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Zell am See-Kaprun is surely one of the most diverse winter sports resorts in the Alps: skiing, snowboarding, freeriding, fun slopes for the kids and winter yoga for everyone - the region has it all. What's more, you can ski in and ski out onto the slopes straight from your hotel in the heart of the villages. And thanks to the Kitzsteinhorn glacier, the winter season is long, with pistes often open from mid-October to May!
As well as its diversity, Zell am See-Kaprun is also one of the most beautiful European ski resorts, offering breathtaking panoramas in every direction. This is the place to visit if great ski holidays for you mean glorious downhill runs and good snow reliability, backed up by modern lifts and a charming atmosphere. Guided freeride excursions, ski tours and snowshoe hikes are part of the resort's extensive programme of organised activities. And the centre for a ski holiday here is the charming town of Zell am See, which juts into the lake on a peninsula below the Schmittenhöhe mountain.
At the heart of this resort are its three main attractions: glacier, mountain and lake, which form the fantastic backdrop for unforgettable winter sports days, with brilliant on and off-piste ski terrain.
The Ski Alpin Card lift pass unites three premium ski areas to give access to 408km of beautifully-groomed pistes – all in one of the most beautiful landscapes of Austria. Choose between glacier skiing on Kitzsteinhorn, head over to the Schmittenhöhe family & panorama ski resort, or take advantage of access to the Skicircus Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn. Kaprun town centre offers easy access to the Kitzsteinhorn Glacier via the Maiskogel, and you can get to the Schmittenhöhe area from Zell am See.
Don’t miss... the stunning views out across the lake from the surrounding mountains
Mountain highlights
The Schmittenhöhe ski area offers 77 km of perfectly groomed slopes, and is one of the highlights of the region with its varied range of pistes, huts and brilliant views of Lake Zell. The runs span the whole range from wide family pistes, perfect for intermediate skiers, to steep challenging runs for experts.
Five long valley runs promise pure enjoyment, while children can let off steam on one of the longest fun slopes in the world and sporty skiers test the black Trass – a slope more than 4 km long with over 1,000m of vertical and a gradient of up to 70 per cent.
Great glacier
Kaprun offers ski-in, ski-out direct from the town centre to the glacier and back. From the summit at 3,029m, the Kitzsteinhorn gives you high-altitude skiing on wide glacier slopes with freeride and ski touring routes, world-class snow parks and panoramic viewpoints.
The Kitzsteinhorn is also a great for non-skiers, offering views of more than thirty 3,000m peaks from the Top of Salzburg viewing platform. The family mountain Maiskogel, close to the village, adds gentle, wide slopes down to the village centre and an exciting new ski tour route from Kaprun to the summit.
The Kitzsteinhorn is also home to the Gipfelwelt 3000 restaurant, a remarkable high-altitude dining experience. Sited directly at the border to the spectacular Hohe Tauern National Park, and reached easily by cable cars, the Gipfelwelt 3000 is a popular excursion destination all year round. The views from the viewing platforms Top of Salzburg and National Park Gallery are exceptional.
Beautiful lake and picturesque town
Completing the Zell am See region is Lake Zell – one of the most beautiful lakes in Austria and a huge draw for many winter visitors. Skiers and snowboarders can head directly from the centre to the ski area without a car or bus ride and winter hikers can enjoy a walk by the lake or take part in the active program with yoga by the water. Special evening boat tours are offered at Christmas and New Year’s Eve for an unforgettable festive experience.
A lakeside stroll after the sun has set is a must to see the reflections and experience the quiet calm of being in the mountains at night.
The traditional mountain town of Zell am See itself is also perfect for exploring, with boutique shops, traditional bars for a quiet drink, or popular spots for some lively après ski. Or want to relax after a day on the ski slopes? Head over to the Tauern Spa in nearby Kaprun for a taste of tranquility and enjoy its huge selection of 12 indoor and outdoor pools, 10 saunas and steam rooms and much more.
Sustainable skiing
Zell am See-Kaprun is dedicated to an environmentally-conscious approach to skiing. All gondolas and lifts here operate on green energy generated from renewable resources.
Over on the Kitzsteinhorn, the energy recovered from the high-performance motors of the larger lifts is used to heat buildings such as the Alpincenter Restaurant and terminals of the Panoramabahn and Gletscherjet.
The Kitzsteinhorn snowmaking system is fed and powered by water from the Kaprun High Mountain Reservoirs, and by the 'Gletschersee', a small natural lake at 2,500m above sea level and the water reservoir at 'Langwiedboden' sitting at 1,900m. The drinking water supply comes exclusively from springs in the Kitzsteinhorn area.
How to get to Zell am See-Kaprun
Zell am See-Kaprun is located in the Pinzgau region in the heart of Austria's SalzburgerLand, and can be reached quickly by train, by car and also by plane. Zell am See-Kaprun is only about 80 kilometres from Salzburg Airport and about 200 kilometres from Munich Airport. From there, numerous individual cab and shuttle services as well as public bus and train services make for an easy transfer to Zell am See-Kaprun.
Several UK tour operators offer holiday packages to Zell am See-Kaprun ski resort.
Zell am See-Kaprun in numbers
408 km of pistes
121 lifts
3 premium ski areas
30 3,000m peaks
For more information about skiing Zell am See-Kaprun this winter, go to austria.info/en/winter/zell-am-see-kaprun
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