Where to Stay in Zell am See: Schüttdorf, the Town Centre or Kaprun

I'm Ursula Auer. For me, Zell am See is not just where I work; it is a place I have grown very fond of, with its mountains, its lake and some truly special moments.

Schüttdorf, the town centre and Kaprun side by side

Schüttdorf: the district with the areitXpress gondola

Schüttdorf is a district of Zell am See, and for skiers its main draw is the areitXpress, the gondola from Schüttdorf up the Schmittenhöhe. Its 10-person cabins take you up to 1,400 m in 7 minutes, and in winter the Areitbahn II and III or the Glocknerbahn take you further up. The areitXpress runs in summer too.

Hotel Der Schütthof is about 5 minutes on foot from the areitXpress valley station; it is not ski-in ski-out. The hotel has in-house ski hire with 10% off, a lift pass service and a ski and bike room (see ski holidays at Hotel Der Schütthof).

Schüttdorf has its own stretch of lakeshore: the Seespitz lido on the southern shore of Lake Zell. The lido is a summer option; its opening times depend on the weather.

The town centre: the station, the old town and the lake

The town centre suits you if you want the station, the old town and the lake within walking distance. Zell am See station is right in the centre, and from it you reach restaurants on foot.

On foot from Zell am See station:

• the town square and the Vogtturm Museum: 5 minutes
• the boat landing on the Esplanade, for the panorama cruise and the lake crossing to Thumersbach: 6 minutes
• the cityXpress valley station: 8 minutes
• the Lido Zell am See: 13 minutes
• the Lido Schüttdorf-Seespitz: 17 minutes

The cityXpress takes you into the heart of the Schmittenhöhe ski area in 6 minutes.

The old town has a car-free pedestrian zone, and the town has boutiques, souvenir shops and department stores, restaurants and bars. In summer, hiking trails start almost directly behind the pedestrian zone, and boat trips and the lidos around the lake are particularly popular.

Kaprun: the Kitzsteinhorn glacier and the Maiskogel

Zell am See's own ski area is the Schmittenhöhe, reached from Schüttdorf and the town centre. Kaprun is the base if the Kitzsteinhorn glacier is the reason for the trip: the glacier ski season runs from autumn into early summer. Schüttdorf works for the glacier too: from Hotel Der Schütthof, the bus stop is 5 minutes on foot.

In winter 2026/27, the Kitzsteinhorn, Maiskogel and Lechnerberg ski area has 24 cable cars and lifts and 62.5 km of slopes between 768 and 3,029 m; the Kitzsteinhorn glacier alone has 41 km of slopes. In the peak season, the 12 km lift link of the MK Maiskogelbahn and the 3K K-ONNECTION connects Kaprun's centre via the Maiskogel to the glacier: ski-in ski-out from the village up to 3,029 m. The Maiskogel lift and the 3K K-ONNECTION do not run all year. Skiing on the Kitzsteinhorn starts on 10 October 2026, and the 3K K-ONNECTION runs again from December 2026; until the Maiskogel lift and the 3K K-ONNECTION are running, the Gletscherjet 1 and Gletscherjet 2 take you up from the Kitzsteinhorn valley station.

Beginners take their first turns on the Lechnerberg in Kaprun's centre; the Maiskogel, close to Kaprun, is especially popular with families and leisure skiers. From the Kaprun Ortsmitte bus stop, it is 6 minutes on foot to the MK Maiskogelbahn valley station and the Maisi Flitzer, a year-round toboggan run.

Bus 660 runs from Zell am See station via Kaprun's centre and the Maiskogel lift to the Kitzsteinhorn valley station. In winter 2026/27 it runs every 15 or 30 minutes, depending on the season and the time of day, and the Guest Mobility Ticket included in your stay is valid on it. With a valid Ski ALPIN CARD lift pass, the ski buses between Zell am See and Kaprun are free during the lifts' operating hours.

Getting to Zell am See from Salzburg, Innsbruck or Munich

Zell am See-Kaprun is about 80 km from Salzburg Airport, about 150 km from Innsbruck Airport and about 200 km from Munich Airport. By car it is about 1.5 hours from Salzburg and about 2.5 hours from Munich.

• Bus from Salzburg Airport: bus 260 runs to Zell am See-Kaprun.
• Train: Zell am See station is in the town centre and well connected to Salzburg and Innsbruck.
• Car: Austrian motorways need a vignette. At Hotel Der Schütthof, outdoor parking is free subject to availability, and the underground car park costs 10 euros a day with no booking needed.

Hotel Der Schütthof's reception is at Hotel Latini next door and open 24 hours. Before you travel, ask reception about pre-check-in: once it is done, the Guest Mobility Ticket also covers the journey from Salzburg. Check-in is from 3 pm, check-out by 10.30 am.

How do you get from Schüttdorf to Zell am See station?

By bus 660 or the Pinzgau local railway (Pinzgauer Lokalbahn): line 660 stops in Schüttdorf, for example at 'Schüttdorf Areitbahn', and the railway has an Areitbahn stop for the areitXpress and Schüttdorf. Its Kitzsteinhornstraße stop is about 150 m from Hotel Der Schütthof. Check the times for your dates in the line 660 timetable.

The Guest Mobility Ticket is included in a stay at Hotel Der Schütthof: it covers trains, Postbus and the Pinzgau local railway across the Salzburg region, including on arrival and departure days. Every guest aged 6 and over gets their own ticket; children under 6 travel without one. It does not cover specially marked ski buses, steam and special trains or the night bus line. You get the ticket at check-in; see what is included in a stay at Hotel Der Schütthof for the rest.

What is Schüttdorf like in the evening?

Around Hotel Der Schütthof, evenings mean Italian food next door, a beer garden in season and a café-bar in winter; for bars and a wider choice of restaurants on foot, the town centre is the place.

• Papa Rudolfo: Hotel Latini's Italian à la carte restaurant is right by the hotel and open daily from 11.30 am to 10 pm, with the kitchen open until 9.30 pm; this year it closes on 11 October and reopens on 10 December 2026.
• Beer garden: between Hotel Der Schütthof and Hotel Latini, open from about the end of May to mid-September; after that it moves indoors to Pizzeria Papa Rudolfo.
• Kathi's Café & Bar: in the winter season.
• Half board: dinner is a themed buffet or a set menu, depending on the season, with regional and international dishes and vegetarian options.

More on the food next door: Hotel Latini's restaurant and pizzeria.

Is Schüttdorf a good base for non-skiers?

Yes: Hotel Der Schütthof has its rooftop Vulcano Spa, and in summer there are the areitXpress, the Seespitz lido and the Zell am See-Kaprun Summer Card.

In winter

• The Vulcano Spa has a Finnish sauna with a view, a bio sauna, a steam room, an infrared cabin, relaxation rooms, a panorama room facing the Kitzsteinhorn and a sun terrace. For a swim, use the pool and spa at Hotel Latini next door, for a fee; Hotel Der Schütthof has no pool of its own.
• The old town, with its car-free pedestrian zone and shops, is a bus ride away.
• The Guest Mobility Ticket makes day trips by public transport simple.

In summer

• At the areitXpress top station, the 'Schmidolins Feuertaufe' adventure trail starts and the 'Areit 1400' exhibition can be reached.
• The Seespitz lido is in Schüttdorf, and Zell am See has lidos, the lakeside promenade and water sports.
• Boats leave the Esplanade for the panorama cruise and the lake crossing to Thumersbach.
• Hiking trails start almost directly behind the pedestrian zone in the town centre.

With a stay at Hotel Der Schütthof, the Zell am See-Kaprun Summer Card (Sommerkarte) is included from 15 May to 31 October: cable cars, lake boat trips, lido entry and family attractions.

Which base suits which holiday

• A ski week on the Schmittenhöhe: Schüttdorf, for the areitXpress, about 5 minutes on foot from Hotel Der Schütthof.
• Evenings on foot by the lake and in the old town, or arriving by train: the town centre, with the station in the middle of town.
• The glacier, or the Lechnerberg for beginners: Kaprun, where in the peak season you can ski from the village up to the glacier.
• A summer holiday with lake and mountains: Schüttdorf, with the areitXpress and the Seespitz lido, or the centre, with the boat landing and the old town.
• A group with non-skiers: Schüttdorf works if the non-skiers are happy with the Vulcano Spa and the bus into town in winter, or with the Summer Card in summer.
• A family that wants a pool in the hotel: Hotel Latini next door; see family holidays at Hotel Latini.

If Schüttdorf fits your holiday, see the rooms at Hotel Der Schütthof.