Zell Am See Ski Holidays

With its gorgeous lakeside location and buildings harking back to the Middle Ages, Zell am See brilliantly balances traditional charm with modern efficiency.

The town is easily accessible from anywhere in Europe - it's only an hour from Salzburg by train which takes you to the station right in Zell's centre. The drive is only half an hour longer, making it perfect for last-minute breaks and long weekends. With chic hotels and boutique-lined promenades, the pedestrianised town centre is incredibly family-friendly. You can always judge a resort's authenticity by its clientele and frequented by well-heeled Salzburgers; you're in for a first-class treat in Zell am See.

The area is one of outstanding natural beauty, with local Lake Zell the piece de la resistance. Mid-winter sees it freeze over completely, allowing for ice skating and curling - nearer the end of the season its vivid blue provides a spectacular contrast with the surrounding mountains. The lake water is reportedly clean enough to drink, and the town has been awarded 'climatic spa' status, representing outstanding air purity and environmental cleanliness.

At 2000m, the peak of the Schmittenhohe - the imposing mountain overlooking the village - gives staggering views of over thirty local mountains higher than 3000m. It's accessible through various routes from the village centre, so peak season crowds can be easily avoided. Designed by the Porsche Design Studio, the Schmittenhöhebahn gondola itself is almost as much of an attraction as some of the fine runs it whisks you to, and ensures you at least start your day on the mountain in impeccable style.

The Alpin Card lift pass gives skiers and snowboarders access to 3 incrediable refions: Zell am See, Kitzsteinhorn Glacier in Kaprun and the Skicircus Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn. This totals 408 km of piste with just one pass!

Skiing the Schmitten mountain above the town puts you on some of the most scenic pistes in the world, with stonking sights of the lake and Salzburg peaks. Three-quarters of the slopes suit beginners and intermediates, and there’s more easy cruising on Kaprun’s Maiskogel mountain (a bus ride away). Schmitten doesn’t forget experts, with endurance testers and adrenaline spikers thrown in - the long, black Trassabfahrt is said to be one of the most challenging in the country.

Besides panoramas and peaks, the bulk of the Schmitten’s skiing is within the trees, giving a fairy-tale, forested setting (and lots of fun spots to dip in and out of). The Panorama’s one of the longest blue runs in this neck of the woods, winding through the evergreens all the way from the peak. New for 2020/21 is the “ZellemseeXpress” gondola, giving even wider access to skiing on the “Schmittenhohe”.

If you’re here with kids, there’s a children’s play area at the top of the Areitbahn, open throughout the season, where ‘piste dwarves’ (children to you and I) can master their first snow ploughs under the watchful eye of Schmidolin, ‘the world’s nicest dragon’.

A ‘SkiMovie’ feature records your action on a slalom course, with the footage available immediately online and at the Cabrio Bar Restaurant in the valley. The east-facing slopes on the Sonnkogel tend to be good for off-piste, and anyone hungry for powder-filled bowls will love the freeriding routes on the nearby Kitzsteinhorn glacier - included in the lift pass and made even more accessible for 2020/21 by the addition of the new “K-Onnection” Cable car which links Maiskogel with Langwied.

For freestylers, ‘Funpark Schmitten’ is a decent sized terrain park with features for each ability, and a half-pipe is maintained throughout the season. To up the ante, don’t miss a day on the Central Park and superpipe on the Kitzsteinhorn.

A new pass has been created to compliment the new additions to the Zell Am See – Kaprun ski area. The “Ski Alpin Card” gives skiers access to a massive 121 lifts across Schmittenhöhe, Kitzsteinhorn Kaprun and Skicircus Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn, a total of 408km of skiing!

With plenty of opportunity for a quick bite or drink on the mountain, the après ski gets going long before the last skiers leave the slopes. The Pinzgauer Hut is a hidden gem on the mountain, serving delicious local fare and offers a complimentary snowmobile service to return you to town. At the top of the Schmittenhohe, you can dance the afternoon away at the Schnaps-Hans bar, before making your way down to the town to carry on the party.

The Cabrio is often the next port of call, where you can watch the footage of your earlier attempts at the SkiMovie slalom accompanied by a jagertee - a local speciality. They say variety is the spice of life and that has never been truer than amongst streets of Zell. Traditional fare can be enjoyed at the Hotel & Brasserie Traube and family-run Deins und Meins.

The Ginhouse, as its name suggests, stocks over 60 different varieties of gin alongside an extensive cocktail list. The wooden interior and leather furniture provide a quiet and cosy place to relax after a day on the slopes, and a measure of sloe gin is sure to keep the winter chills at bay for the rest of the evening.

OFF PISTE BAR on the main bar street has a buzzy atmosphere with live music for aprés ski and a nightclub later on (if you're not dancing on the tables in your ski boots before the night's out, you haven't properly partied here). This place later turns into a night club with DJ:s playing daily. Villa Crazy Daisy is another good choice for a raucous afternoon or evening of apres fun, as the name suggests. There's an outdoor terrace complete with heaters, blankets and the Austrian staple, the nail game or head inside DJ sets and live music until the early hours.

Those seeking a more homely feel will be heartened by a visit to Murray's Irish Bar - meet friendly locals, a lot of British tourists and catch up on the latest live sports.