Zell am See, Austria

Visitor reviews for Zell am See

• March 28, 2008
  rebecca mayhem from UNITED KINGDOM
  

  Visited Zell for the first time in Feb 08 for a friends wedding & it was so fantastic I was back there within 3 weeks! It's really pretty in Zell with wild nightlife and the glacier at Kaprun is amazing. I will definitely be back!

• March 12, 2008
  Fire44 from IRELAND
  

  Had my best skiing holiday ever, during the first week of February 2008. It was our first time to visit Zell am Zee, and we were very impressed. It's a beautiful area, great town, loads of restaurants and bars, plenty of shopping and facilities, and skiing was great. A lot of the easier blue and red runs are at the top of the mountain, where you can pick and choose which runs suit you. We will definitely return to Zell and Crazy Daisys for apres-ski!!!

• January 29, 2008
  dave cox from UNITED KINGDOM
  

  Zell am See is the most beautiful place I have visited. I will be going there at the end of Feb for 2 weeks. This will be my 8th winter visit and there is something for everyone. I have also been there four times in the summer and I'm still unsure when it is the most fantastic.

• December 17, 2007
  Dawn from AUSTRIA
  

  Went for Christmas 2006. Had a fab time. Snow was limited as it was everywhere this year. Some friends had no snow at all in other Austrian resorts! We had enough and they kept the canons going as much as they could. It was ok, just got slushy later in the afternoon. It is the most beautiful place to visit; the lake and mountain are so pretty. Oliver's restaurant at the very top of the mountain is fantastic. Stayed at the Fischerwirt in the centre of town. Very nice and friendly, staff were excellent. Going again for Christmas and new years this time and there is loads of snow.

• December 02, 2007
  dave rock from UNITED KINGDOM
  

  I went to Zell am See at Christmas time last year. It was a good time to go and the snow was quite good too. Lots of things to do for the children too, especially as they have a great kindergarten there. The night life was good too. They had a nice market in the town centre and sold some lovely mulled wine there which helped warm you up. A great place to go all 'round ! Enjoy.

• March 16, 2007
  Edward Donnelly from IRELAND
  

  Sorry, back again. Have to disagree with Johns comments below...great terrain for everybody particularly beginners. Some nice sections on blue runs that would give a beginner great confidence and should have them on reds by the end of week.

• March 16, 2007
  Edward Donnelly from IRELAND
  

  Great spot to spend a week, particularly if with a group of mixed abilities. Schuttdorf is probably the best place to stay as it is positioned between Zell and Kaprun, so if conditions are varied in the week you can choose and have easy access to either resort. Very picturesque with really friendly locals. Have skied in France,Italy,USA and Andorra but Zell (& Austria) is by far the best all round ski holiday. Not only just about skiing but fantastic apres-ski. Having a few schnapps in an igloo bar at mountain summit as the sun is setting and silouettes of skiers dancing on tables in their skiboots to tacky Euro techno was FUN. Prices are great particularly for ski equipment. Black runs are really of red standard, but if you think you're so advanced that these runs are limiting, there is plenty of off-piste!!

• January 29, 2007
  Iain Wilson from UNITED KINGDOM
  

  Just got back from an interesting week of skiing in Zell, Jan 20-27. This is the second time I've been skiing here. Last year the snow was fantastic. Went the week of the 21st and it was totally amazing, there was even snow at the airport, the first time in ten years apparently. The trip via the coach to the resort was snow all the way. Then Zell its self was covered. All the roofs had snow. The village was covered. Stayed last year at the Waldhof (http://www.derwaldhof.at/). A very nice 4 star hotel up the valley and away from the main centre. A great hotel with excellent food and a very friendly staff. Plus the best part was the ability to ski right to the door.
  This year, however, was a complete different take. After arriving at the airport it was warm. There was no snow anywhere! The coach trip up the resort didn't look great either. The resort was clear and none of the roofs on the hotels had any snow. The centre looked completely different, still very nice, but not as nice as it was when covered in snow. This year we stayed at the Zum Hirschen (http://www.hotel-zum-hirschen.at/). A very different hotel near the centre and about 50m away from the city express lift. Food was good, but we all felt that the staff could have been a bit more friendly. Rooms were very clean and facilities were great. Just the friendliness let it down and the amount of smoke.
  As for the skiing, last year was great, all the runs were open and the snow was well over 170cm. The sun was out and it couldn't have been any better. Yhis year 75% of the runs were open. A lot of the slow easy blues down to the centre were closed and had NO snow on them. Only one of the blacks was open but covered in ice and a real danger to ride. Later in the week the temperature dropped and they could start to run the cannons, which cover 90% of the slopes. By the end of the week a few more runs had opened and the snow was beginning to cover the lower runs. On the Saturday we left it snowed all day and we could see the lower runs were open back to the city express.
  So in summary, if they have snow it's a great place with something for everyone. However, if the snow is limited, then the beginners will struggle as the easy blues will be closed and the experts will miss the black runs as the ice and lack of lower snow will close them too!
  For a better view of the snow, a webcam and some more info have a look here - www.schmitten.at
  Would definately go back again and again.

• March 22, 2006
  john coleman from IRELAND
  

  Had a great time at Zell am See, mid February, snow was fantastic. It is a most beautiful place to vist. Not great slopes for starters, and some of the chair lifts can be very crowded. However, we all had a great time, and will go back again.

• March 13, 2006
  Declan Soden from UNITED KINGDOM
  

  Back from a week skiing in Zell am See with 10 friends (4th March-11th March 2006). Great conditions, loads of snow, stayed in four star Schwebebahn at the top of the village next to the main gondola. Nice place, good food, although hotel reception service was pretty poor, they had overbooked the hotel which caused some problems and were charging for tap water (3 euro for a jug and 6 euro for a bottle) plus tea and coffee were extra even though we paid half-board. Nice to go, best snow fall I've seen in six years, if you're advanced the one trip would be enough, the village is pretty but does not have a lot of choice unless you're shopping for ski gear. Skied in Canada (Whistler), Sweden, Andorra and Austria and by far the most picturesque of all.

• February 16, 2006
  julia from UNITED KINGDOM
  

  Been to Zell am See many times. It is beautiful. Down on a lake with good apres-ski, nice shops and cafes and lovely mountain restaurants.
  The skiing can be a bit limited when the snow is poor and sometimes there is a big queue for the main cable car.
  I would recommend Zell for early intermediates and for those with perhaps a non skier in their party.

• January 26, 2004
  paul from UNITED KINGDOM
  

  Just got back from Zell am See 24th jan 04.
  Zell is a very pretty place with views over the lake from most pistes.I have just spent a week with four beginner snowboarders,and found the resort suitable mostly for intermediate boarders and skiers.Most blue runs in this resort are narrow ski shuses.As other people have mentioned,Crazy Daisys is THE place to go for Apres ski,and piste-side umbrella bars are relatively quiet compared with other resorts.Any questions feel free to mail me. : )

• January 05, 2004
  Jason Murtagh from IRELAND
  

  Just back from my first visit to zell am see. great conditions there at the moment. snow fall every day , plus the snow cannons have been going too.... Result great sking . best from middlestation up. all lifts ,condolas ,cable cars open for business. for beginners the nursery slopes have a good covering too. apres ski.. got to be crazy daisy's.great music atmosphere and of course great beer.

• October 29, 2003
  Helen Woodger from UNITED KINGDOM
  

  this is a fantastic resort, with the perfect mix of everything plus cluture spilling out of ever corner. slightly limited skiing area, but amazing apres ski. visit crazy daisies for a beer and listen to boots band play - you can even take them home with you in CD form! any tips you want from hotels to bar email!