Zell am See town
First-timersThe lakefront and the small old centre: the cable car, the station, restaurants and most of the beds.
Zell am See city guide
Things To Do In Zell am See
A lake you can swim in below a glacier you can ski on, in the same week. One lift pass covers both, and the train from Salzburg takes ninety minutes.
3,029m
Kitzsteinhorn glacier
750m
The lake, warm enough to swim by July
36
Hairpins on the Grossglockner road
Lake and glacier in one valley
Zell am See sits on a lake at 750 metres with the Schmittenhöhe rising behind the town and the Kitzsteinhorn glacier at 3,029 metres twenty minutes down the valley at Kaprun. The combination is the selling point: in June you can ski on the glacier in the morning and swim in the lake in the afternoon.
The lake is clean enough to drink from and warm enough to swim in from late June to September, with a path all the way around it.
In winter the Zell am See-Kaprun pass links the town mountain and the glacier, giving a long season that runs from October on the glacier to April in the valley.
Three or four days, and it works as a base for the Grossglockner road and Krimml falls, both among the best things in the Alps.
Where to stay
The town on the lake, or up the valley at Kaprun nearer the glacier.
Schüttdorf
ValueSouth of the centre near the lake's end, cheaper, with the Areitbahn gondola and a bus into town.
Kaprun
The glacierTwenty minutes up the valley: the Kitzsteinhorn lifts, a quieter village and the reservoirs above.
Map © MapTiler © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Things to do
Things to do in Zell am See
Swim in the lake and ski on the glacier, ideally on the same day in June, which is the thing this place is built for. The lake has public bathing areas around it, several free, and the water is drinking quality.
The Kitzsteinhorn glacier above Kaprun runs lifts to 3,029 metres, with a viewing platform, an ice gallery cut into the glacier and skiing from October through to early summer.
The Schmittenhöhe cable car from the town goes to 2,000 metres, with a panorama of thirty three-thousand-metre peaks and walking trails down.
The Grossglockner High Alpine Road, an hour south, is a 48-kilometre toll road over a 2,500-metre pass with 36 hairpins, and it is one of the great drives in Europe.
Free things
Free things to do in Zell am See
The lake path runs about ten kilometres around the water, is flat and takes two to three hours on foot or an hour by bike.
Several lakeside bathing spots are free, and the water is clean enough to drink.
The guest card most accommodation gives you includes summer cable cars, the lake boat and local buses, which turns a lot of paid things into free ones — ask for it at check-in rather than assuming.
Walking trails start from the town and from every lift station, and the valley paths towards Kaprun and the Kitzsteinhorn are free and well marked.
Food and drink
Eating and drinking in Zell am See
Salzburg-region mountain food: Kasnocken, Kaiserschmarrn — shredded pancake with plum compote, big enough for two — and Pinzgauer specialities like Bladln and Kasnudeln.
A main in town is €15 to €24, and the mountain huts do the same for less with the view thrown in.
Lake fish appears on menus in summer and is worth ordering.
The town is resort-priced and the supermarkets are not; self-catering or a hut lunch saves a lot over a few days. A half-litre of beer is €4.50 to €5.50, and Almdudler, the herbal lemonade, is the non-alcoholic default.
Nightlife
Going out in Zell am See
Seasonal and resort-shaped. In winter the après-ski bars at the bottom of the Areitbahn and around the town centre fill from four in the afternoon and run late, with a heavily international crowd.
In summer it is quieter and more mixed, with lakefront terraces and a few bars in the old centre.
A beer is €4.50 to €5.50.
The town has a notable Gulf Arab summer clientele, which shapes the season — July and August are busier and later than most Alpine towns, with shops and restaurants open past midnight.
Getting around
Getting around Zell am See
The train from Salzburg takes ninety minutes and costs about €20, and the station sits on the lakefront in the middle of town.
Local buses link Zell am See, Schüttdorf and Kaprun every twenty minutes or so and are free with the guest card — get it at check-in.
The Pinzgauer Lokalbahn, a narrow-gauge line, runs west up the valley towards Krimml and is a scenic trip in its own right.
For the Grossglockner road you need a car or a tour; it is a toll road, closed from roughly November to early May, and there is no bus. Ski buses in winter are free with a lift pass.
Costs
What Zell am See costs
Resort pricing, softened by the guest card. Beds are €25 to €55, a main €15 to €24, and a beer €4.50 to €5.50.
A day is €60 to €100 in season, less in the shoulder months.
The lift pass is the main cost: a winter day is €60 to €70 across Zell am See-Kaprun, and a summer Kitzsteinhorn return about €40 unless your guest card covers it.
That card is the thing to ask about — in summer it includes cable cars, the lake boat and the buses, and it is free with most accommodation. A lot of visitors never find out they have one.
Safety
Staying safe in Zell am See
The town is safe and the mountains are the whole risk picture.
The Kitzsteinhorn is a glacier at 3,029 metres. Crevasses are real, marked routes exist for a reason, and the temperature at the top can be below freezing in July while the lake is at 22 degrees.
Avalanche bulletins are published daily through the winter and off-piste terrain here is serious.
The lake is cold in early season and deep quickly; it warms to swimmable by late June and drops again in September.
The Grossglockner road is high, exposed and closed in winter, with weather that changes fast. Emergency number is 112, and 140 for mountain rescue — check your insurance covers it.
Day trips from Zell am See
Two of the best things in the Austrian Alps are within an hour.
Grossglockner High Alpine Road
Forty-eight kilometres over a 2,500-metre pass with 36 hairpins, marmots, and a glacier at the end. Closed November to early May.
Krimml Waterfalls
The tallest waterfall in Austria at 380 metres, climbed on a path beside it through spray.
Kitzsteinhorn glacier
A glacier at 3,029 metres with an ice gallery, a viewing platform and skiing from October.
Kaprun reservoirs
Two high dams at 2,000 metres, reached by a bus up hairpins and an inclined lift, with a walk between them.
Salzburg
The baroque city, easily done as a day out from the lake.
What's on
What is on while you are there
The seasons are the calendar, plus one enormous bike race.
December to April
Ski season
Zell am See-Kaprun
One pass linking the town mountain and the glacier, with a long season.
October to early summer
Glacier skiing
Kitzsteinhorn
When the valley has no snow and the glacier does.
Late June to September
Lake swimming
Zeller See
Drinking-quality water, free bathing spots, and warm enough by late June.
Summer
Ironman 70.3
Lake and valley
A long-distance triathlon using the lake and the surrounding roads.
May to October
Grossglockner road season
Grossglockner
When the high Alpine road is open. It closes with the first serious snow.
When to go
Two full seasons and short gaps between them. June is the month you can do both.
Jan
Peak ski season. Cold and busy over the holidays
Feb
Best snow of the winter. Book ahead
Mar
Spring skiing, sun on the terraces
Apr
Valley lifts closing, glacier still running
May
Quiet. Lake too cold, high trails snowbound
Jun
The best month. Ski the glacier and swim the lake
Jul
Warm, lake swimming, and every trail open
Aug
Peak summer and the busiest weeks
Sep
Superb walking. Lake still swimmable early in the month
Oct
Glacier skiing restarts. Quiet in the valley
Nov
Between seasons. Grey and closed
Dec
Season opens and Christmas week fills the town
Bar height is temperature. Colour is how busy it gets:
quiet
busy
peak
Average highs at lake level. The Kitzsteinhorn at 3,029m is around twenty degrees colder, which is what makes a swim-and-ski day possible in June.
What your trip will cost
Pick how you travel. Per person per night, in euros, in season.
The doing line assumes a lift pass in winter or a glacier trip in summer. With the guest card and the lake path, a summer day can cost almost nothing.
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- Beds—
- Food and drink—
- Getting around—
- Doing things—
Zell am See travel questions
The ones we get asked most.
Can you really ski and swim on the same day?
In June, yes. The Kitzsteinhorn glacier runs lifts to 3,029 metres where snow holds into early summer, and the lake warms to swimmable by late June. Morning on the glacier, afternoon in the water, twenty minutes apart.
What is the guest card and how do I get it?
Most accommodation gives one free at check-in. In summer it covers cable cars, the lake boat and local buses; in winter it gives discounts and free ski buses. A lot of visitors never ask for it and pay for things they already have.
How long do you need?
Three or four days. The lake and the town mountain take one, the glacier another, and the Grossglockner road or Krimml falls a third — both are among the best things in the Austrian Alps.
Is the lake clean enough to swim in?
It is drinking quality. There are free bathing spots around the ten-kilometre shore path, and the water is warm enough from late June to early September.
Do I need a car for the Grossglockner road?
Yes, or a tour. There is no bus, it is a toll road at about €40 per car, and it closes from roughly November to early May. It is 48 kilometres with 36 hairpins and worth organising around.
Is it expensive?
Resort-priced. Beds €25 to €55, mains €15 to €24, and a day around €60 to €100 in season. The guest card, mountain huts and the free lake path bring that down considerably.
When is the best time to go?
June for the swim-and-ski combination, September for walking with the lake still swimmable, and February for the best snow. May and November fall between seasons and a lot is closed.
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