Austria 

Spotlight On Zell Am See

(Originally written for OnTheSnow.com)
by Ted Heck

The Europe Sport Region of Zell am See and Kaprun in Austria made headlines around the world in November, 2000, when the latter resort suffered the worst disaster in alpine skiing history, the terrible fire that killed 155 skiers in the underground railway.

It is a shame that it took a tragedy to identify Kaprun to many American skiers. Europeans have appreciated the vast snowfields at the Kitzsteinhorn glacier for years, enjoying mostly intermediate slopes, but occasionally making one of the largest vertical descents in the Alps, 7,448 feet from the horn down into the valley.

Kaprun guarantees snow year round. It is where skiers go when other nearby resorts have problems keeping slopes skiable. When that happens, lift lines can be long. But that situation is in the process of being corrected. The tunnel was not reopened for transporting skiers. The resort erected stunning gondolas to get faster access to the glacier.

Kaprun is a small quiet village, in sharp contrast to its promotional partner Zell am See, only 10 minutes away by bus. Zell sits on a mini-peninsula that juts into pretty Lake Zell. Vacationers in this charming town can admire the setting, then do an “about face” and stare at the big ice cream cone of a mountain that looms over the town.

The Schmittenhöhe ski area atop the mountain consists of 46 miles of wide open, groomed slopes, rated a third each as easy, middle and difficult. They are accessed from the town by a combination of cable cars, gondolas, and chair lifts. Another gondola originates in Shüttdorf, a tiny village between Zell and Kaprun.

When Connie and I skied here, we lunched outdoors in brilliant sunshine. The south facing slopes of Schmittenhöhe are pleasant for skiers, who can sit and admire spectacular mountains in the distance, including the Kitzsteinhorn. But in springtime the sun can play havoc with the snow and chase skiers to Kaprun.

Both of us had a Germknödel for dessert, a huge dumpling of jelly, poppyseeds and butter sauce. She paid for lunch because at the ice bar I beat her at Nageln, sitting over a log and driving my nail into the log with fewer strokes than she did with hers. It’s something I learned from hustlers who sit around in mountain huts and win free drinks from greenhorns.

There are several ways down, a couple of them comfortable for intermediates. They are mostly in the trees and when you reach bottom, you may need to hike a few hundred yards to your hotel.

But it is the only walking you mind, because the traffic-free Old City is a strolling delight. Stately buildings, beckoning shops, lively bars and good restaurants comprise a gemütlich après ski scene that attracts skiers from across Europe.

The Europe Sport Region is in the state of Salzburg, only 56 miles from the city of Salzburg, a side-trip or stopover that should be mandatory for everyone. The Munich gateway airport is 120 miles away and good rail connections eliminate the need for a car.