The best thing about winter is to have a perfectly reasonable excuse to go on a ski trip or, in our case, a snowboard trip. Winter is all about enjoying the season as long as it lasts and to grab the opportunity to cuddle up in the white winterwonderland mountains. Neither of us grew up with families who went for that yearly ski vacation which many otherwise do. Being beginners thus meant, that we were first and foremost totally clueless about where to go. With so many options to choose between, the choice wasn't easy. There are hundreds of winter resorts in Europe alone and where to begin. Somehow, we landed in Austria, which we got recommended as an excellent country for skiing, in a small town called 'Zell am See'. Going on a ski trip to Zell Am See is where you'll be met with the best of both worlds; nestled up between the mountains, which provide great slopes with really something for everyone, the city is also located at a lake with a view so awe-inspiring that you don't want to leave. We were lucky enough to stay there for New Year's Eve, standing on the shore of the lake as the fireworks went off from a raft, floating in the center of the lake, for everyone to see.
Where to stay
Hotel Pinzgauerhof by Alpeffect - Being on a ski vacation, the location of your hotel is of some importance since you want to be within a small distance to the slopes or at least be located near a good connection to the slopes. Our stay at Hotel Pinzgauerhof by Alpeffect could not have been a more perfect one. The distance to the slopes was so small that within a 7-minutes' walk, we would be at the big intersection where everything happened – the ski and snowboard school, the lift to the ‘Schmittenhöhe’ ski area, the rental store, where we would store our equipment every night and even a bar/restaurant to conclude the day with a drink.
Upon entering our room, the greatest pleasure that met us was our balcony, which opened up to a white winter wonderland with Christmas lights glistening in the trees – this was perfect. Every day would start with a rich breakfast buffet and end with an equally big dinner at the hotel, sometimes followed by some relaxing hours in the sauna or by taking a nice, hot steam bath. Within this hotel you’ll find everything you need - entertainment, relaxation, company and solitude if needed.
Where to ski
Schmittenhöhe - The panoramic, local mountain in Zell Am See offers slopes for everyone. Here, both beginners and junior skiers can enjoy a wide range of friendly slopes while the more ambitious ones can aim for the advanced, steep slopes. Along the slopes, cosy huts with terraces are tucked away in the mountain which make for great lunch spots to recharge your batteries. With a total 77 km of slopes there is so much to explore which took us nearly half a week before we felt ready to explore more.
Kitzsteinhorn – After some days of exploration of our very local slopes, we felt ready to explore more of what was nearby. A bus picked us up at our regular intersectional hub and after a 30-minutes' drive we found ourselves the Kitzsteinhorn glacier. The cable car took us on quite a panoramic ride towards the top of Kitzsteinhorn and for every ascending minute the view became more and more breathtaking. After enough enjoyment of the stunning view, we hit the slopes and eventually took the bus back home. Many other people had the same idea of wanting to get home and after waiting for what felt like hours, we mingled ourselves somehow onto the bus – this was quite an experience.
Where to eat
Nestled high up in the mountains along the slopes are many cosy restaurants, offering a wide range of both international and traditional Austrian cuisine. As we were snowboarding our way through the great variety of slopes, which would head in so many different directions, I made it our goal to try out a new restaurant every day. Somehow, the food just tastes better when you’re enjoying it together with a great view of the Alpine mountains. Whether you are looking for a proper meal, a drink to stay warm or just a snack along the way, you will definitely be finding plenty of options in the mountains along the slopes.
Spending New Year’s Eve in Zell Am See meant spoiling ourselves a little extra on that very evening. We took the public transportation system to head into the city centre of Zell Am See where we would enjoy a 3-course dinner at a very cosy restaurant before continuing the evening at the lake shore to watch the fireworks ascending from the centre of the lake. There is a great variety of restaurants to choose between in the city centre. A dream of mine though still remains - dining inside one of the restaurants of the Grand Hotel which has a superb location at very shore of the lake.
What to do
Needless to say, we came to Zell Am See to go snowboarding which we easily had already spent half a week on before we felt ready to explore more. Exploring the multiple selection of slopes which led in all kind of directions and came with every level of difficulty took several days and we really wanted to make sure not to miss a thing. Traveling to Zell Am See and not visiting the city centre with the beautiful lake felt like a shame and thus we took the opportunity to spend one afternoon there, strolling through the cosy streets which were lovingly decorated with Christmas lights. We went inside the local church, walked in and out of some shops and admired the splendour of the Grand Hotel. At a different time of the year, a stroll around the lake would have been a magnificent opportunity to see the city from different perspectives.
However, the list of activities for Zell Am See continues. We felt rather adventurous when we chose to spend one evening tobogganing. After we were picked up and dropped off again after a small drive at the foot of a small mountain, the bus got exchanged for a tractor which was to transport us to the very top. At the top lied the cosiest hut, awaiting us with a hot drink. We spent some time just enjoying the atmosphere and after gaining back our warmth we went outside to mingle with other people at their small but nevertheless steep enough toboggan run to warm up for the longer ride ahead of us. The fun we had is indescribable and the speed the sledges could gain was insane. After warming up at the small toboggan run, we were ready for the real deal. We each got our own sleds and were guided one after the other with a timeframe in between to slide downhill. The ride felt way too short and just like a small child the longing after one more ride was there. The tobogganing was merely one out of many activities which were offered and if we had more time, we’ve probably gone for more.
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