Magical Zell am See

Amy: Ah, Zell am See. You did not disappoint. We started the morning in Salzburg and headed out for our first drive on the Autobahn. Jon did an excellent job driving our little red Toyota Yaris (side note: I LOVED the small cars and efficient little RVs all over Europe. Jon and I want one of the little RVs badly). The drive to Zell am See was not far and very beautiful. The bright fall colors that we would appreciate throughout the week gave us even more to enjoy…in addition to the huge mountains and blue sky.

We arrived at our lodging, the Pension Andrea, and met the kind owner, Dirk. We were given a room on the top floor with a balcony overlooking Lake Zell, the mountains, and town. Fall is the off-season in the area, so we had some nice accommodations at a fair price. We were also provided with the Zell am See-Kaprun SommerKarte- aka Summer Card- which was an excellent bonus with free attractions around the area which we would never have splurged on ourselves.
With our prized card in hand, we rode up to the Schmittenhöhe cable car (or gondola) and took our free trip to the top. Wow. Double wow. The mountains were stunning and the fall weather was perfect. We hiked around the mountain top, took lots of pictures, and enjoyed our favorite Salzburg beer, Stiegl, at the café at the top. We then headed into town and took a long walk along Lake Zell.

Hoping to save a few dollars we opted to head to the local grocer, Billa, and get some dinner to enjoy on our hotel balcony. We made our way through the tiny aisles and enjoyed checking out Austrian groceries, brands, and labels. (Side note: We will share more about what we are learning as we get further into our travels. One of the most challenging parts of our journey is honing in our budget and spending money. I like to save as part of my nature, so spending without income presents some occasional anxiety.)

The next morning we awoke to cloudy skies and it looked like rain. After an interesting breakfast chat with Dirk about Syrian refugees in Austria, travelling, and skiing, we headed up the Kitzsteinhorn Mountain on the cable with our free card even though the weather didn’t seem like it would allow us much for views. Boy, I am glad the weather didn’t scare us away. The ride up the mountain on three different lifts was a blast and once we got to the top, it was clear and just a little chilly. The views of the Austrian Alps were breathtaking. We didn’t want to leave. Thanks Zell am See-Kaprun Summer Card, we heart you.

After our ride down, we jumped on the boat that tours the lake (also free with our favorite card). The skies had cleared for us once again and we acknowledged our good fortune with the weather. The other good fortune we had was to see the Zell am See water show both during the day and at night. The “Magic Lake Show” happens three times a week in the evening and it is something else. It combines music, lasers, light, and video for an unforgettable (and free) show. Jon and I both felt it was a major highlight in a place packed with so many highlights.