This past winter break, we drove to Austria for a ski trip. Below we’ve created our list of the top things to do around Zell am See in winter.
Zell am See is one of the most scenic places in Austria situated in the Austrian Alps and about an hour and a half from Salzburg. We couldn’t wait to explore the area and get back to zooming down a mountain. We broke up our time skiing with other fun Zell am See activities. We were a little out of ski shape anyway, so it was a nice to break it up!
The kids were really excited to get back to snow again too. Living in the Netherlands has its perks, but there are no hills and there is barely any snow. We were looking forward to wintery peaks and frozen tundra.
If you are looking for a vacation destination that has fun outdoor winter activities in a picturesque setting, Zell am See is for you.
Some of the links on this post are affiliate links. When clicking on the links and booking travel, I receive a small commission with no extra costs for you. Please note, I only recommend brands I actually use and trust. Please see full disclosure here.
You May Also Like: 6 Of The Best Restaurants In Zell Am See Area
Zell Am See Skiing
One of the main reasons we booked a trip to Zell am See in winter was to go skiing. It had been a couple of years since we had been on the slopes and it was time to get back to it.
We chose Zell Am See because there are 3 resorts to choose from with one of them being in a glacier. When booking a December ski trip, snow can be hit or miss. This way, we knew that at least one of the resorts would have snow to ski on.
Each of the Zell Am See ski areas are a little different. I wrote a post with more details about each one, but here are the highlights of 3 ski spots.
Read About The Ski Resorts In More Detail Here: Where To Ski In Austria: Zell Am See Ski Resorts
As far as ski passes go, we bought day tickets at the resorts the day we wanted to ski. We did this because there isn’t a big difference in price if you buy a multi-day package and honestly we didn’t know how sore we would be after each day of skiing.
We wanted to keep it flexible. It ended up working out great for us.
Schmittenhöhe
Schmittenhöhe is the most convenient ski resort in Zell am See as the lifts start right in town. This also means it can be the busiest. It is known for being family friendly, but since our kids already ski, this wasn’t something that attracted us to it.
For us, the positives are that you can easily get on the mountain in the morning due to the location. The other advantage is the beautiful view of the lake you can spot during various ski runs.
You May Also Like: Skiing In Zell Am See: Everything You Need To Know About Schmittenhohe Ski Resort
Kitzsteinhorn
Kitzsteinhorn is located in Kaprun which is right down the road from Zell am See. This resort is the one with the glacier. You can take a lift right from Kaprun’s town center or drive and park at the valley station a little ways up the mountain. If you are staying in Kaprun, this makes Kitzsteinhorn very convenient to ski.
The best parts of Kitzsteinhorn is the view and that it has a glacier. It was the most beautiful of all the ski resorts, in my opinion.
It is high up in the mountains, so it takes a little bit to get up there on the gondolas, but once you are there, the views are breathtaking.
Go on a day that is clear and preferably a little warmer. It often gets chilly and windy on this mountain.
You May Also Like: Kitzsteinhorn Ski Trip: Everything You Need To Know About Skiing In Kaprun
Skicircus Saalbach
Skicircus Saalbach is the last resort near Zell am See. I hadn’t found much information about this ski resort online prior to our arrival, but it ended up being our favorite of the three.
It is huge! It was recommended to us from the guys at Rent 2 Ski. They were awesome by the way and would totally recommend renting your skis from them.
They suggested that we start on one side of the mountain and work our way around the resort. They made it seem like we could do it in one day, but we only got about half way!
When we return, we will base ourselves in this area to explore more of the ski resort. Besides the epic runs and fantastic snow, we also ate at one of the tastiest restaurants on the mountain, Maisalm, and had dinner nearby at a fantastic pizzeria, Mangia! Pizzeria Napoletana. Reservations recommended at Mangia! Pizzeria.
Even though it is a little farther away from Zell am See, there is still so much to do in this valley that you could fill your days easily doing activities nearby.
Toboggan In Austria
If you aren’t interested in skiing or maybe your legs need a break, tobogganing is another fantastic way to get up on the mountain. There are multiple places where you can toboggan around Zell am See in winter.
Saalbach Toboggan Runs
There are a couple of places in Saalbach where you can go tobogganing during the day and in the evenings.
Hinterglemm
If you have a ski pass to Saalbach, you can take advantage of it and go night sledding using your pass! At the D1 Reiterkogel lift in Hinterglemm, you can night toboggan on Tuesday, Thursdays and Saturdays from 4:15pm to 9:30pm. There is also tobogganing during the day from 8:30am – 4:15pm.
You can rent toboggans at the lift for €13.50 per day. If you don’t have a ski pass, you can also purchase a one-way ticket for the lift. Pricing varies depending on time of day and age. Check out the costs for tobogganing at Reiterkogel here.
Asitz In Leogang
Another option for tobogganing near Saalbach in the Leogang Valley is at the L1 Asitz lift middle station (Stöcklalm). This 2.2km toboggan run is open from 1pm to 4pm daily if there is enough snow.
On Tuesdays and Fridays from 6pm to 10pm you can also go night tobogganing at Asitz. This special adventure is a 4km long decent through the snow!
Find out pricing and more information about the daytime and night sledding here: Sled Run Asitz.
Rodelbahn Köhlergrabe
For the little sledders, Rodelbahn Köhlergrabe is for them. This 1km sledding hill is perfect for families with smaller children and conveniently located near Zell am See.
It wasn’t an open when we were in Zell am See in December, but would have been a nice way to introduce our kids to tobogganing on sleds they aren’t used to.
Wildkogel Arena
For a thrilling ride, consider tobogganing at Wildkogel Arena. Wildkogel Arena is home to the world’s longest floodlit toboggan run at 14km in length! This was where we really wanted to go tobogganing, but unfortunately the snow was not quite ready when we were visiting in Zell am See in December.
If you are lucky enough to sled down this exciting hill in Bramberg, do it! You can take the lift up until 4:15pm and the trail is lit up until 10pm most days.
Prices are €18.00 for adults and €9.00 for children per run or you can purchase an all-day sledding pass. Check here for exact rates, opening hours and more information.
You May Also Like: Where To Stay In Zell Am See: Perfect For A Family Ski Trip
Explore Beautiful Town Center Of Zell Am See
The downtown area of Zell am See is a beaut. When you look at a map you will see that Zell am See is split up into two areas, Zell am See and Zell am See-Süd. The charming downtown area is in Zell am See. We were based in Zell am See-Süd and we loved our Airbnb, but isn’t a charming place to walk around and go shopping.
However the other part of Zell am See is like a pretty picture. It is set right on the picturesque Lake Zell and filled with cute buildings, hotels and restaurants.
Snow Tubing
One of the days we were taking a break to rest our ski legs, we chose to go snow tubing. It’s an excellent activity to do in Zell am See in winter.
Near Kaprun is Erlebnisberg Naglköpfl Piesendorf where you can get pulled up a hill on a snow tube and then slide down the 270 meter long track.
We booked for an hour and it was the perfect amount of time to slip and slide down the mountain. Although our kids probably could have gone longer! 🤪
One hour of tubing is €13.90 per person. Their website isn’t very clear, so we didn’t know if we could purchase our tickets in advance or if they would sell out. We decided to just go for it and bought our tickets right when we arrived. We had no problems and the lines were’t very long either.
Once you have your ticket, you can grab a tube right from the base and get in line. The tubing hill is right at the bottom of the mountain. You don’t have to go up a gondola or anything.
I would highly recommend the activity. We had a blast!
You May Also Like: Zell Am See Itinerary: 7 Fun, Wintery Days In Austria
Take A Gondola For The View Or Go On A Winter Hike
Even if you don’t ski or snowboard, there is another way to enjoy the peaks near Zell am See in winter. You can do this by taking a gondola up the mountain and admiring the view or by going on a winter hike.
Kitzsteinhorn
At Kitzsteinhorn, you can admire 360 degree views at a couple of viewing platforms. There a specific tickets you can purchase to get up to the Top of Salzburg. I give more details of this special spot below.
Schmittenhöhe
You can enjoy some great winter hiking in at Schmittenhöhe with fantastic views. You will want to take the TrassXpress gondola up to the top. From there follow the green number 28 signs that will lead you along the way.
This hike takes you towards the Elisabeth Chapel on the summit of Schmittenhöhe and towards Sonnkogel where there is a panorama viewing platform. Hike back the same way you came.
This hike should take around 2 to 2.5 hours total. Pricing for the gondola ride is €38 for adults and €19 for children.
For more detailed information on pricing, visit the Schmittenhöhe website here. Click on the tab for winter hikers at the top of the page to get to the relevant information.
Saalbach
With over 140 kilometers of winter hiking trails to choose from, you could spend all week hiking around the mountains. I unfortunately didn’t have time to explore the hiking trails in this area, but would love to return to do just that. Until then, here is the list of possible winter hikes at Saalbach.
Lift ticket pricing differs depending on which lift you take. To find out exact pricing for Saalbach single trip tickets, click here.
In case you aren’t interested in winter hiking, these would also be the passes you would buy to just go up the lift and take in the view or enjoy a restaurant on the slopes.
Get Your Thrills On An Alpine Coaster
Maisi Flitzer Alpine Coaster
Located right in Kaprun and open all year, the Maisi Flitzer is an exciting alpine coaster that is great for the whole family. This two-seater alpine coaster can get up to 40 km/h and leads you up and down and all around on its track.
For safety, you can control your own speed and there is an automatic distance control system so no one crashes into each other. Tickets for Maisi Flitzer can be bought online and are €15 for adults, €7 for children 3-7 years old and €11 for children 8-15 years of age.
Timok’s Alpine Coaster
In Saalbach, you can zip down the mountain in Timok’s two-seater alpine coaster. This exciting alpine coaster is located in Fieberbrunn and is included in the price of your lift ticket!
If you don’t have a lift ticket for Saalbach, you can also purchase a one-way ticket. Be sure not to miss this thrilling treat between the hours of 12pm and 3:45pm.
Ice Skating
There are three ice skating rinks that I found you can use while visiting Zell am See in winter.
- The first one is right in Zell am See behind the Congress Center. This ice skating rink is open from 2pm – 8pm daily. Costs to skate are €7 for adults and €5 for kids. Skate rentals are also available on site.
- Another skating rink is located near the entrance to Kaprun. Rentals are available and the rink is open from 9am – 9pm.
- Hinterglemm in the Saalbach ski area also has an ice skating rink near the edge of town. It is open from 10am – 10pm and rentals and helper seals are available.
Walk Around Lake Zell
Another outdoor activity to do in Zell am See in winter is to hike around the beautiful Lake Zell. The hike is not short and is a total of 11km in length. It was well worth it though.
The views around the lake are so nice and for the most part, the path is nice for walking. There are is one section on the other side of the lake where we were walking on the road for a bit. We either took a wrong turn or that is just where the trail led. It was the only part that wasn’t pedestrian only.
You can park in Zell am See but we parked in Zell am See-Süd in a very empty parking lot for free! On google maps it is called Parkplatz am Sportplatz.
Cross Country Skiing Zell Am See
Instead of downhill skiing, maybe you are interested in cross-country skiing instead. When we walked around Lake Zell, we saw some of the beginner, cross-country ski trails and they looked really nice. They are located on the south side of the lake and are all flat and offer beautiful views of the valley.
I also saw another track at the top of the Hirschkogel Express lift. You can also take the cityXpress lift to get there too. This 2.21km loop path leads you around a reservoir and is a very beautiful track with views high up in the mountains. It is also an easy path, so beginners would enjoy this one!
There are many more options for cross country skiing that I didn’t get to experience either. Here is a list of some other cross-country tracks around Zell am See and Kaprun.
There is cross-country skiing near Saalbach too at Gelmmtal Valley and in the valley between Fieberbrunn and Leogang.
Top of Salzburg
For the most epic view, take a few gondolas up the mountain at Kitzsteinhorn to arrive to the Top of Salzburg. You can take in the panoramic views using your lift ticket if you are skiing for the day, like we did.
Otherwise, you can purchase a Top of Salzburg ticket. The tickets are €59 for adults, €29.50 for children born between 2010-2019, and €44 for youth born between 2007-2009.
There are two viewing platforms, the National Park Gallery and a restaurant. The first viewing platform you will see is the Top of Salzburg with stunning views from the surrounding mountains.
If you enter the National Park Gallery, you will enter a tunnel full of information that leads to the second viewing platform that extends out into the Hohe Tauern National Park with a view of multiple peaks over 10,000 ft high.
The restaurant is nothing special but the view is spectacular!
Get More Information On The Top Of Salzburg Here
Boat Tours Lake Zell
When we were visiting Zell am See during the Christmas holiday, The Schmittenhöhe boat was cruising the lake. This must have been a special event that only happens during the holidays.
If you in Zell am See in December and the very beginning of January, going on an hour boat tour on Lake Zell is an option. The dates for 2025/26 are below with various departure times on these dates:
- November 30
- December 7
- December 14
- December 21
- December 24
- December 25
- December 26
- December 31
- January 4
- January 6
If you happen to be visiting during the holidays and would like to see Zell am See from a new perspective on the water, check out their website to see departure times and to secure your ticket.
Spa Day In Kaprun
On my list of things to do in Zell am See for my next trip is a spa day at Tauern Spa. Imagine soaking your tired muscles in one of their thermal pools or booking a full body massage or facial treatment.
It is an amazing spa for families as well. You will find waterslides, 12 indoor and outdoor pools that are open year round, and 13 saunas and steam baths. Sign me up please!
Bonus – Zell Am See Christmas Market
This last winter attraction in Zell am See is a bonus if your visit happens in November and December.
We visited the Star Advent Market directly on Lake Zell in Elisabeth park. It opens on Thursday, November 20, 2025 and is open from Thursday to Sunday. Starting on December 18th it is open everyday until December 31st.
Opening times vary depending on the date. Check their website for more info.
The Star Advent Market is a fun way to get a bite to eat, warm up with fragrant mulled wine, listen to some music and enjoy the lively atmosphere.
They have fires burning around this small Christmas market so you can keep those hands and toes warm. There aren’t many stalls but it is still fun to visit. Be sure to bring cash as many of the stalls were cash only.
Leave a Reply