The skiing in detail
www.skiaustria.com,
Everything you need to know about
in kaprun/Zell am See.
These resorts are sold under
the marketing name of The Europa Sport Region. They can be skied
under the umbrella of one ski pass, or by an individual pass
for each resort. Kaprun, is a little mountain
village at the foot of the Kitstein horn. The "horn"
in turn is just under the shadow of Austria's highest peak, the
mighty Grossglockner.

It is also the site of one of Austria's
better glaciers, and it is here that an a big part of the action
takes place. Most noteworthy here is that the ski action lasts
365 days per year. As it is a big and varied glacier, it is one
of the few that offers enough skiable terrain to suit all standards
of skier. It has gentle parts for beginners, and more testing
portions for those of you who are more talented and experienced.
The walking through the unholy tunnel has been eliminated by
the addition of a small new "metro", which goes under
the working name of the Gipfelbahn, which deposits skiers right
into the middle of the action without the pre - tunnel drudgery.
From there all things are possible,
even some year round cross country trails right on the glacier.
But the glacier is by no means all of the ski action at Kaprun,
there is more available right in the village. At night Kaprun
is not one of your super slick
or super wild aprés ski
spots, but there are places to go and things to do.
Where Kaprun
really shines though is in value. If you are a "tight budget" skier, or if
you go often and by definition must go cheap, this is one of the best
possibilities in the Alps. Zell am See is the more sophisticated
entry of the Europa Sports Region. It is a small city, and has
all the amenities of one with really none of the drawbacks. As
the name suggests the town was built on the shores of a lake,
and lakes in Austria tend to freeze over in winter, adding to
the "great playground" atmosphere.
Skiing in Zell is
big and varied and spreads almost from one end of the town to
the other. Skiable to just over 2,000m the town is snow secure
in that it is on the same lift pass with Kaprun. However snow
is not normally a problem, and when the good skiing is combined
with the fantastic view of the Grossglockner above and the lake
below, the place is a real stunner.
He skiing is accessible
both from the town centre (well almost) and from the perimeters
at both ends. It is extensive and it is varied, and all standards
should find something to their liking.
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