Zell Am See-Austria | Magnificent Landscapes Around an Idyllic Lake.


Zell am See is definitely one of the several beauties of Austria,characterised by magnificent landscapes around an idyllic lake,the splendid and picturesque Zeller See situated at the foot of the charming  Schmittenhöhe with which its charming silhouette is another superb attraction.

That centre is of the most beautiful highlights of the Salzburger Land,a town with approximately 10,000 inhabitants situated in a high plateau at an altitude of 750,0 metres and probably the most important centre of Pinzgau,a region which includes 28 municipalities.

Located at 108,0 kilometres from the city of Salzburg the stupendous birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and not far from the German border,Zell Am See is linked to the nearest town of Kaprun and together are today one of the most celebrated Tourism and  Winter Sport resort complex of Austria thanks to its excellent services,facilities and outstanding complex of accommodations.

The cooperation  with Kaprun born to create a very busy and active tourism destination which generated the Europasportregion am Zeel am See und Kaprun.The result of all that was an offer of over 14,000 beds available to spend magnificent and enjoyable holidays in that corner of Austria.

Definitely it is a great record and success if you think Kaprun and Zell am See together reach approximately 13,000 inhabitants and the capacity of their incoming accommodation for number is superior to the local official residents.

Many German tourists choose that resort as destination for its proximity and beauty but also Dutch,Belgian and British tourism is increasing year by year.

The proximity of the city of Mozart one of the most fascinating of the entire country and the title of Kleine Historische Städte von Salzburg (little historic town in Salzburg area)  generated a high number of tourists from other areas of the World,in particular from the Middle East and Arab Countries and after the capital Vienna,Zell am See is the 2nd place most visited in Austria by tourists coming from Arab Emirates,Dubai and Kuwait.

The reasons which make that centre as a pleasant and magnificent place to spend unforgettable holidays are undoubtedly many.Excellent organisation of transports,an excellent quality of Hotels,a great promotion of Zell am See in International Fairs opening interesting markets towards those country and of course the wide selection of sports the visitors can enjoy in that special place of the Region of Pinzgau.

The lake offers in spring and summer the chance to practise several water sports,the Spa services and facilities,the Golf Klubs Schmittenhöhe and Kiizteinhorn located at the foot of those mountains from which they take their name are part of that great complex mentioned before : the Europasportregion Kaprun und Zeel am See.

In addition to all that,the bipolar resort is currently an important stage of the prestigious FIS Alpine Ski World Cup elevating that destination as an absolute protagonist in winter season.

Historically Zell am See was a peaceful settlement of the Salzburger Alps visited by Romans,the town started to be famous when the Archbishop Johannes of Salzburg populated the area with monks who founded a former village in the 7th century.

In the medieval era the former settlement was also a Frank and Swabian domain and lived a long period under Bavarian influence.The strategical geographical position of that Austrian centre was very important for the routes of trades crossing Bavaria,Salzburger and Tirol and in the 15th century for that reason,that centre received the title of Stadtmarkt,an official town market of great importance.

The town as all the state had a continuous change of rulers with several disputes between Austrian and Bavariansexcept a short occupation by French troops during Napoleon period.

Despite all that in the 19th century Zell am See started to be a very well known climatic resort and in the year 1879 was built there the first Hotel,the famous Hotel Elizabeth,in honour of the Empress Elizabeth wife of the Emperor Franz Josef.

At the same time was launched furthermore the first boat service crossing the lake which was baptised with the same name (Elizabeth).Some years later in the town was erected the second Hotel,the Gran Hotel and thanks to its increasing fame the town received an official visit by the Emperor Franz Josef and after that so important event started the construction of the Lokalbahn,the railway station.

The development of that relevant communication included the town in the most important Austrian routes,
 transformed since there that place as one of the most important resorts of the Pinzgau region.

At the beginning of the 20th century the resort was already known as a place to practise Alpine Ski.In the year 1928,the town only ten years after the end of the 1st World War received the award of Stadt Sport (Sport Town) and it became a Ski and Winter sport centre of fame and popularity.

The town is a small mosaic of scattered agglomerations,all them with their own identity.Erlberg is situated on the south side of the lake Zeller See.It is located an Alpine green beautiful and wild area with a reserve park and very appreciated for peaceful and relaxing atmosphere.


Thumersbach is a traditional holiday area offering a good number of accommodations and offering several facilities.Achmitten is another neighbourhood located in a place in which were developed the ski lift, funicular stations and the major sport facilities.

Zell Am See is the area which corresponds to the historic centre with typical restaurants and cafes,including a sort of neighbourhood forming the south urban belt of the town called Süd Zell am See,while the residential centre is situated in correspondence of Bruckberg.
 
The idyllic lake,the Zeller See is definitely one of the major attractions,it is situated south of the splendid town of Maishofen,the beauty of that waters basin with a shape similar to a long egg.

All around it there are splendid mountains and forests,magnificent are the local landscapes with those towering peaks dominating a scenery simply wonderful in every corner where you have to stop to admire such immense natural beauty.

In the past the area corresponding to the lake was mainly marshy,there were several drainage works,all that changed the face and image of the current town and today all those places are authentic diamonds pride of Pinzgau Region and Austria too.

One of the main highlight on the shores of that idyllic lake is undoubtedly the splendid and majestic Grand Hotel one of the emblematic symbols of the local  tourism history and also for the date of its construction it was a sort of pioneer in terms of hospitality giving popularity and prestige to that resort.

Located on a charming promontory with a superb waterfront and an unforgettable panoramic view towards the mountains,on one side of the Hotel there is also a beautiful walkway leading to a small picturesque harbour.

 Dreifailtikgeitgasse is the heart and core of that town a picturesque pedestrian street flanked by coloured houses with gable roofs,flowered balconies,limestone buildings and others with charming wooden details.Along that street there are also cafes,bars,shops and restaurants.

Dreigailtigkrigasse is another important street which leads to Stadplatz the central square of the town and the Banhof,the railway station which is situated in proximity of the bank of the lake facing Elizabeth Park which includes the Musik Pavillion.

The long promenade called Esplanade flanking the Zeller See is a stupendous hallway leading to another park the Stadtpark situated next to Strandbad,a beautiful beach developed along that stunning waters basin.

From Strandbad taking Auerspergstrasse an important street which is one of the main axis of the town,
you can come back to the centre in proximity of Post Platz,only three minutes walking from Stadt Platz.

That panoramic tour is like a ring of about 35-40 minutes walking,it particularly nice and pleasant because you can enjoy along it the lake from one side,the relaxing atmosphere,crossing two splendid parks and strolling the charming and captivating historic centre in less than one hour.

In the centre town you can also admire some historic relevant monuments.The first one is certainly Rosenberg Schloss,the local castle which hosts the current Rathaus,the Town Hall.

It is a charming white Baroque building covered by a dark gable roof on which were placed two pinnacles of the same colour.The facade has in the centre a sort of tower annexed to the body adjacent to the wall over the arched doorway topped by a a conical small roof surmounted by a long pinnacle.

That building is arranged on four floors highlighted by a beautiful facade with a series of rectangular windows and it is undoubtedly one of the most attractive local buildings for its charming architectonic lines and colours in total harmony with the local environment.

Sankt Hyppolit Kirche is one of the most oldest Churches of the region.It was probably built in the 11th century in Romanesque style.That Religious building  was restored in some occasions and was partially modified its former aspect during its history.

Developed on an irregular rectangular plan,it consists in three naves,one central and two aisles.The central one was restored in the 18th century with the development of a splendid wooden ceiling while the aisles have kept the former medieval Gothic aspect.

The main nave leads to the altar and on the top among the charming vaults apart the image of a Crucifix depicting Jesus Christ over the Baroque altarpiece you will notice a beautiful series of high and narrow painted curved stained glass windows.

On the sides as other highlight you will notice the presence of two statues depicting the figures of St.Rupert and St.Vigilius.The aisles are divided by walls with arcades and two columns tangent to the first vault.

A relevant attraction is definitely the bell tower of the Church,an impressive stoned building 36,0 metres high.In the low section there is an ample arched door in Gothic style while on the upper part was placed a watch surmounted by a series of curved windows present in the same shape on the other side of the facade and topped by a gable roof.

On one side of the the tower crossing a narrow street there is on the corner a nice cafe with terrace in a charming square,ideal place to have a pleasant break after the visit of that beautiful historic site.

Art,history and leisure are great features which gave success to Zell am See.The historical patrimony of the town is really well preserved,there are a big selection of excursions in all the region and the local Tour Operators works very well.

The several mountains around that resort and worth to be mentioned the Schmittenhöhe and Kiizteinhorn   form like a crown around the town.Those peaks are part of the group of the Salzburger Greywacke and they are among the highest in that state of Austria.

A wonderful aspect of those mountains is that their slopes are covered by a multitude of forests,pines,green plateaus and pastures giving every corner a very charming and attractive image.

There are several paths with different coefficient of difficult and all that is a mecca for all the trekking lovers.Very scenic and absolutely unforgettable is to reach the summit of the Schmittenhöhe (also reachable by cable car) and from its 1965,0 metres of altitude you can enjoy magnificent landscapes and spectacular views of an entire panoramic of the Zeller See and the Saalach Valley.

All the local valley is also an ample hallway to discover many other beautiful places.At a short distance some kilometres north there are Aimshofen,Saafelden and Leogang and very close is situated Sankt Anton.
All those centres are of an immense beauty reflecting the total essence of the charming Salzburg State.

Other special places very recommended are Badgastein with the beautiful Massif of the Grossklochner which is only some kilometres south facing Kaprun and for who wants,the beautiful Innsbruck (I wrote a post about that marvellous city),the most important centre of Tyrol splendid Austrian land is just 140,0 kilometres away.

 Apart all that multitude of places to visit in spring,summer and autumn with brilliant excursions,Winter season is a great highlight with the  the local Ski Complex of an outstanding level.There are slopes for everyone Black,Red and Blue very well arranged from 700,0 to 2000,0 metres of altitude.

That aspect is undoubtedly very important,the beginners find under the 1000,0 m of altitude slopes less steep learning skiing without extreme risks and that is another incentive to increase tourism on the snow calling several people with the opportunity to enjoy winter sports.

In addition to all that,there are many kilometres developed on great tracks to practise Ski Country,that speciality of Nordic Ski with the brilliant chance skiing between forests and paths surrounded by a beautiful nature and that complex provides for who loves that activity over 200,0 kilometres of trails.

The presence of snow for a long period is another primary aspect of that resort.For over four months from December to the end of April at an altitude of 1,500,0/1,600,0 metres it is possible skiing.There is always a perfect preparation of the slopes which reach a total of over 130,0 kilometres.

One special slope has a ski video,a ski movie filming you in action,three snow parks,the resort also provides a total of 53 ski lifts subdivided in ski lifts,cable cars and funiculars and in the area of Kitzsteinhorn there is also the trendy Volvo Ice Camp.

The slopes are naturally subdivided in levels depending of the experience of every skier.The most challenging for masters are situated along the areas of Kizsteinhorn and Schmittenhöhe and those areas are also frequented by free riders while the area of Maiskogel is more suitable for beginners and families with children.

Another great attractive incentive for all Ski lovers is the proximity to the Queen of Austrian Alps Kitzbühel situated at just 50,0 kilometres away via Mittersill.

That is a great incentive for people fond about winter sports during their stays who can take advantage of a great opportunity to test the slopes of other famous destinations just like Kitzbühel.

Definitely all that is a great opportunity and to enjoy a different reality with different slopes and to have the enjoyable satisfaction to ski on the legendary tracks of such prestigious resort apart to appreciate furthermore the historical and cultural tourism offered by that famous Alpine town.(I wrote a post about it in the case you are interested).

Zell am See is an excellent destination which also permits all people to enjoy unforgettable holidays,many other are the splendid outdoors activities to enjoy such as cycling,mountain bike,climbing and water sports on that idyllic lake and rowing on the nearest rivers.The famous Tauern Spa offers all the facilities of Beauty,Wellness and Fitness.

The cuisine is present in all its delicious local traditional essence and you can also enjoy international cuisine thanks to the presence of a wide range of fine restaurants.The region is very famous as the state of Salzburg for its pastries,bakery and dessert products.The famous Apfelstrudel is of excellent quality next to the famed Salzburger Nockerln.

Notable is also the wide selection of local cheeses and a traditional recipe with main ingredient that dairy product is the traditional Kasnocken,a cheese dumpling symbol of the local gastronomy.Excellent are also different kind of meat stews and soups thanks the presence of high quality of beef,pork and lamb meats.

The Gemusesuppe a delicious soup of vegetables is pretty common and also fish thanks to the trout which is present in high quantity in the local waters course making it another local speciality and prepared in different styles,such as baked,boiled or grilled and served with potatoes.

The International Airport of Salzburg Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Flughagen is situated at 98,0 kilometres north of the resort and in approximately one hour and ten minutes in normal conditions of traffic you can reach that stupendous resort.


Zell am See is a little paradise of Austria,that resort is a great destination to enjoy all year,those magnificent landscapes around that idyllic lake are something to remember for ever.That centre of Austria is all that and more,a great place to enjoy and once you visited it there will be the desire to come back there for its immense beauty and great charm.

Francesco Mari
  

Recommended Hotels in Zell am See

Grand Hotel Zell am See
Hotel Living Max
Hotel & Spa Mavida Balance
Hotel Romantik Zeel am See
Hotel Zum Hirschen
Hotel Der Sonnberg
Hotel Salzburgerhof
Hotel Stadt Wien
Hotel Berner
Hotel Tirolher


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