Schmittenhöhe

Zell am See Kaprun is one of the Austrian winter sports resorts most popular with Poles. The main ski area of Zell am See is on the slopes of the nearby Schmittenhöhe. 90% of the pistes here have snowmaking. A free ski bus runs between Zell am See and Kaprun, so you can easily use the ski areas on the Kitzsteinhorn glacier and the Maiskogel as well. The piste from the summit of the Schmittenhöhe down to the valley station at 1,000 m is particularly scenic. For snowboarders, a halfpipe has been built on the Schmittenhöhe at Glocknerwiese. A new addition is the six-seater chairlift in the Sonnenalm area, with heated seats and a bubble cover. Besides skiing, the region offers around forty other sports. Winter walking trails, from easy strolls to more strenuous routes as high as 2,000 m (the Sonnkogel-Schmittenhöhe-Breiteck trail), ski tours with a night in an igloo, WISBI courses on the Schmittenhöhe and floodlit toboggan runs are just a few of the attractions in the region's rich winter programme. In winter the frozen Zeller See turns into a real ice El Dorado (walks, ice skating, ice yacht races). The town also has an indoor ice rink, tennis and squash halls, an indoor riding arena, a shooting range, a bowling alley and the Freizeitzentrum leisure centre (indoor pool, saunas, steam baths, massages and so on). The town of Zell am See is an attraction in itself. Unlike most Austrian ski resorts, it is not a traditional mountain village but a pretty little town with a well-kept old centre and a promenade that invites a stroll. You can take a trip to Rosenberg Castle, the architectural landmark of Zell am See. Built in a style typical of southern Bavaria and now carefully restored, it houses the town hall, among other things. The oldest building in town is the Kastnerturm (Kastner Tower), built more than ten centuries ago. Zell am See also has a rich cultural programme that can round off a winter stay by the Zeller See very nicely. Concerts, music festivals and performances are held here often. The town is full of pleasant bars, inns and pubs that make for a good evening out.