In December 1999 Zell's local skiing was lift-linked to neighbouring Gerlos, Konigsleiten and Wald to create the Zillertal Arena, the fourth largest ski area in the Tyrol and one of the largest in Austria. Skiers get good value for money here - The Zillertal Super Ski Pass opens up a vast area of trails served by more than 150 lifts throughout the Ziller Valley including the guaranteed snow trails of the Hintertux Glacier, known as some of the best glacier skiing in the world, as well as free travel on scheduled trains and buses. Zell am Ziller itself is lift linked to four other ski areas in the Zillertal Arena ski domain. Long before the American gold rush days Zell thrived as the gold mining centre for the Ziller Valley. Between the 14th and 19th centuries Tyrolean gold was much in demand and was used for minting coins throughout Europe. In 1997 the old mine in Hainzenberg was re-opened to the public and offers some insight into how hard the miners worked. The name 'Ziller' derives from the Ziller River which, since Roman times, has acted as a natural boundary between provinces and countries. The dioceses of Brixen and Salzburg used it as a natural boundary and the red and green church towers still reflect this historic period in the Ziller Valley. Originally known as The Land in the Mountains, this province was first referred to as the Tyrol in 1248. The third largest province in Austria, with Innsbruck 60km/37 miles as its capital, eastern Tyrol has the highest concentration of ski resorts in the country, the biggest and most well-known, Mayrhofen, situated at the lower end of the Ziller Valley. Zell im Zillertal ("tal" means valley) is the collective name for Zell am Ziller and the many resorts which are located in the valley. The first ”foreign“ visitors to the Ziller valley and Zell were welcomed early in the last century, and the Ziller valley has changed dramatically over the past 100 years. The construction of the Ziller railway provided much easier access to the resort, which previously had only been possible on foot or by horse-drawn carriage. It soon became obvious that improving the appearance of the resort and guest facilities should be treated as a matter of urgency. Itinerant salesmen and folk singers were frequent visitors to the valley at the end of the 18th century, and were in no small part responsible for extending the region’s fame and praising its virtues beyond the boundaries of the valley. In summer the network of hiking and biking trails plus the easy gondola access to the mountain tops make it ideal for exploring the spectacular mountain terrain while the glacier makes it a summer ski and board destination too. This area holds a special place in the heart of many British skiers as so many of them learned to ski here. Unlike so many resorts, the beginners slopes are high enough up to ensure good snow cover giving learners both excellent conditions and spectacular views. Nearly 600 peaks rise above 3000m and the Wildspitz at 3,774m tops them all. Even the highest mountain in Austria, the Grossglockner 3797m reaches into the Tyrol.

Aprés Ski in ZELL AM ZILLER

Skiing in ZELL AM ZILLER