Zell
am See, Austria
Charming lakeside town, varied slopes
and glacier options.
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 queues.
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.
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What's
Great
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What's
Not-So-Great
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Pretty, tree-lined slopes with great views down to
the lake
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Lively, but not rowdy, nightlife
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Charming old town center with beautiful lakeside
setting
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Lots to do off the slopes
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Huge range of cross-country trails
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Kaprun glacier nearby
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Varied terrain including a couple of steep black
runs
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Sunny, low slopes often have poor conditions despite
snowmakers, which makes the area more limited
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Trek to lifts from much accommodation, and sometimes
crowded buses
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Less suitable for beginners than most small Austrian
resorts
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The Kaprun glacier gets horrendous queues when it is
most needed
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Learn
more about Zell am See
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