Zell am See/Kaprun – The Best All-Round Austrian Ski Destination?

10th March 2024 | James Cove, Zell am See/Kaprun, Austria.

Last modified on March 14th, 2024

It offers typical Austrian slopes, with access to a high-altitude and snow sure glacier area. Plus more than 400kms of slopes with its links to the Ski Circus resorts. PlanetSKI is sampling its attractions.

You’ll find superior high-altitude skiing, better intermediate slopes, more traditional villages and larger ski areas.

But I’m scratching my head trying to thing of a better place in Austria that offers all in one area, and on one lift ticket.

Zell am See/Kaprun. Image © PlanetSKI

This winter in the Alps has general seen poor snow at low altitude and good snow at high altitude.

Height is always crucial, but this season more than ever, as it determines whether ski areas receive snow or rain.

When the snow has been good at low altitude it has been great, but such conditions can’t be guaranteed and have sadly been few and far between.

Temperatures in the Alps last month were the highest February ones ever recorded and took the inevitable toll on the lower slopes.

So, what better ski area to visit than one that offers a bit of everything?

Kaprun is in the distance (skiing to 3,000m) with Zell am See (skiing to 2,000m) in the foreground

Zell am See/Kaprun. Image © PlanetSKI

From our base in the pretty alpine village of Kaprun, 785m, we headed up to the Kitzsteinhorn glacier that offers the highest skiing in Salzburgerland.

It was the first glacier resort to be opened in Austria back in the mid-1960s.

It wasn’t a pretty sight heading up though the Maiskogel ski area.

Zell am See/Kaprun. Image © PlanetSKI

By the mid-station things had somewhat improved.

Zell am See/Kaprun. Image © PlanetSKI

Standing at the top of a steep snow-laded slope above the mid-station it was hard to believe I was in the same resort as the thin streak of white snow we’d seen from the first gondola out of the village just half an hour ago.

Zell am See/Kaprun. Image © PlanetSKI

Altitude is everything.

At the top, at just under 3,000m, the conditions were once again superb.

Zell am See/Kaprun. Image © PlanetSKI

The top is a smallish ski area with no really long vertical descents.

Lifts criss-cross the skiable area.

Zell am See/Kaprun. Image © PlanetSKI

The glacial scenery was simply stunning once the clouds lifted.

Zell am See/Kaprun. Image © PlanetSKI

We weren’t the only ones though, with some long queues and busy slopes.

With generally poor snow at low altitude many people are heading high.

Zell am See/Kaprun. Image © PlanetSKI

I reported on the general conditions at Kitzsteinhorn in a couple of PlanetSKI video snow reports:

Thursday 7th March

Friday 8th March

After the high-altitude slopes at Kitzsteinhorn we wanted some variety and something more typically Austrian – we headed to Zell am See that’s about 10-minutes away by local bus.

Now talking of buses Zell am See/Kaprun is about an hour and a half from Salzburg airport and is easily and cheaply reached by public transport with a one-way journey by bus just €19 (£16.20) for two people.

Zell am See/Kaprun. Image © PlanetSKI

“It’s crazy as I paid £300 for a return transfer to Val d’Isere just last week,” said PlanetSKI reporter, Sally Lovegrove, who was on the trip with me.

“The bus was comfortable, on time, with some stunning views on the journey.

“All in all a very relaxing, cheap and hassle-free experience.”