Zell Am See

Zell am See is a lakeside winter ski resort in the federal state of Salzburg, Austria. It is the administrative center of the Zell am See district (Bezirk), also known as Pinzgau. Zell am See is located at 47°19′26″N, 12°47′55″E, on the Zeller See, and has a population of 9,638 (2001).

Zell is located on a large lake - the Zeller See - which is 4.5 km long and 850 to 1400 m wide, with an area of 4.7 sq.km and a depth up to 68 m. It is backed by the 2000m (6560ft)Schmittenhohe mountain. A cable car runs from the outskirts of the town to the summit, where there is a restaurant.

Zell am See was already populated in Roman times. In 740 AD, by order of the Archbishop Johannes (John) of Salzburg, monks founded the village "Cella in Bisonzio". Zell received the rights of a market town in 1357, and its city rights on January 24, 1928.

Zell am See is an unusual resort - not a rustic village like most of its small Austrian competitors, but a lakeside town with a charming old center that seems more geared to summer than winter visitors. It's a pleasant place, and - since a tunnel now takes through traffic to Schüttdorf - less plagued by traffic.

Zell's slopes have a lot of variety and challenging terrain for a small area, but not enough to keep a keen intermediate or better happy for long, especially if, as some reporters have found, there's a lack of snow. Zell is very near the Kaprun glacier, but so are many low-altitude resorts, all of which run buses there if snow is in short supply. The result can be horrendous liftlines.

Zell makes an attractive base for holidaymakers who enjoy travelling around. Having a car makes it easy to visit numerous other resorts - including Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Bad Gastein-Bad Hofgastein, Wagrain, Schladming and Obertauern.