Zell am See Tourist Attractions
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On a peninsula-like alluvial bar in the Schmittelbach lies Zell am See (758m/2,487ft; pop. 8,000), the chief town of the Pinzgau and now one of the principal resorts in Salzburg province (lake side swimming pool, health and winter sports resort). The town was founded by monks from Salzburg c. 740, when it was known as "Cella in Bisoncio". It has a fine parish church of St Hippolyte, originally Romanesque, with two frescos of Apostles (c. 1200) and a Late Gothic west gallery. Also of interest are the Vogtturm (13th C.) in the Stadtplatz with the Municipal Museum, and the Renaissance Schloss Rosenberg (16th C.), now the town hall. To the northwest of the town lies the Kur- und Sportzentrum, with an indoor swimming pool, a sauna and an ice rink. Nearby is the lower station of the Schmittelhöhebahn.
Thumersbach
On the eastern side of the Zeller See, reached by boat or by road, lies Thumersbach, a rather quiet summer resort (bathing beach, Kurpark), from which there is a fine view of Zell and its backdrop of mountains.
Zeller See - Walks
There are a number of pleasant walks along the lake. From Zell a footpath leads halfway round the lake to the bathing station of Seespitz (25 minutes) and thence to Thumersbach (1.25 hours), from where the boat can be taken back to Zell. In winter the lake is frequently frozen over, and is then used for various ice sports, and sometimes even as a landing strip for light aircraft.
Zell am See-Kaprun - Skiing
Known as the Europa Sports Region, these two areas offer wide-open bowl skiing on the glacier at Kitzsteinhorn near Kaprun and great intermediate runs through the trees at Zell am See's slopes. One ski pass is valid on 55 lifts serving 130 km of runs. A favorite with international visitors, Zell am See has the air of an historic mountain village while Kaprun is a smaller and slightly quieter alternative, both in the shadow of Austria's highest mountain range, the Hohentauern.
Zell am See Pictures
