About Zell am See
Zell am See is one of Austria’s most complete resort destinations – a glacier ski area, a lakeside town, and year-round accessibility, all within easy reach of three international airports. AlpRoads provides fixed-price private transfers to Zell am See from Munich, Salzburg, and Innsbruck airports, with meet-and-greet service, free ski equipment transport, and real-time flight monitoring included as standard.
Location and Overview
Zell am See is a market town at 757m above sea level in the Pinzgau district of Salzburgerland, Austria. It sits on the western shore of the Zeller See, a natural mountain lake formed by glacial activity, surrounded by the peaks of the Hohe Tauern. The combination of lakeshore town, ski mountain, and glacier access is rare in the Alps and makes Zell am See one of the most sought-after year-round mountain destinations in Austria.
The Ski Circus: Zell am See and Kaprun
Zell am See is the centrepiece of the Ski Circus – a lift-linked ski area connecting two distinct ski mountains:
Schmittenhöhe (Zell am See side): The home mountain above the town, rising to 2,000m. It offers 77km of marked pistes across a broad range of difficulty levels, with exceptional panoramic views over the Zeller See and the Hohe Tauern peaks including the Großglockner (3,798m – Austria’s highest mountain). The terrain is well-suited to intermediates and families.
Kitzsteinhorn Glacier (Kaprun side): The glacier mountain, accessible from the adjacent town of Kaprun (~5km from Zell am See), rises to 3,029m. It offers year-round skiing and is one of only a handful of glaciers in the Alps that remain open for recreational skiing throughout the summer. The top section provides high-alpine terrain and reliable snow conditions even in low-snow winters.
Together, the Ski Circus covers 138km of marked pistes across two mountains, serviced by 56 lifts. A single ski pass covers both mountains.
Year-Round Skiing on the Glacier
The Kitzsteinhorn glacier is open for skiing in every month of the year under normal conditions – typically from late September or October through to early May on the lower runs, and the upper glacier slopes accessible to skiers year-round. This makes Zell am See and Kaprun unique among Austrian resorts: a summer holiday with skiing included is a genuine possibility.
Lake Zell and Summer Activities
Outside the ski season, the Zeller See becomes the resort’s main attraction. The lake is fed by cold Alpine streams and glacier melt, and its clarity is exceptional. Summer activities on and around the lake include:
- Swimming (with dedicated bathing areas and a lakeside lido)
- Stand-up paddleboarding and kayaking
- Sailing and windsurfing
- Cycling on the Tauern Radweg (a long-distance cycling route following the Salzach valley)
- Hiking in the Hohe Tauern National Park
- Paragliding from Schmittenhöhe
The town itself has a strong year-round infrastructure – restaurants, cafés, a pedestrianised high street, and a variety of accommodation from five-star lake-view hotels to well-run family guesthouses.
Zell am See for Families
Zell am See is consistently rated among Austria’s most family-friendly ski resorts. The Schmittenhöhe offers dedicated beginner zones, an excellent ski school (Skischule Zell am See), and gentle progression terrain that keeps children engaged without the intimidation of steeper slopes. The town is compact and safe, and the lakeside location gives non-skiing family members plenty to do.
