Winter Activities
Skiing & Snowboarding
Zell am See is part of the Europa Sportregion, which includes the Schmittenhöhe mountain (2000 metres) in Zell am See itself and the Kitzsteinhorn (3200 metres) a short bus ride away, just beyond the neighbouring village of Kaprun (linked by a free ski bus).
The Schmittenhöhe offers well groomed, tree-lined runs with fantastic views over Zeller Lake, whereas the Kitzsteinhorn offers snow-sure glacier skiing with good snow in early and late season. In both locations you will find excellent ski and snowboard schools with English-speaking instructors (see www.ski-zellamsee.at for details).
From the apartment, the Schmittenhöhe is accessed via the Areitbahn cable car - a 10 minute walk. The bus stop for the service to the Kitzsteinhorn is located 5 minutes away. This bus service can also be caught from the Areitbahn cable car station if you need to pick up your boots.
The cable car stations on both mountains have heated lockers in which to keep your boots and/or skis, saving you the effort of carrying them! They cost a few Euros a day and the large ones can accommodate three pairs of boots and skis.
Beginners
The Schmittenhöhe has two nursery areas, one of which is next to the Areitbahn. Both covered by snow cannons and a lift pass is not required to use them.
There are also plenty of runs for beginners on both the Schmittenhöhe and the Kitzsteinhorn mountains.
Intermediates
The range of skiing for intermediates is superb on both mountains. The wide open pistes on the Schmittenhöhe provide relatively easy and flattering runs whilst further down, below the tree line, the runs tend to be steeper and more challenging. There is a testing run called the ‘Standard’, which goes from the top to the bottom of the Schmittenhöhe cable car and is within the capabilities of the majority of intermediate skiers.
Advanced
Advanced skiers will enjoy the steeper more direct descents from the top of the Schmittenhöhe to the valley floor - the World Cup downhill piste is also a great challenge. There is also some great off piste skiing, though a guide is always recommended (see www.salomonstation.at).
Snowboarding
The Europa Sport region area is ideal for snowboarders of all ability levels and has hosted several competitions in recent seasons. From the Schmittenhöhe, there is access to a variety of long, cruisy runs as well as the odd black. The glacier on the Kitzsteinhorn boasts a snowboard park with tabletops and a variety of jumps plus some excellent natural powder bowls.
Apres Ski
Bars, restaurants and a nightclub can be found a few minutes walk from the apartment. There are also many more to be found in the town centre which can be easily reached on the narrow-gauge railway or on the bus (which is free with your lift pass). Or, you can walk around the edge of the frozen lake which takes about 20 minutes.
Floodlit Cross Country Skiing
There are 200km. of prepared trails in the Europa Sports Region circling the lake and going into nearby valleys. These trails are directly connected to the Saalachtal and Pinzgau cross-country ski-runs.
A few minutes from the apartment, next to the indoor tennis centre, you will find the start of a trail that takes you into the nature reserve. From there you can continue around the lake towards Thumersbach or you can branch off onto a large section (7km) of floodlit trails that loop through the nature reserve.
Ice Skating
There is an indoor ice skating rink at the Zell am See swimming pool (see www.freizeitzentrum.at) or, if the ice is thick enough, you can skate on the lake (but make sure it is safe to do so!).
Snowshoeing
Guided snowshoeing excursions are given on Wednesdays and Thursdays - check with the tourist office or the ski schools for details. However the area is well-marked so a guide is not really necessary. As long as snowshoers stay on the clearly marked trails, there are some wonderful treks to be had not only through the mountains, but past the cafés, inns, and mountain huts where the weary traveller can take a break or even warm up with a hot drink.
Tobogganing
There are numerous places to go tobogganing, including at night (either floodlit or by torch!). Visit the tourist information office for details.
If you want the ultimate toboggan run, take the Pinzgaubahn or the 670 bus (both a few minutes from the apartment) to Neukirchen. Here you will find a 14km toboggan run - claimed to be one of the world's longest - which can take well over an hour to descend. The lift ticket costs about €6 (single ride to the top station) and toboggan hire about €5 per day.
Horse Riding
The Porsche Riding Club of Zell am See can be found at the the end of Porscheallee which runs past the apartment.
Unfortunately their web site (www.sbg.at/porsche-reitclub) is only in German, but they speak English if you phone them with any queries.
Tennis & Squash
Indoor tennis courts are located a short walk from the apartment.
Depending on the time, the courts are either €14 or €16, and €2 to hire a racket.
Squash is available at the Grand Hotel, not far from the main Zell am See station. This is best reached by travelling on the Pinzgaubahn narrow-gauge railway, which can be found a few minutes from the apartment.
Squash costs €9 for 30 minutes and it is possible to hire rackets.
Swimming
Zell am See and Kaprun have 2 indoor pools between them.
The Zell am See indoor pool is fantastic. It is beautifully warm and has huge windows at one end, giving fantastic views of the mountains while you swim. It also has windows along the side that allow you to see into the ice rink. There is a sauna and a steam room, and various types of massage are available.
Paragliding
If the weather is suitable it is possible to take tandem paragliding flights from the Schmittenhöhe in Zell am See. It costs between €50 to €100, depending on the height at which the flight starts.
Adventure Playgrounds (for Children)
There are several children's adventure playgrounds dotted around the Zell am See area, two of which are very close to the apartment. The first is located on Schutbachweg, two minutes from the apartment, and the other, which is much bigger and has a zip line, is about 5 minutes away, next to the Schuttdorf tennis centre.
Alpine Flights
Scenic flights are available from Zell am See airport. These give you fantastic views of the mountains and range in price from €45 for 20 minutes to €112 for an hour.
You can get further details by phoning 06542 57937.