Zell am See-Kaprun

The Zell am See-Kaprun region combines the clear Zeller See with the glacier ski area on the Kitzsteinhorn and is one of the most versatile holiday regions in Austria. From swimming in the lake to the glacier at around 3,000 m is only a few kilometres. The Hohe Tauern and the Kaprun reservoirs round off the offering.

Highlights

• Zeller See for swimming, sailing and skating
• Kitzsteinhorn glacier ski area
• Kaprun high-mountain reservoirs
• Year-round holiday region

Good to know

Practical info

Background & History

At the foot of the Schmittenhöhe, nestled between a clear lake and the Hohe Tauern, lies the charming Salzburg spa town of Zell am See. As early as the Middle Ages the place grew up around an old monastic settlement, to which it owes its name, and developed, thanks to its delightful location on Lake Zell, into a popular summer and winter sports destination. From the town centre a cable car leads up to the Schmittenhöhe, from which a wide view over the lake and the surrounding mountain world opens up.

The neighbouring Kaprun is inseparably bound up with the high mountains and with technology. Above the valley lies the glacier of the Kitzsteinhorn, the first glacier ski mountain in Austria, which made year-round skiing possible. Kaprun became famous above all through its tremendous high-mountain reservoirs, which were built in the years after the Second World War with the greatest of efforts and are regarded as a symbol of Austrian reconstruction. Nearby runs the Großglockner High Alpine Road, one of the most spectacular pass roads in the Alps, which leads up to the highest mountain in Austria. From the valley one can also reach, via the Pinzgau local railway, the mighty Krimml Waterfalls, which rank among the highest in Europe. Thus the Zell am See-Kaprun region combines gentle lakeside idyll, glaciated heights and the history of alpine energy production.