Accommodation
Quick answer: Zell am See is a lakeside town with a long history that happens to have a ski area on its doorstep. It suits families and intermediates on the Schmittenhöhe, freeriders and freestylers on the Kitzsteinhorn glacier above Kaprun, and anyone who wants a proper town to come back to in the evening. It is less suited to those after a small, traditional alpine village.
Quick resort facts
Ski area: Zell am See-Kaprun, 138km of pistes (Schmittenhöhe 77km, Kitzsteinhorn and Maiskogel 61km) · Ski pass: Ski ALPIN CARD, up to 408km and 121 lifts · Altitude: 760m in town, skiing up to 3,029m on the Kitzsteinhorn · Nearest airport: Salzburg (about 80km)
The attractive lakeside town of Zell am See has a different feel to it than most Austrian ski destinations. Perhaps because of its size or its waterfront location, this is not the typical mountain village made up of a few dozen giant wooden chalets. The mountains are still there, though, towering high above to altitudes capable of maintaining glacier skiing at neighbouring Kaprun, so the comparatively low altitude of the town itself is less of a worry than it might be.
Zell am See and Kaprun are joined, on the same pass at least. The Schmittenhöhe above Zell has 77km of runs and the Kitzsteinhorn and Maiskogel above Kaprun a further 61km, so 138km in all. For those wanting to seriously increase their mileage, the Ski ALPIN CARD adds the Skicircus Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn, for up to 408km of pistes and 121 lifts on one pass. The Schmitten has been linked into the Skicircus by the zellamseeXpress gondola, and Kaprun’s two ski areas are now connected, with cable cars running from the village centre via the Maiskogel up to the Kitzsteinhorn.
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Best for: families and intermediates, freeriders and freestylers heading up the glacier, mixed groups with non-skiers, and anyone who values a lively town and a lake view as much as the piste map.
Not for: those wanting a tiny, traditional chalet village. Zell am See is a proper town that keeps going all year.
Zell am See doesn’t fit the standard Austrian resort model, but it is a very scenic spot, with the lake in front and the mountains behind. The sense of history in the medieval centre (now pedestrianised) adds to the difference, as does a cultural calendar that has nothing to do with skiing. Zell was around long before winter sports were thought of, and it still has a life beyond them. Browse more options in our Austrian ski resorts hub.
The Schmittenhöhe is Zell’s own mountain, reached from three access points in town, with views down over the lake that few ski areas can match. Over in Kaprun, the Kitzsteinhorn glacier rises to 3,029m and is the reason the area can open in October. Together with the Maiskogel it has 61km of runs, five marked freeride routes, a choice of snowparks and a superpipe. Comparing options before you book? Our ski holiday deals and ski resort search are a good place to start.
Beginners: the Schmittenhöhe has gentle, scenic slopes for learners, and the Maiskogel above Kaprun is the area’s family hill.
Intermediates: 138km across the two mountains is plenty for a week, and the Ski ALPIN CARD adds the Skicircus if it isn’t.
Experts: the Schmitten’s Trass run reaches a gradient of up to 70%, and the Kitzsteinhorn’s five freeride routes are the place to head off-piste. Take a guide.
Freestylers: the Kitzsteinhorn has several snowparks, with the Glacier Park usually first to open in autumn, plus a superpipe with walls over six metres high.
At around 760m the town is low, so snow cover on the lower Schmitten slopes depends more on the weather than it would higher up. The Kitzsteinhorn is the insurance policy: for 2026/27 the glacier is planned to open on 10 October 2026 and run until 17 May 2027, conditions permitting. January to March gives you the best chance of both mountains at their best. Early and late in the season, plan your skiing around Kaprun.
The Ski ALPIN CARD covers the Schmittenhöhe, the Kitzsteinhorn and Maiskogel, and the Skicircus Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn, giving up to 408km of pistes and 121 lifts on one pass. Options and current prices are on the official ski pass page.
Ski and snowboard schools operate in both Zell am See and Kaprun, with hire shops in town and at the main lift stations. Our ski gear guides are worth a look if you’re buying your own kit.
As a proper lakeside town rather than a purpose-built resort, Zell am See has a wide range of places to stay, from guesthouses and apartments to long-established town hotels, many with lake or mountain views. Kaprun is the alternative base if you want to be closer to the glacier.
The pedestrianised old town gives you a proper choice of restaurants, cafés and bars, open all year rather than just in season. Après is more a relaxed drink in town than dancing on tables in ski boots; the Skicircus resorts are the place for that.
The Maiskogel is the family mountain, and ski schools in both towns run children’s classes. Off the slopes there’s the Tauern Spa in Kaprun, winter walks around the lake (and skating, when it freezes over) and the Gipfelwelt 3000 viewing platforms at the top of the Kitzsteinhorn, worth the trip for non-skiers on a clear day. Planning a family trip? Our family skiing guide has more advice on choosing the right base.
Zell am See is a town first and a ski resort second, and that’s its appeal. The local skiing on the Schmitten is good rather than vast, but the Kitzsteinhorn glacier next door gives you a snow-sure fallback, and the Ski ALPIN CARD opens up one of Austria’s biggest lift networks if you want the mileage. For a ski holiday where the evenings matter as much as the days, it makes a lot of sense.
They share a lift pass rather than a lift. You travel between the two by road, then a cable car from the centre of Kaprun takes you up via the Maiskogel to the Kitzsteinhorn.
Yes. The Schmittenhöhe has gentle, scenic learner terrain, and the Maiskogel above Kaprun is the area’s family hill.
A single lift pass covering the Schmittenhöhe, the Kitzsteinhorn and Maiskogel, and the Skicircus Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn: up to 408km of pistes and 121 lifts.
For 2026/27 the glacier is planned to open on 10 October 2026 and close on 17 May 2027, depending on snow and weather.
Salzburg, about 80km away, with bus 260 running from Salzburg’s main station via the airport. Innsbruck and Munich are the alternatives.
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