The ski area
Zell am See-Kaprun is really two ski areas sharing one lift pass. Above the lakeside town of Zell am See rises the Schmittenhöhe, with 77 km of mostly blue and red runs and views over the Zeller See. A few kilometres up the valley in Kaprun, the family-friendly Maiskogel connects by gondola to the Kitzsteinhorn, which climbs to 3,029 m and adds another 62.5 km. Together that makes 139.5 km of local slopes served by 51 lifts: 60.5 km blue, 50 km red and 29 km black, plus a handful of marked ski routes. The two sides are not joined by piste; you switch between them by ski bus or by driving the short distance.
The glacier is the big selling point. Its season is planned from 10 October 2026 to 17 May 2027, by far the longest in the region, while the Schmittenhöhe opens on 4 December. Every pass is a Ski ALPIN CARD, which also covers the Skicircus Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn: 408 km of slopes and 121 lifts in total.
Who is Zell am See-Kaprun for?
Families and intermediates get the most out of it. The Schmittenhöhe is gentle and easy to navigate, and Zell am See is a real town with shops, cafés and a lakeside promenade rather than a purpose-built resort. The glacier appeals to anyone travelling early or late in the season when lower resorts are still uncertain. Après-ski exists but is relaxed; confident skiers will head for the Kitzsteinhorn’s blacks and ski routes rather than the local reds.
Practical
From Brussels it is about 1,000 km and 10 hours, mostly on German motorways, and you need an Austrian vignette. Salzburg airport is 85 km away if you fly. In peak season 2026/2027 (19 December to 12 March) an adult day pass costs 82 euros and a 6-day pass 440 euros; in the bonus weeks before and after it drops to 74 and 396 euros. Bear in mind the valley base of 760 m: the Schmittenhöhe home runs depend on the weather, while the glacier never does.