (1981) 7,872.