Zell am See

The Zell Valley area around the lake was continuously populated since Roman times. In 740 AD, monks founded a village called "Cella" in the Pinzgau region, then called "Bisonzio". The name cella refers to the private quarters of a monk (a cell) in the context of a monastery. When Zell received the rights of a market town in 1357, it started growing quickly. It was involved in the German Peasants Wars in 1526, and heavy fighting occurred in and around the city against troops of the Swabian League.

From the early 19th century, Zell was occupied by invading French forces during the Napoleonic Wars. The city finally joined the Austrian Empire by resolution of the Vienna Congress of 1816. When neighboring town Saalfelden became the capital of the Pinzgau administrative region in 1850, the Zell's mayor successfully managed to relocate the seat of the council to Zell, increasing its political importance in the region.

Zell quickly transformed from a town with agricultural focus into one with a tourism emphasis after the Salzburg-Tyrol railway opened in 1875 and made the town more accessible. It first focused on a summer tourist season, but after it received city rights in 1928 it quickly expanded and evolved into a ski resort in the second half of the 20th century.

As a corridor through the Kitzbühel Alps, the Zell Valley connects the Saalfelden Basin of the Saalach river to the north of Zell am See with the Salzach in the south. It is ca. 19 km north of the Grossglockner, with 3,798 m the highest mountain in Austria, in the Hohe Tauern.

Like many alpine towns in valleys east of the Brenner Pass, Zell am See has cold winters with a lot of precipitation which usually falls as snow from November until February. Rain can be expected year round, although summer months are drier than winter months.

By far the easiest way to get into Zell am See is by train. The 🌍 Zell am See Bahnhof brings travelers right into the historic centre of the city, and is well connected by ÖBB trains to Salzburg to the east, and to Innsbruck (via St. Johann in Tirol, Wörgl and Schwaz) to the north. The hourly train to Salzburg takes about 90 minutes.

The 🌍 Zell am See Airport is ca. 3.5 km south of the city, and on a walking distance from the 🌍 Bruckberg im Pinzgau railway station.

Zell am See can be reached over the road, but it is not recommendable because parking space is scarce and expensive in and around the city. If you prefer road transport over trains, a better option might be a taxi from Salzburg Airport, which are relatively price-competitive. Several companies have vehicles with 8 seats and will charge €120-€150 each way regardless of how many people there are, making it a cheaper alternative than the train when traveling in groups.

If you choose to rent your on vehicle and drive yourself, pay attention when you are parking your car. The park zones are for free only during night (after 18:00 till 08:00) in the city centre, however during the day you have to pay or use the short time zone. This means, that you display a paper with time of your arrival and you can stay there next 30 minutes. You can also use parking zones by the cable cars, during the day they are free of cost. However, after skiing you have to leave the parking zone. You cannot stay there during night.