Zell am See is a town on Lake Zell, south of Salzburg. A tower added in the 15th century belongs to the Romanesque parish church of St. Hippolyt. Paths and ski lifts lead to the slopes of the Schmittenhöhe. In the southwest, from the Gipfelwelt 3000 on the summit of the Kitzsteinhorn Glacier, the Hohe Tauern National Park and Austria’s highest mountain, the Grossglockner, can be seen
Tourist Attractions:
- Old town of Zell: The historic town center with the old town of Zell is located on an alluvial cone of the Schmittenbach. The oldest building elements are the parish church of St. Hippolyt, the Vogtturm, the old propstei, and go back to the (early) Middle Ages and have largely been preserved. There were catastrophic floods through the Schmittenbach, among other things. In the years 1588, 1737 and most recently in 1966, a devastating fire in the center of the village, which also led to the demolition of the church “Our Lady in the Forest”, occurred in 1770.
- Rosenberg Castle: Today’s town hall is the town’s landmark. Southern Bavarian influence is evident in the square floor plan with the four corner towers and the round central tower.
- Prielau Castle
- The parish church of Zell am See with numerous art-historical treasures (Celtic-Roman relief stone, Roman spoils, early medieval crypt, late Gothic gallery (1514/15), mighty west tower, …). Between 1972 and 1975 the church was recorded (including the uncovering of the crypt) and renovated; the tower was renovated in 2012/13.
- Vogtturm: In addition to the parish church, the Vogt or Kastnerturm is the oldest building in the city. Today the five-storey tower is home to the city museum with special exhibitions.
- The Ferry Porsche Congress Center (FPCC) is the multifunctional event center of the municipality of Zell am See, which was completed in 2007 and is named after the automobile manufacturer and honorary citizen of Zell, Ferry Porsche.
- The Grand Hotel Zell am See is a 4-star hotel and is a landmark for the city of Zell am See. The hotel building, built in the Belle Époque style from 1894 to 1896, is located in the city center on the extreme eastern tip of the Zell peninsula, directly on the lake shore and can be seen from almost every point on the lake. The distinctive, elongated structure stands out due to its snow-white facade and the mansard roof
Schmittenhöhe
The Schmittenhöhe is the local mountain of Zell am See and more than lives up to its reputation as an everlasting favorite among the panoramic mountains in the Salzburg region: from the Schmittenhöhe mountain station at almost 2,000 meters above sea level, we have a view of more than 30 three-thousand-meter peaks – all at a 360 ° Panorama. In addition, the idyllic lake in the valley, framed by lush green mountain slopes and rugged peaks – wonderful! Particularly mystical: When the early morning fog covers the valley and you look from the Schmittenhöhe onto a sea of fog from which only individual mountain peaks protrude.
Tip: The Elisabeth Chapel is located next to the Schmittenhöhebahn summit station. This was dedicated to Empress Sissi, who often visited Zell am See and the Schmittenhöhe.