“In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous”– Aristotle
Zell am See is absolutely charming – a quintessential Austrian lakeside village on the shores of an alpine lake. In summers it’s a paradise for tourists with its unlimited hiking options, walks and water sports. And in winter it offers skiing and snowboarding on the local mountains of Hohe Tauern. Stunning surroundings, fabulous hiking and skiing, world class food and nightlife and still not overly expensive. Have we enticed you enough already 😉 We are sure Zell am See will provide endless possibilities for your itchy feet. It seems like ages since we last visited Zell am See in 2014. This quaint town will always occupy a very special place in your Yūgen universe.
Salzburg to Zell am See Transfer
By Air – The nearest airport is Salzburg. We arrived in Salzburg from London. Other nearest airports are Innsbruck (109.3 km) and Munich (137.1km).
By Car – We had hired a car from Salzburg Airport and it took us around 1 hour 20 mins to reach the village of Zell am See. You can reach here from Vienna in around 4 hours and from Munich in 2 hours.
By Bus – From Salzburg airport you can catch bus line 260 which commences every 2-3 hours. Usually costs €13.30 and the trip takes around 1 hour 45 mins. This bus line is located right in front of terminal two.
By Train – You can also reach Zell am See from Salzburg by train. The train ticket usually costs around €13.70 if you book in advance. Though you will need to catch city bus number 2 to reach the train station. Taxi is a good idea too to reach the train station.
By Taxi/Private Transit – Despite the distance of 77 kms, private taxis are a very common way to reach the resort town. The fare is usually fixed and it’s between €130 -€150.
Hotel Seehof – overlooking the lake
The small and cosy Hotel Seehof is conveniently located in the town centre. Positioned at a prime point, it has many lake facing rooms. Our beautiful room and balcony boasted of amazing views of the lake. The breakfast was fresh and varied. The front desk girl was quite helpful too. We were quite happy with the location of the hotel. This traditional Austrian hotel would be our first choice again if we ever visit Zell am See again.
Bustling town
We drove from Salzburg airport to our hotel in Zell am See. It was late afternoon and after having a quick rest, we couldn’t wait to get into the humdrum of the town centre. The streets were bursting with tourists. Our first task was to find a decent place to have late lunch. We had a fabulous meal right in the heart of town centre in a lovely restaurant called Antonio’s Basmati, which now after all these years appeared to have been renamed to just Basmati and shifted a little out of town. Nevertheless the food was good. The medieval town centre is car free with a variety of shops and very attractive pavement cafes.
Stroll along the Zell am see Esplanade
The promenade is a perfect place for walking, relaxing and unwinding after a day hiking or skiing. The whole walk around the lake is 12 kms and takes around 2-3 hours to finish the whole circuit at a gentle pace. There are numerous cafes and bars enroute and even more opportunities to have postcard perfect photographs. The glacier waters of the lake are crystal clear and look like glass against the stunning backdrop of green mountains. There are ducks and swans providing another idyllic feature to the whole scene. You can hire boats and other water sports equipment as well.
Enjoy the Magic Light and Laser show at the lake
This free evening light and laser show is quite a popular attraction in Zell am See. There are two themes of Classic and A night at the movies. On day one we went to the lake itself to watch this and it was a wonderful experience to see the water and music dancing harmoniously. The lakefront gets jam packed and it’s great to see everyone having a good time. On another occasion we watched the show from our room’s balcony. Nevertheless it’s a great way to end a wonderful day exploring this amazing place.
Wander around the old town
Altstadt or the old town of Zell am See is very fascinating. It’s not that huge and can be easily covered in an hour. There are dozens of cute and unique shops. You can browse through souvenirs, winter gear, local handicrafts and apothecaries (my absolute favourites wherever in the world I am;) ) The cobbled streets are traffic free zones and are lined with very inviting cafes and restaurants. The St. Hypolith’s Church is located in the main centre of the town and imparts a very historical character to the altstadt. There are many trendy bars and clubs in the town. There’s a very impressive casino as well. In short the nightlife is quite vibrant in Zell am See with all these late night music and disco bars.
Lake Cruise on MS Schimittenhohe
A boat cruise on MS Schimittenhohe is a great way to explore the lake. It’s a three tiered boat with panoramic windows providing unobstructed views of the lake and surrounding mountains. There are drinks and dining options as well. Grab your favourite drink, sit back and admire the lush green hills and villages dotted along the shores. In addition to the boat tours you can also make lake crossings by shuttle boat from one town to the other. An adult ticket will cost €15.50. Click here to find more information.
Hike at the Schmitten
Schmitten is the local mountain of Zell am See. In winter it is a very popular ski area and in summers the lush green mountains are great for walks and hikes. The cable car takes you 2000 metres above sea level. Once up there you are rewarded with spectacular views of the surrounding mountains, lake and the town itself. You are surely going to be smitten with the tranquil atmosphere there with just the sound of wind and cattle grazing in the distance. There are lots of trails to choose from. We went for a short walk but then the visibility got very bad and it started drizzling. The panorama restaurant came to the rescue in good measure. The food was delicious and the views impeccable.
Food – Have it your way
Looking for a hearty meal after working hard at the slopes? Zell am see won’t disappoint you. The food options are unrivalled here and there are plenty of options right from budget to fine dining. You can sample the authentic region specialities or go for international cuisine. There is a whole variety of restaurants, inns, pubs and bars to choose from. In most of the restaurants we found the menu in arabic language and even a whole lot of arabic dishes to choose from. It could be because there’s a large wave of tourists coming from those places during August. But there are plenty of regional, Austrian and international cuisines to choose from. We had the best food there in Austria. We are still struggling to find the names of few restaurants which might be now closed as we visited Zell am See way back in 2014. But here are few pictures to compensate for the names of restaurants.
Zell am See Summer Card
Now this card is a real winner. From mid may to mid october,it is recommended to stay in one of zell am see kaprun’s partner hotel. You will receive the Zell am see summer card at your arrival in participating hotels. This card will provide you with hefty discounts and free entry to most of the major attractions. The mountain railways are also free with this card and much more.
Rejuvenate at a Spa
As in most of the alpine towns, Spa is a big thing in Zell am See. There are plenty of luxury hotels in Zell am See. But from the spa perspective, the most popular is Tauern Spa Kaprun.It has 12 pools, 10 saunas and steam baths and numerous other facilities. The surrounding views will surely blow you away.
Perfect base to make day trips
Zell am See is the perfect base to explore so many places. Our first day trip was to Kitzsteinhorn Glacier. We visited Grossglockner and Berchtesgaden on other days and Krimml waterfalls on our way to Innsbruck.
We will write more about these excursions in our upcoming posts on Austrian alps holiday. So stay tuned 🙂
You will be rewarded with the ever changing facades of the lake throughout the day. We still fondly remember having breakfast at the hotel overlooking the magical lake itself. We were not that lucky with the weather but even the low hung cloud and damp weather lent a very alluring touch to the whole panorama. The beauty of this welcoming town will be etched in your mind forever:) Go ahead, the mountains are calling you.
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