Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Cristian Bortes

Funicular Kaprun – Kitzsteinhorn peak has the highest mast in the world with a height of 120 meters. Kaprun ski resort, which is situated at an altitude of 2000 m can be reached only by cable car from the village below. Once there was also a funicular train, which led through a tunnel in the rock, but it had an accident on 11 November 2000, when the fire occurred inside the tunnel and claimed the lives of 155 people and only 12 survived.

Kaprun ski resort with Kitzsteinhorn glacier is ideal place for winter holidays but offers a wide range of sporting activities even in the summer. The charming town of Kaprun is situated at an altitude of 786 metres above sea level and forms a gate to the National Park Hohe Tauern.

During the winter holidays you can try many fun activities in Kaprun. You can take nice walks around, ice skating, snowshoe hiking, sledding or a horse drawn sleigh ride through the winter wonderland. This charming place offers a wide range of accommodation from comfortable hotels, through apartments and guest houses to chalets.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Cristian Bortes

The big advantage of this resort is that you can ski all year round on Kitzsteinhorn glacier. Glacier at a height of more than 3000 meters is ideal for skiing also in the warm season. A huge number of beautiful slopes for beginners and advanced skiers attract also snowboarders. If you arrive with the cross-country skis, you enjoy a beautiful trail with a total length of 200 km.

Zell am See and Kaprun are the popular resorts in the sports centre of Europa Sportregion. 58 most modern lifts and funiculars will take you to the tops like Kitzsteinhorn (3,203 m) or Schmittenhöhe (1,965 m). There are already 130 km of beautiful slopes waiting for you. It is ideal both for lovers of the fast and also quiet skiing. There are also pleasant, not too difficult slopes, ready for families with children.

Season on the Schmittenhöhe, which is slightly lower than the Kitzsteinhorn glacier, lasts from December to May.

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Already in 740, Salzburg’s monks founded a settlement at this place called Cella Bisontio, which ensured them prosperity mainly in salt trading. Local people were moving the salt on mules through Hochtor to the south, where they changed it with the wine. Hochtor is a place lying now on the high Alpine road Grossglockner Hochalpenstrasse, which was completed in 1935 and begin at Bruck, about 4 km from Zell am See. In 1348 the village acquired the right of market town, but the real boom came up with the railway which was built here in 1875. This developed a tourism and mountaineering here.

Zell am See is the capital city of the Zell am See district in the Salzburger Land (the Austrian state of Salzburg). It is situated at an altitude of 757 meters and has around 9700 permanent residents. The town is surrounded by massive mountain giants, reaching heights of about 3000 meters above sea level. This stunning surroundings not leave visitors rest and certainly not hiking lovers. Winding streets full of shops, restaurants and Zell am See hotels offer pleasant atmosphere. Also history lovers can admire many sights in Zell am See.

The oldest building is a tower Vogturm built probably at the end of 10th century. Tower is also sometimes called Kastnerturm, according to trader Johann Kastner, who bought the tower in 1866. In its interior there is now a small museum of local history Heimatmuseum. A major monument of Zell am See is also a parish church of St. Hippolyte from 11th century, which was rebuilt several times over the centuries and in 1770 to its current Baroque style. Inside the church there is a Gothic altar and the frescoes from the 13th and 14th century.

City Hall can be found in the Rosenberg Castle, built in the late 16th century. It has the four corner towers and a circular central tower. The town is located not far from the another castle Prielau from the 15th century, which currently operates as a luxury hotel.

Nearby mountain Schmittenhohe (1965 meters high above sea level) is also a popular tourist site. You can climb up on your foot, a hike will take about 3 hours, or take a lift and then enjoy the view of the snowy peaks of the Hohe Tauern. They are around 3000 meters high – e.g. Grossglockner and Großvenediger. Mountain Schmittenhohe is ideal starting point for hiking and in the winter it is a great place for skiing.

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