Chalets and apartments in Zell am See

The home mountain

Skiing the Schmittenhöhe above Zell am See

The Schmittenhöhe has 77 km of pistes, a figure confirmed by both the tourist board and an independent resort guide. Lifts start from several points in and around town, including Schüttdorf, so many stays are a short walk or drive from a gondola. The zellamseeXpress, opened in 2019, also brings the mountain within reach from Viehhofen in the Glemm valley, on the Saalbach side.

Newer skiers have a good base here. The tourist board highlights wide groomed family pistes, a children's slope and Schmidolin's Dragon Park for younger skiers, and an independent test lists beginners among the mountain's strengths. A ski school week is easiest from a stay near one of the town lifts, so you are not driving small children and kit across town at nine in the morning.

We do not show a split of the 77 km by colour, because the sources we checked give different figures. Intermediates can fill several days here and then use the Ski ALPIN CARD for variety. Experts usually look to the Kitzsteinhorn, which has freeride lines and snow parks, or across to the Skicircus, where our page on chalets in Saalbach-Hinterglemm covers the terrain in detail.

Locations

Where our Zell am See chalets and apartments are

All four stays on this page are in Zell am See itself, none in Kaprun, so the Schmittenhöhe is your home mountain and the glacier is a day trip. That suits most groups, because the town has the station, the shops and the lake, and the lifts start inside it. If the Kitzsteinhorn is the main reason for your trip, a base in Kaprun puts you closer to its cable cars.

Walking distance to a lift is the detail to check first. The apartment we list gives about 250 metres to the nearest lift, the shortest figure we have in this town. The four-bedroom chalet gives 1.1 km to the areitXpress, which most groups will cover by car or ski bus. The large chalet and the hotel have no lift distance confirmed yet, so ask for the walk in minutes.

Town centre or edge of town also changes the feel of the week. A central base means restaurants and the station on foot, with more traffic outside. A house further out usually means a garden and parking, with a drive or taxi for evenings. Decide which matters more to your group, then use our guide to choosing a chalet or an apartment to weigh up the rest.

Families and couples

Zell am See apartments and a family chalet with a sauna

Chalet Molly has four bedrooms and two bathrooms for up to ten guests. The owner lists a private Finnish sauna, a fireplace, a washing machine and a fenced garden, and the listing says dogs are welcome, with dangerous animals and breeds excluded. The areitXpress lift is listed 1.1 km away, so plan on a short drive or a bus to the snow.

The honest caveat is ten beds and two bathrooms, so mornings need a rota, and there are stairs to the upper floor. For two families who want a sauna after skiing and a garden for the children, it is a good shortlist pick. For more houses like it, see chalets with a private sauna or hot tub, and if the dog is coming, our page on dog-friendly chalets in Austria.

Alpenparks Central Zell am See is an apartment, not a chalet, and the best-confirmed stay here. Two sources agree on two bedrooms, two bathrooms and room for six, and confirm a shared sauna, a washing machine, wifi, pets accepted and a lift pass included. The listing gives 60 square metres, which is snug for six, so a group at the limit should check how the beds are set up.

The lift pass is the detail to pin down: ask which pass it is, for how many days, and whether it applies to every guest or only to adults. The sauna is shared with other guests, not private. For more two-bedroom options in other resorts, see our page on ski apartments in Austria.

Getting there

Getting to Zell am See by plane, train and road

Salzburg is the nearest airport, about 80 km from Zell am See according to the tourist board, with independent transfer and ski guides giving close figures. Innsbruck is about 150 km away and Munich about 200 km, on the tourist board's numbers, which a transfer company's measurements match closely. Allow extra time after fresh snow and on changeover Saturdays, and get the current journey time from whoever drives you.

Zell am See has its own railway station, which the Saalbach tourist board also names as the main station for its valley. That makes a car-free trip realistic. Book with a host registered in Salzburg province and each guest gets the Guest Mobility Ticket, valid on buses and trains across the province while you are staying, so the bus on to Kaprun or to your chalet is part of the plan rather than an extra.

Arriving by car lets a large party split up on days off the slopes, but check road conditions before the last stretch and confirm parking at the chalet first, since parking is unconfirmed for most stays here. For flights, trains and transfers to every region on the site, see how to travel to a chalet in Austria.

Summer and families

Zell am See summer holidays and family weeks

Zell am See in summer is a lake holiday with mountains attached. Partner hosts include the Zell am See-Kaprun Summer Card with the stay, and according to the tourist board it covers summer lifts on the Schmittenhöhe, the Kitzsteinhorn and Maiskogel, plus boat trips on Lake Zell. Independent pages describe the same core benefits, with some lifts on the glacier excluded.

Only guests of partner hosts receive the card, and nobody can buy one on its own, so ask before you book if your chalet or apartment takes part. Its contents change between summers, so check the current handout for what is included and from which day of your stay it applies. Our page on walking holidays in Austria covers summer walking bases beyond this valley.

For families in winter, the Schmittenhöhe's family pistes and children's area and Maiskogel at Kaprun give two gentle options on one pass. Pair them with a stay that has a garden, a washing machine and a short walk to the lift. If the lake matters less than the size of the ski area, browse other ski chalets in Austria or the neighbouring valley on the same pass.