New cable car connections are opening up Zell am See-Kaprun

At Zell am See-Kaprun, you can combine the charm of a medieval lakeside village with some of the most exhilarating skiing in Austria SalzburgerLand. Thanks to the Kitzsteinhorn glacier at Kaprun, there’s skiing from October until early summer, and this winter the new 3K Kaprun Kitzsteinhorn K-onnection cable car whisks you to the glacier via Maiskogel mountain during a scenic 12km ride.

There’s also the family mountain of Schmittenhöhe, which this winter is connected to the Glemm Valley on the zellamseeXpress ­– and you get to soak up breathtaking views of Lake Zell from the top. To top it all off, this season’s new Ski Alpin Card lets you roam across the 408km of pistes that cover the ski regions of Zell am See-Kaprun and Skicircus Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn. Zell am See is only 80km from Salzburg airport, and you can even take a train directly to the resort.

With the frozen waters of Lake Zell in front and snow-covered peaks surrounding the village, Zell am See is pure enchantment. Start the day with a relaxing session of lakeside yoga at Elisabeth Park. If you’re keen to make fresh tracks, join the Ski ’n’ Brunch every Thursday when Schmittenhöhe’s lift opens at 7am. At the top of Kitzsteinhorn, treat yourself to a fabulous meal of Austrian delicacies at the summit restaurant, which sits at 3,029m and has wonderful views of the surrounding peaks.

Looking for a serious challenge? Get ready for Black Mamba, a black run on Kitzsteinhorn with a thigh-burning 63 per cent gradient. That’s just the warm-up act for the Trass run on the Schmittenhöhe and its whopping 70 per cent gradient. Freeriders can try out the five routes on Kitzsteinhorn and revel in high-altitude, snow-sure terrain.

Kids will get a kick out the XXL fun slope on the Schmittenhöhe, the longest in the world, and they can even video their ride along the waves and tunnels. There’s more fun in store at Maisi Park on Kaprun’s Maiskogel as well as the Dragon park at Schmittenhöhe’s Schmidolin children’s ski area. You don’t have to be an expert young skier to enjoy the thrills of the Eagle Line at Kitzsteinhorn, with plenty of jumps and curves along its 1km piste.

Round off the afternoon with a snowshoe hike around the lake – or unwind in the huge Tauern Spa – before you enjoy classic Austrian après-ski.

Then settle in for an entertaining ski show, at which you can marvel at pyrotechnics lighting up the mountains during the twice-weekly piste-side SnowNight – the Night Show Kaprun every Monday and SnowNight Zell am See every Wednesday.

To find out more about Zell am See-Kaprun, visit zellamsee-kaprun.com