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Top attractions in Zell am See, Austria

Zell am See is an Austrian town on Lake Zell, south of the city of Salzburg.


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Zell am See is an Austrian town on Lake Zell, south of the city of Salzburg. Various trails and lifts lead to the ski slopes of Schmittenhöhe mountain. In the southwest, views from the panoramic platform, at the top of the Kitzsteinhorn glacier, take in the National Park and the looming Grossglockner mountain.


1. Lake Zell

Lake Zell, Austria
Lake Zell, Austria

Lake Zell is a small freshwater lake in the Austrian Alps. It takes its name from the city of Zell am See, which is located on a small delta protruding into the lake. The lake is 4 kilometers long and 1.5 kilometers wide. It is up to 73 meters deep and at an elevation of 750 meters above sea level. The lake is fed by numerous small mountain streams in summer, but only one stream flows out of it into the Salzach. In winter the lake completely freezes and is used for winter sports. In summer the lake is used for pleasure boating. The water is very clear and suitable for swimming or diving but can be chilly. The southern end of the lake, near Schüttdorf, is shallower and mostly filled with waterweed, making it unsuitable for boating or swimming.


2. Pinzgauer Lokalbahn

Pinzgauer Lokalbahn, Austria
Pinzgauer Lokalbahn, Austria

The Pinzgauer Lokalbahn is a narrow-gauge railway in Salzburg in Austria. The 53-kilometer railway follows the Salzach valley from Zell am See and Krimml through the Pinzgau mountains. The section between Mittersill and Krimml was damaged by flooding in 2005 and reopened in September 2010.


3. Schmittenhöhe

Schmittenhöhe Mountain, Austria
Schmittenhöhe Mountain, Austria

The Schmittenhöhe is a mountain, 1,965 m high, on the eastern edge of the Kitzbühel Alps. It is the local mountain of the district capital of Zell am See, from where a cable car was built in 1927 by Adolf Bleichert & Co. that runs to the summit. The cable car system has been renovated several times since. From the summit of the Schmittenhöhe, there is a good view of over 30 three-thousands as well as the lake of Zeller See, the river basin, and the whole Saalach valley. 


4. Kitzsteinhorn

Kitzsteinhorn, Austria
Kitzsteinhorn, Austria

The Kitzsteinhorn is a mountain in the High Tauern range of the Central Eastern Alps in Austria. It is part of the Glockner Group and reaches a height of 3,203 m AA. The Kitzsteinhorn glaciers are a popular ski area.


5. Hundstein

Hundstein, Austria
Hundstein, Austria

The Hundstein, also High Hundstein, is a 2,117m mountain in Zell am See, in the Pinzgau region of Austria. It is the highest peak of the Salzburg Slate Alps and belongs to the subgroup of the Dienten Mountains. The mountain is located east of Lake Zell and opposite the end of the Fusch Valley and the Großglockner High Alpine Road in the Salzach Valley. As a group, the Hundstein, along with its neighboring peaks Hochkasern, Schwalbenwand, and Gschwandtnerberg, occupy the entire eastern half of the Dienten mountains. The main Summit itself forms the municipal boundary of Maria Alm, Zell am See, Bruck, and Taxenbach. Both the mountain, with its summit panorama of the surrounding mountains, as well as the Hundsteinsee lake are very popular destinations for hiking and mountain biking in the summer. In winter, the mountain is a skiing area.