The federal state of Salzburg is located in the high alpine region of the Republic of Austria.
Salzburg, the capital of the region of the same name , is the fourth largest city in Austria . Its population is about 150,000 people, while almost half a million people live in the province itself. The federal state of Salzburg borders Germany , as well as Upper Austria , Styria and Carinthia . A narrow strip of land along the peaks of High Tauern stretches south to the very border with Italy . The area of the entire region is 7,154 square kilometers. The land of Salzburg is divided into five regions – Flachgau, Tennengebirge, Pongau, Pinzgau and Lungau .
Austrians call Salzburg a “rain well”. The climate here is quite capricious and unstable. However, the wealth with which nature has gifted this region is not subject to the elements. While other regions of Austria use fertile soil to grow grapes and wheat, Salzburg finds its riches underground. Copper, silver, emeralds and, most importantly, salt (“Salz” in German) “ripen” in the local lands. This “mineral” – a trace of a sea that dried up many thousands of years ago – gave the name to the city and the region.
Literally – Salzburg is translated from German as ” salt fortress “. The development of local minerals began as early as 1000 BC. But it was salt that became the impetus for the development of the region.
At first, there was the Celtic city of Yuvavum , then the Roman province of the same name, which could not withstand the turmoil of the Great Migration. In the 5th century of our era, Yuvavum went down in history, and in the 7th century, the first Christian monks came here and founded the first diocese in Salzburg (then still Manchsburg ), and then the archbishopric. Ruprecht is considered the first spiritual prince of Salzburg . It was during his reign that salt deposits were discovered right on the surface of the earth. Later, Ruprecht became the patron saint of salt merchants or the salt saint. For many centuries, Salzburg was under the rule of a spiritual government acting as a sovereign prince. Only according to the results of the Vienna Congressin 1815, Salzburg became part of Austria.
Today, the beauty of the local lands, as well as the associated name of Mozart , make Salzburg the second most popular city in Austria after the handsome Vienna .
The Salzburg region is unique in its own way. Everyone can find an ideal vacation here. For lovers of active recreation – beautiful ski resorts; for those who prefer wellness procedures – thermal hotels and hospitals, who dream of escaping from the city bustle and recuperating in natural corners untouched by civilization – quiet, mountain hotels and hiking trails. For lovers of city tourism, the magnificent Salzburg itself – the administrative and cultural center of the region – will provide stunning examples of baroque and medieval architecture, sculpture and painting, introduce the history of the birth and life of the great Mozart and the medieval alchemist and physician Philip Aureole Theophrastus Bombast von Hohenheim , better known as pseudonymParacelsius .
The Salzburg region is rich, first of all, in excellent mountain routes. In winter, local ski resorts are visited by lovers of this type of recreation from all over Europe. The alpine resorts of Salzburg are second in popularity among tourists after Tyrol . The most scenic route – Grossglockner Hohalpenstrasse – crosses the southern part of the province. In the area there are many thermal springs, waterfalls, lakes, as well as the largest ice cave on the planet – Eisriesenvelt .
The picturesque valley of the Salzburg Gasteinertal holds the secrets of healing heart diseases, rheumatism, the gastrointestinal tract and some types of allergies.
Healing springs rich in radon flow here. Their unique properties were known to the Celts and ancient Romans. Currently , there is a balneological resort in the valley of the Hachtsteiner-Ache river , where the color of Austrian society comes, as well as members of European royal families. Treatment at the resort can be combined with skiing or snowboarding. The healing springs of this valley are neighbors with ski resorts, interesting for athletes of any level of training. Hiking trails, located near resorts and small towns, as if from glossy postcards, will be a real gift for nature lovers. Not far from the town of Zell am See is the Hoch Tauern National Park, through which passes the most beautiful hiking trail in the Austrian Alps – the Pinzgauer Spatziregang .
Of course, the main attraction of the region remains the city of Salzburg itself . The unique combination of a wealth of architectural monuments with a picturesque alpine environment gives Salzburg the right to claim the title of one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
The vigorous city-building activity of the rulers-archbishops reflected the influence of the Italian Renaissance and Baroque. For example, Archbishop Wolf Dietrich von Reitenau (reigned 1587-1612) purposefully Italianized Salzburg , dreaming of turning it into a “German Rome”. The most famous Austrian Baroque architect Johann Fischer von Erlach began his career here .
The historic center of Salzburg was included in the UNESCO List of World Cultural and Natural Heritage Sites in 1996.
Salzburg is divided into three districts. In the first, on the left bank of the Salzach River , there are beautiful churches, the residence of the archbishop, the house where Mozart was born. This part of the city ( Old Town ) is built entirely in the Baroque style and leaves an impression of extraordinary integrity. Baroque elements are perfectly combined with earlier and modern buildings. The bustling central shopping street Getreidegasse will not leave anyone indifferent. Shops of modern brands are located here in medieval houses. And Mozart was born in house number 9 and spent 17 years of his life here.
In the second district ( New Town ) on the right bank of the Salzach , there are the Mirabel Palace , the Mozart Conservatory and the Kapuzinerberg mountain , the top of which can be climbed by climbing 250 steep steps.
In the third district – the majestic medieval fortress of Hohensalzburg , which you will have to climb on the funicular. Hohensalzburg can be called a symbol of the spiritual principality. This fortress was built for about 500 years and all this time remained an indestructible stronghold of Catholicism.
Speaking about Salzburg , one cannot fail to mention the world-famous Salzburg Festival . Thanks to this holy event, the city is rightfully endowed with the glory of one of the world’s music centers. The festival equally hospitably welcomes both famous musicians and those who are just going to declare themselves in this area.
The history of the Salzburg Festival began even before the First World War with very irregular Mozart concerts . Richard Strauss attended this concert in 1906 , and Gustav Mahler in 1910 . The idea of organizing a large-scale and significant festival was realized on August 22, 1920.
Since 1960, the opening of the Festival has been held in the Great Festival Palace . Today’s Salzburg Festival offers guests a wide variety of operas, concerts, and theater productions, from classical to avant-garde. Summer days – the time of the festival – turn the city streets into one big playground for mass spectacles.
It is impossible to be disappointed in the beauty and originality of Salzburg . It is equally beautiful at any time of the year – wet winter or hot summer. Perhaps the most accurate description of this city was the lines of the local poet Herman Bar – “it is always beautiful, and every time it seems that right now it is more beautiful than ever.”
Sights around Salzburg
About 15 km south of Salzburg lies the old town of Hallein, which was a major center of salt trade since the 6th century. to n. e. Even the Celts discovered salt deposits in the western hills, and since then these mines have been a source of prosperity for the city and the region. The historic center of Hallein itself, stretching between Lower Market, Upper Market, Bayrhammerplatz and Kornsteinplatz, is picturesque enough in its own right, and the local Celtic Museum a few steps north of Lower Market boasts one of the richest collections of Celtic period objects in the country.
The parish church on Gruber Square has a rather extraordinary tower, built in 1967 to replace the bell tower destroyed during the Second World War. And the mansion opposite the church was occupied for 28 years by the composer Franz Xavier Gruber – the author of perhaps the most famous melody born in these parts – “Silent Night” (used in many countries as a Christmas hymn). The grave of Gruber himself is located right there, opposite the outer wall of the church, and the mansion itself has been transformed into his house-museum.
Up to fourteen buses a day connect Hallein station with the mountain village of Bad Durrnberg, which is 2 km west of. It is here that the famous salt mines are located, organized tours of which are held every day: from April to October – from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., from November to March – from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (15.9 euros). The approximately one and a half hour route starts with a trip on the Grubenhunt line trolleys, accompanied by a multimedia presentation, then passes by an underground lake, through which you will have to cross on a wooden raft, just like in the old days, and ends at the Celtic Museum exposition (opening hours are the same, entrance the ticket is included in the price of the excursion).
40 km south of Salzburg lies the shipyard town, widely known for the substantial fortress of Hohenwerfen (11th-17th centuries) and the giant ice caves of Eisriesenvelt, which lie 1,641 meters above sea level higher up the valley to the northeast.
8 km south of the shipyard is the town of Bischofshofen – the best starting point for excursions to the picturesque places of the Pongau valleys. From here you can go to the ancient city of Radstadt with its significant fortress of the 15th and 16th centuries or visit the isolated villages of the Mur Valley with their archaic traditions and colorful ancient festivals. And you can immediately go south – to St. Johann im Pongau – one of the most famous sports centers in Austria. Together with the nearby town of Alpendorf (3 km southeast of) and other mountain centers it forms a large ski area known as Sportwelt Amade.
To the west of St. Johann, a number of local roads successively branch off from the main highway to the south – this is where a number of famous mountain resorts of the Gasteinertal Valley begin. Skiers fell in love with these regions already at the beginning of the 19th century, when the hot radon springs of Badgastein attracted the attention of thousands of wealthy Europeans – the main city of the valley still remains one of the most eccentric and fashionable resorts in Austria. Well, what lies a little lower in the Bad Hofgastein valley, together with Dorfgastein located nearby and Böckstein and Sportgastein located in the upper part of the valley, form the largest and most diverse ski area in Salzburg. And if you add to this the famous Klammstein caves and Heilstollen radon tunnels, lakes Parzena, Palfner See and Bockhartze, pine forests of the Kotschachtal valley,
A little higher up the Salzach valley, on its northern slope, are the famous ski centers of the Zell am See region – Kaprun and Saalbach – Hinterglemm, which even surpass the Gasteinertal resorts in terms of their capabilities. In addition, here you can simply drive along one of the most beautiful highways in Europe – the Grossglockner Hochalpenstrasse, visit the majestic Kreimler waterfalls, go for a ride in any of almost a dozen small ski resorts in the Stubacht Valley and the Pinzgau region, take a walk in the silence of the Untersulzbach and Oberzulzbach gorge valleys, climb any of the two dozen majestic Hoch Tauern peaks or walk along the route around the highest mountain in Austria – Grossglockner (3797 m, most of it lies in the territory of Carinthia and Tyrol) and the surrounding nature of its nature reserve.
Obertauern: a ski resort in Salzburgerland
No one will argue that skiing requires snow. A long autumn or a warm spring can significantly affect the duration of the sports season of ski resorts. In November or April, tourists often risk being without trails. Which never happens in Obertauern. For this resort, a two-meter layer of snow is the norm, for most of the winter the town is covered with snow up to the very roofs. So, if the vacation is already in April, and you really want to spend it on mountain skiing, then Obertauern is a very good place for this.
According to legend, a fortification with a tower was built on this pass. There was a small garrison in it, which guarded the then only way from the Roman Empire to barbarian Northern Europe. In commemoration of this, a statue of a Roman legionnaire with a bare gladius – a short sword – stands near the Römerhof (Roman Court) hotel . But no artifacts of the Roman presence remained here. Only the name of the city – Visoka Vezha still reminds of it.
However, there are numerous testimonies of the short stay in Obertauern of four young people, whose names were not known at the time. But after the short and funny film “Help!” The Beatles quartet began their rise to fame.
By today’s standards, it’s just a long music video, filmed here only because there was no snow in other places. None of the residents of the city understood what was happening. The musicians on skis could only stand, so they were duplicated by local instructors during filming. Today they are all solid people, owners of hotels and lifts in Obertauern, but their establishments carefully preserve the atmosphere of the 60s, when this turning point in the fate of the artists was filmed here. The owner of the Hotel Seekarhaus , located just above the resort, even today proudly declares: “I was George Harrison!”. At the Edelweiss Hotel , the rooms where the members of the ensemble lived bear their names, and a night’s stay in each one costs twice as much as usual.
Skiing and recreation in Obertauern
Athletes started skiing from the surrounding mountains back in the 30s of the last century. There were no lifts yet, and they were towed by horses to the start of the track. However, the tourist boom came late here, just after the filming of the movie about the Beatles. For this reason, Obertauern has today the most advanced infrastructure for active recreation. In this small town there are 20 hotels with four stars, the same number with three, and a few more with two. In addition, there are so-called apart-hotels, in fact, individual manors-chalets with all imaginable amenities.
The height difference in Obertauern is only 711 meters, from 2350 to 1639. Despite this, there is room for lovers of alpine sports. 95 kilometers of equipped tracks are very diverse – from the simplest, which are the majority, to the rather difficult Gamsleitenspitz , or as it is more often called G-2. Experts claim that the dose of adrenaline received on it is quite comparable to the Kitzbühel Streif , because the steep cliff at its edge does not allow you to relax for a second.
For middle-class athletes, the Tauernrunde (Tauern circle) is better – a well-maintained and equipped system of ski trails with a well-thought-out system of lifts, mainly of the “blue” level of difficulty. It takes from an hour and a half to a whole day to complete the circuit, as there are many bars and recreation areas along the way. You can move in both directions, but there is no obligation.
Obertauern is also distinguished by the large number of downhill skiing schools. There are more than a dozen of them here. Not only that, kindergartens “with a ski slope” are open here. Arriving on vacation with a small child, it is not at all necessary to be constantly attached to him. Specially trained instructors will quickly teach little skiers the basics of this exciting sport. Meanwhile, dads and moms will have fun and hone their skills on the slopes of the Tauern ridge . For children, there is even a special children’s lift and a special track with fairy-tale characters, foresters and Santa Claus. It is located in the quietest and sunniest place in the valley.
Like any modern ski resort, Obertauern offers its guests not only skiing, but also all kinds of upper-sky entertainment. Almost every hotel has its own restaurant, which turns into a nightclub in the evening. Their example is followed by numerous institutions on the slopes. Twice a week, night runs are opened on lighted tracks. Children and adults love dog sledding. The hotels have spa salons, indoor courts, solariums, and there is even a bowling alley.
How to get here
The nearest airport to Obertauern is Salzburg (90 km). It is 140 km to Klagenfurt, 200 km to Munich. The nearest railway station is Radstadt, 20 kilometers from the city.
Gastein Valley
The most important feature of these places are hot springs with high radon content. Thanks to them, the region until the second half of the 20th century. developed as a balneological resort. Of course, you won’t be able to get treatment on a short trip, but it’s quite possible to recover after skiing. Especially since most hotels have thermal pools. The skiing season in the Gastein valley is usual for most of Austria – from the beginning of December to the end of April. The skiing area is located at altitudes from 800 to 2700 m.
Bad Gastein
The town (by the way, the Austrians themselves pronounce its name as Gastein) is interesting in that the spirit of the resort of the 19th century has been preserved in the architecture. Therefore, it is more reminiscent of Salzburg or Vienna than a typical alpine ski resort. Bad Gastein is surrounded by rather steep ridges, and the slopes here are mostly intended for skiers with at least minimal experience.
BAD Hofgastein
It is very similar to dozens of its counterparts – winter resorts scattered across alpine valleys. In Bad Hofgastein, the slopes are relatively gentle and ideal for training and skiing without claims to extremes.
European sports region on the glacier
Such a rather official name designates a large skiing area around the towns of Zell am See and Kaprun , 60 km from Salzburg. The highlight of the region is the Kitzsteinhorn glacier above Kaprun at an altitude of about 3,000 m, where you can ski even in summer. In general, comfortable skiing in the valley from the end of December to the end of March.
The most important advantage of the region for those traveling here from Ukraine is its relatively close location (80 km) from Salzburg airport , where Ukrainian tour operators organize charter flights from Ukrainian airports in winter . In addition, you can always take a break from skiing and devote one day to Salzburg to visit Mozart’s house , fortress and palace.
Zell am See
The town is located in a rather unusual landscape for the Alps – nature has created a large valley here, almost a plain. There is a huge lake on it. The low location (only 750 m) and the calm relief allowed Zell am See to turn into a full-fledged city with all the necessary attributes: a railway station, a fortress, a museum, a significant cathedral and even an art gallery. There is also an aqua park with an indoor pool. In short, it’s a good place for those who don’t prioritize their own skiing.
Most of the tracks around Zell am See are located on the slopes of low mountains (maximum 2200 m). Many of them descend directly into the city. If we talk about the difficulty of the tracks, then a third is comfortable blue, a third – more difficult red and another third – black (however, you still can’t call them extreme). The length of the longest track is 6.2 km.
Kaprun
Unlike its neighbor Zell am See, Kaprun is a classic ski resort without much sophistication. 7 km from it are the lower stations of the lifts leading to the glacier. You can get there from the town on a free bus. If there are more difficult tracks on the slopes under the glacier, then there is a place for beginners to walk directly on it. Here we can no longer talk about tracks, but about entire fields for skating. There is one place on the Kitzsteinhorn that is worth noting if you have already climbed here: it is about the “Top of the Salzburg Region” observation deck . This is the highest point of the region, and from here you can see the highest peaks of Austria : Grosglockner (3798 m), Grosvenediger (3662 m) andHoheiser (3206 m).
Saalbach-Hinterglemm: TRACKS to the “Amphitheater”
The resort, located 90 km from Salzburg, united several mountain villages that still have not lost their alpine flavor. Moreover, Saalbach is a more lively town than neighboring Hinterglemm .
The skiing area is located at an altitude of 850 to 2000 m. The fact that the resorts of the region are located at a low altitude means a shorter skiing season: usually from the end of December to the beginning of April. The tracks are located in the so-called “circus” – a huge amphitheater cut into the mountain ranges. Moreover, the “blue” slopes for intermediate skiers and beginners are long, and the more difficult “red” ones are much shorter. A free sky bus runs throughout the valley between the lower stations of the lifts. In addition, powerful lifts connect the Saalbach-Hinterglemm skiing area with the neighboring resorts of Leogang and Fiberbrunn .
In addition to skiing, Saalbach offers a very rich program of spectacular events for guests: from famous snowmobile races to concerts of various genres in the snow under the open sky.
Ski resorts of the Salzburg region. Gastein: mountain skiing and thermal resort
It is difficult to compete with the Gasteinertal valley for the number of ancient romantic legends. Ancient Celts washed golden sand in its warm streams. It is said that the Romans also visited here, although no traces of this have survived. But it is unlikely that they would miss such a chance to soak in hot water in the wild northern country. And all because in this valley, hot mineral keys strike from underground. It is believed that the healing properties of this water were rediscovered in the 16th century by the monks Primus and Felician, who cured a wounded doe with it.
Nowadays, four towns are successfully located in the valley – Sportgastein at an altitude of 1,585 meters, Bad Gastein (1,002 meters), Bad Hofgastein (860 m) and Dorfgastein (830 meters). However, only Bad Gastein with its waterfall, balneological sanatoriums and casino can be considered a real city.
Guests of Bad Gastein are immediately impressed by its unusual architecture. Instead of the usual chalets in alpine resorts, they see before them beautiful multi-story buildings in the Empire style, picturesquely arranged by the giant stairs of the mountain slope. A walk through the narrow and incredibly winding streets is a great exercise in itself, and since the 19th century, European aristocrats have been walking along them with pleasure between receiving procedures in one of the local health resorts. There were times when Gastein was unofficially called “Diplomatic Waters”, so many high-ranking politicians from different countries met here.
Perhaps that is why the image of Gastain began to change only at the end of the 40s of the last century. This was greatly facilitated by the railway, which connected all the towns of the valley, making them accessible to everyone. The first ski lift was built in 1946 on the Graukogel slope. From that moment, the ski era began in the measured life of the balneological resort.
Skiing and recreation in Gastain
The choice of opportunities for both is unique here. Few other places meet such a combination of natural factors – perfectly equipped mountain slopes for alpine sports and hot radon springs. Sprains and strains, the main diseases of skiers, are perfectly cured by a couple of visits to the sauna with a pool with natural mineral water with radon. The panoramic windows of the SPA centers open up beautiful views of the Hohe Tauern mountain range and the forests around the city. Many skiers go to the bathhouse immediately after the descent, leaving their equipment in the locker room.
Bad Gastein is one of the few mountain resorts where the lift is right next to the train station. The problem of sky-bass is interestingly solved. Local shuttle buses connecting the towns of the valley transport skiers for free. You can say that the sky pass is a ticket here, but only during the working hours of the lifts. By the way, it also operates in other skiing areas included in the Ski amadé ski club, which is hundreds of kilometers of ski tracks.
The ski area of Bad Gastein includes 80 kilometers of ski tracks of varying degrees of difficulty on the slopes of the Stubnerkogel mountain . A snow park was built here, where the Snowboard World Cup is held annually. From the top, you can go down to Bad Hofgastein , using a single system of lifts.
Higher than all others in the valley is Sportgastein , it is not even a town, but a service center for tourists and athletes. Several “black” tracks go down from here. The snow is always deep and soft, as if created for freeride. Extreme fans will love the mogul track. There is also a ski for cross-country skiing. Other than pure sports, there is no entertainment here.
But there are more than enough of them in Bad Gastein and Bad Hofgastein. True, loud discotheques are not respected here, but there are several nightclubs. Many restaurants with different, mainly Austrian, cuisine. The traditional planning of alpine towns in the form of a street stretched along the valley is absent, the buildings are built scattered on steep slopes, so that shops and institutions are not concentrated in one place, but scattered throughout the territory.
In the center of the city stands its most prominent building – the Grand Hotel de l’Europe , built in 1907 in the somewhat heavy-weight style of the German Empire. Since 1984, it has housed Austria’s best casino. Guests are greeted with a gift – 25 Euro chips and a glass of champagne. Roulette, blackjack, poker and slots await them. To enter the casino, an appropriate dress code is required (evening dress for women, suit or tuxedo for gentlemen) and presentation of a passport.
But the most amazing thing is a trip to deep tunnels to saturate the body with medicinal salts and radon. Developed gold and salt mines are adapted for this purpose.
The nearest airports are in Salzburg (100 km) and Munich (237 km). A highway and a railway pass through the valley with stations in every town except Sportgastein.
Ski resorts of the Salzburg region. Zell am See
Most of Austria’s ski resorts cannot be called a “city”. In the best case – a small town, in the recent past an unknown mountain village. What can you say about Zell am See? It quite rightly bears the title of the city. People have long been attracted here by the gentle beauty of a mountain lake surrounded by a dense forest. The favorite of the Austrians came here to admire them – Empress Sisi, Elizabeth of Bavaria. The attitude towards her can only be compared with the feelings of modern Europeans towards Princess Diana. The similarity is that both women were beautiful, elegant and beloved, but deeply unhappy. The oldest hotel in the city, which stands on the shore of a cape protruding into the lake, bears the name of Empress Elizabeth.
And the city itself resembles the outline of a woman’s breast. It is possible that this aura contributes to the huge popularity of the resort among women. Sports rudeness is not the norm here, the hotels, restaurants and boutiques of the city are distinguished by some special elegance. Suffice it to say that during the day, an orchestra plays on the mountain, to the sound of which the skiers almost waltz down the long gentle slopes.
An additional bonus is a walk through the ancient city with all its attributes – narrow medieval streets, ancient houses, lanterns and sculptures. All this has been lovingly preserved and ennobled, the first floors are usually given over to shops and restaurants, and even they try not to destroy the romantic atmosphere of antiquity. A wide embankment is laid on the shore of the lake, where a traditional evening promenade takes place. Those who like excursions can visit the ancient cathedral of St. Hippolytus , the picture gallery and the Pilau fortress . If someone lacks local shopping, then a beautiful highway leads to Salzburg in just 100 kilometers .
Rest and skiing in Zell am See
The 2,000 m high Schmittenhöhe accommodates almost all of Zell am See’s trails. They are considered “blue” and “red”, although experts consider them too simple for these categories. In general, the conditions for skiing here are ideal for skiers (and skiers) of the middle class. If you add to the pleasure of going down the mountain and wonderful views of the surrounding gorges, the lake and the Kitzsteinhorn glacier , the popularity of this resort becomes quite understandable.
Athletes who find the tracks of Zell am See too “feminine” can take a free bus to the village of Kaprun . It’s only a 15-minute drive – and they have the opportunity to test their strength and equipment on the Kitzsteinhorn glacier , where they will be no laughing matter. The Sky Pass in Kaprun is the same as in Zell am See, as both settlements are part of the Europa-Sportregion ski association .
As in any alpine resort, there are many lifts. But the oldest cable car in the Salzburg region – the Schmittenhöhebahnen – is of particular interest to everyone . The futuristic design for her nacelles was carried out by the Porsche design bureau, which moved to Zell am See in 1974. Climbing this cable car to the top of Schmittenhöhe is a pleasure in itself, it is worth even standing in line.
The skiing season in Zell am See lasts from the end of November to the middle of April. Later, alpine sports are only available in Kaprun, and not always. In 2013, the season closed on April 24, and the Glacier Spring Festival continues until May 1 . The festival program includes free seminars and master classes by professional mountain school instructors, test descents for testing new models of equipment, sports massage and many other activities. All this action is accompanied by an endless disco organized by disc jockeys of local nightclubs and a delicious barbecue in the fresh alpine air.
But the whole winter season in Zell am See is never boring. There are more restaurants here than hotels, they serve cuisine from all countries of the world, even South Asian. Entertainment time begins long before the evening and can last until the morning. Quite loud discotheques and advanced nightclubs operate. Various holiday promotions are held in Zell am See almost every day. It can be a mass tasting of local beer, a night skiing slalom through the streets of the city, a sky show of ski school instructors, concerts of visiting stars, a balloon festival… The list can be continued endlessly.
There are quite a few hotels in the city with different numbers of stars. If tourists do not have a free budget, then they can focus on numerous private boarding houses or nearby towns, for example, Schüttdorf . Prices in local mini-hotels are significantly lower, the lift takes skiers to the same slopes. True, there is practically no entertainment, but Zell am See is literally just around the corner.
The closest airport to Zell am See is in Salzburg (80 km). Munich is 200 km away. The railway station is located right in the center of the city.
Ski resorts of the Salzburg region. Kaprun
The popular ski resort of Kaprun is located in the federal states of Salzburg , in the area of the Kitzsteinhorn glacier . This is one of the most beautiful places in Austria , where thousands of tourists come to rest with pleasure regardless of the season, especially since the area for skiing on the glacier is available to everyone both in winter and summer. The slopes of the ski complex are perfect for intermediate skiers and beginners.
However, for real professionals, there are also a number of good routes here, seasoned with a fair amount of adrenaline. Snowboarders, freeriders and fans of other winter sports are also not deprived of attention at the resort.
The entertainment infrastructure is also developed at the highest level. Here, everything is done so that vacationers are not bored while spending their free time outside the ski slopes. The only relative disadvantage of Kaprun is the insufficiently large area for skiing, which, however, is leveled by the presence of the nearby resort of Zell am See , together with which they form a fairly significant area of ski tracks of varying degrees of difficulty, known as the European Sports Region . A tourist bus runs regularly between the districts, so guests do not experience problems with timely delivery to their destinations.
In fact, Kaprun is divided into two skiing areas. The first of them, Maiskogel , is recommended for beginners, and the second is located in the area of the Kitzsteinhorn glacier and is perfect for intermediate and professional skiers. In Maiskogel, relatively short tracks with gentle descents and simple terrain prevail, suitable for beginners, and on the glacier there are more wide slopes with various bends and greater variability.
Fans of snowboarding and border cross have chosen an excellent fan park near the Kitzsteinhorn, where there are excellent opportunities for them to hone their skills every day. The Alpincenter restaurant , which is a local landmark, is located not far from the fan park at an altitude of more than 2,400 meters .
Here you can not only eat well, but also enjoy gorgeous views. In addition to traditional downhill skiing, there are many other options for sports on the slopes of Kaprun, among which sledding and snowshoeing are especially popular. A special mountain train is actively used by tourists as an interesting attraction, which takes visitors from the village to the Kitzsteinhorn glacier.
Lovers of active recreation can have a great time in Kaprun even without putting on skis. Their services include a chic wellness center with pools, a sauna, and a steam room, as well as outdoor skating rinks and a bowling center. Most hotels have fitness rooms, sports playgrounds and tennis courts.
For those who wish, hikes in the mountains along hiking trails to the most picturesque places, accompanied by an experienced guide, are organized. Several dozens of cafes and restaurants in combination with entertainment facilities allow you to have a fun and interesting evening. People who are interested in historical monuments have the opportunity to visit the ancient medieval castle in the vicinity of the village and appreciate the architectural sophistication of several city churches of Kaprun, which also have an ancient history.
Not far from these places is the beautiful Zeller-See lake , on the shores of which is spread the ski resort adjacent to Kaprun. A walk around the lake on a special Bummelzug tram is regularly organized here for tourists . This region has an exceptional appeal and is a favorite vacation spot for many Austrians.
Thanks to the compactness of the resort, all Kaprun hotels are located in close proximity to the ski slopes, and to start the process of skiing, guests can simply leave the hotel door. One of the last hotels built here very recently was the four-star Tauern Spa, which became the largest center for cosmetic procedures in the Austrian Alps. There are several swimming pools, saunas and massage rooms, which are open to visitors every day. From here, you can reach the center of the village in just ten minutes, as well as the nearest skiing areas of Kaprun or Zell am See. The cost of accommodation in the hotel is quite high, but the range of services provided on its territory is also very significant. This option is ideal for vacationers who prefer to combine skiing on the ski slopes with pleasant pastimes in beauty salons and regular SPA treatments.
Kaprun is considered one of the best vacation spots in Austria , and thousands of fans of winter sports come here every year, most of whom prefer to relax with the whole family. Given the fact that the air temperature in the coldest month of the year, January, is +4 degrees here, skiing on the local slopes takes place in absolutely comfortable conditions. In the highlands, there is a lot of natural snow, and in the lowlands, a high level of snow cover is supported by special modern installations.
Officially, the winter season at the resort begins in November and ends in March, although skiing is possible on the Kitzsteinhorn glacier throughout the year, except for those short-term periods when the ski complex is closed for preventive maintenance. Excellent quality of trails, high level of service, comfortable hotels, beautiful nature and a variety of entertainment are essential attributes of this high-class resort, thanks to which it has such high attendance for a long time.
Ski resorts of the Salzburg region. Saalbach-Hinterglemm
Saalbach-Hinterglemm is one of the newest ski resorts in Austria . It was formed in 1987 from two small villages Saalbach and Hinterglemm. A typical ski paradise of the Austrian Alps, with clockwork lifts, groomed pistes, leisurely residents and wooden cottages, Saalbach Hinterglemm is the classic that Austria offers today as a winter holiday.
Saalbach-Hinterglemm is located in the Glemmtal valley . Today, the mountain slopes of the valley are actively used by both skiers and snowboarders. The total length of the Saalbach-Hinterglemm ski slopes today exceeds 200 kilometers.
Ski holidays in Saalbach-Hinterglemme are more appreciated by amateur skiers than experienced professionals. The fact that Saalbach-Hinterglemm has repeatedly hosted stages of the World Cup and the Alpine Skiing World Championship is often ignored by experienced skiers. Probably, those who have been engaged in alpine skiing for a long time and seriously will like the northern slopes of the Zwolfer mountain with several black tracks. In general, the development of Saalbach-Hinterglemm in recent years is more oriented towards family tourists, for whom difficult routes are not of interest.
Saalbach-Hinterglemm is known to many tourists thanks to its Snow Circus – a winter amusement park with a large number of tracks of various difficulty levels. In addition to the two villages, the Saalbach Snow Circus also includes the slopes of the Leogang resort. The lifts that lead to the tracks of the three resorts are combined into one network, which makes it possible to experience a large number of slopes in one day. In addition, the resorts of Zell am See (20 km) and Kaprun (25 km) are located in the immediate vicinity of Saalbach-Hinterglemm.
Today, almost all Saalbach-Hinterglemm slopes are equipped with snow cannons, which allows you to extend the skiing season until mid-April. At the same time, in the winter season in Saalbach-Hinterglemme, natural snow lies almost everywhere.
Saalbach-Hinterglemm as a resort has a large number of advantages. Yes, the central streets of both villages are pedestrian zones. Both in Saalbach and in Hinterglemm, a large number of restaurants are located right on the slopes, which makes the local apresque one of the most saturated in the Salzburg region . A large number of Saalbach-Hinterglemm slopes face the sunny side. However, the sunny side can be both a plus and a minus. The minus here is mainly due to the deterioration of the quality of the tracks due to the melting of snow in the sun.
Again, both plus and minus are the active nightlife in Saalbach-Hinterglemme. From the middle of December until the end of February, the streets of both towns are filled with noisy crowds of happy tourists, which can be useful for party lovers, but it will not suit those who decided to relax, escaping from civilization. For those who still prefer to relax while having fun, it will be useful to know that the most popular bars of the resort are Goassatll in Hinterglemme and Spielberghaus.
It is worth noting that the majority of tourists coming to rest in Saalbach-Hinterglemm are Dutch, Germans and Scandinavians.