An Alpine lake town where glaciers, mountains, and crystal waters create Austria's most complete outdoor playground.
Zell am See sits on the western shore of the Zeller See, a lake of almost Caribbean color backed by the Hohe Tauern mountains and the Kitzsteinhorn glacier. The combination is irresistible: swim in the lake at breakfast, hike to a mountain hut for lunch, and ski on the glacier in the afternoon — all within thirty minutes of the town center. Few places in the Alps offer this range in such a compact space.
The Kitzsteinhorn glacier rises to 3,203 meters and offers year-round skiing plus a viewing platform — the Top of Salzburg — with panoramic views of over thirty peaks above 3,000 meters. The Grossglockner High Alpine Road — Austria’s most spectacular mountain drive — begins nearby, switchbacking past waterfalls and marmot colonies to views of the country’s highest peak. The town itself is pleasantly unpretentious: a lakefront promenade, a handful of good restaurants, and a medieval tower church that has anchored the community for centuries.
When to go: July through August for lake swimming and high-altitude hiking. December through March for skiing the glacier and the Schmittenhöhe.