Boutique hotels
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Mavida Balance Hotel & Spa
- Style
- Super spa
- Setting
- Austrian Alps
Zell Am See Overview
Austria
- Countryside
- Alpine Austria
- Country life
- Climb every mountain
Even seen on a computer screen, an eyeful of this serene Austrian lakeside resort makes you feel healthier.
With fresh air and unspoilt countryside, this Salzburg town couldn’t provide a more salubrious holiday setting. Framed by the snow-capped Schmittenhöhe mountains, Zell am See is as pretty as a chocolate box, but more considerate of your waistline, thanks to its spa delights and outdoorsy temptations. Should you tire of skiing or snowboarding the glaciers, or swimming in lake-water fit for a dinner-table decanter, there’s the chance to tour Baroque churches and Roman castles. And don’t think the thrill-seeking need stop when the sun sets: Zell am See’s coffeeshops and bars purr with a perennial après-ski spirit.
Typically Zell Am See
Who says there’s no business like snow business? Zell Am Zee, at little over 700 metres, has variable conditions for the white stuff. If the snow isn’t great on the lower slopes, you can always hit the Kaprun glacier via a smart, two-stage gondola. If you’re into snowboarding and want to get some air you’ll find a year-round, half-pipe up here.Local Knowledge
- Taxis
- Taxis are eight-seater cars; it’s easy to pick these up in town or at the taxi rank outside the train station.
- Tipping culture
- There is no service charge included in restaurant bills so a tip of about ten per cent is normal.
- Siesta and fiesta
- The majority of shops are closed 12h–14h. Most bars and restaurants are very quiet during the day in the winter; the après-ski scene however can be a different matter. Prost!
- Packing tips
- Bring some warm layers, even in the height of summer as temperatures can drop dramatically at altitude. Sunblock is essential up in the mountains.
- Recommended reads
- Mozart’s Women by Jane Glover and Iceman: Uncovering the Life and Times of a Prehistoric Man Found in an Alpine Glacier by Brenda Fowler
- Cuisine
- Austrian cuisine can weigh in on the heavy side; no wonder they have chairlifts to get them back uphill. If you’re feeling greedy though, rib-sticking goulash and freshly made noodles are delicious, as are Wiener Schnitzel and Weiner würstel (sausages), smoked meats, potato dumplings and stews spiced with paprika. That should give you plenty to walk or ski off. And the favourite Austrian desserts, such as strudels and Sacher Torte, are worth leaving some room for. Just schedule one of the detoxifying and toning body treatments back at your hotel and you can wolf without guilt.
- Currency
- Euro.
- Time zone
- GMT +1.
- Dialling codes
- Country code for Austria: 43. Zell Am See: 6542.
- Do go/don't go
- The ski slopes open from December to February. From May through to autumn the upland pastures are popular for walking, biking and riding. The turn-of-season shutdowns are in March and November.
