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Tourist attractions
Zell am See, Lake Zeller See & Kaprun
If there is one town in Austria that gives you the most general overview on the country′s attractions in a single spot, it might well be Zell am See. The small town in the heart of the mountains of the Salzburg province it a traditional holiday resort famous for its "fin de siecle" atmosphere, the scenic setting by Lake Zeller See and the direct access to the mountains and the nearby glacier of the Kitzsteinhorn.
Speaking of the glacier: The main reason for winter tourism is clearly skiing - the regions of Zell am See and Kaprun are well connected to some of Salzburg′s premier skiing regions, such as the Skiwelt Amade, but also smaller areas. Since the Kitzsteinhorn bears a glacier, Zell offers skiing opportunities all year round. The Schmittenhohe near Zell is similarly easy to access, but offers more demanding slopes.
For those who don′t fancy skiing, the lake offers opportunities to skate and the well-developed tourism industry tries to entertain winter tourists with all sorts of folk festivals, saunas, ice skating and other events during the main season. Summer-wise, the city invites its visitors to explore the cobble-stoned alleys, the lakeside promenade and the nearby mountains - or dive into water sports such as windsurfing, sailing or swimming.
Gasteinertal
The Gasteinertal is a 40 kilometres long valley in the Alpine south of the Austrian province of Salzburg. It has been populated since Celtic and Roman times, even though the Gasteinertal used to be a "dead end" until the construction of the Tauerntunnel in the 20th century. The Romans were the first to discover gold and silver in the Gasteinertal and mining was an important business there ever since, to cease only in the 20th century.
Another important business throughout the centuries was trade and transportation, since the Gasteinertal and the mountains to its south connect (or separate) Italy and Central Europe. This is also why the Tauerntunnel was built despite of high costs - as you would imagine for the construction of a 4,200 metre long tunnel trough rock.
The Gasteinertal is very touristy and famous for four things: Skiing (winter), hiking (summer), its hot springs / thermal spas (all year round) and the fin de siecle atmosphere and casino of Bad Gastein (during the tourist season). There are three towns in the Gasteinertal: Bad Gastein, Bad Hofgastein (the traditional "capital) and Dorfgastein, each one with several hamlets.
Grossarl
Grossarl is a community in Salzburgerland with approximately 4,000 residents. It is a market town and situated some 70 kilometres of Salzburg city, in the district of St. Johann, also called the Pongau. Grossarl is located on a plateau surrounded by various high mountains. It is famous for its excellent skiing opportunities and a major tourist destination during the winter season. The Grossarltal valley was rather underdeveloped for a long time; the tourism infrastructure such as ski lifts, hotels and other facilities was developed mostly after 1960.
In the 1970ies, the tourism board of Grossarltal formed an alliance with the Gasteinertal Valley and a new skiing area was born: The Skischaukel Grossarltal-Dorfgastein, a major player of the skiing industry in Salzburg ever since. Only after this coalition was formed, tourism flourished and prospered.
The skiing area is now part of the Ski Amade and has 80 slopes, five cable cars, eight chair lifts and five cable lifts carrying up to 29,000 people an hour at maximum capacity. The altitudes of the skiing area range from about 885 metres (Grossarl itself) to the peak of the Kreuzkogel at more than 2,000 metres.
Water Wonder World Krimml
Water is generally a big deal in Austria - many people are proud of their water as if they had worked for it, which, so some degree, is actually the case: Austria has very strict rules and regulations regarding the protection and use of its immense freshwater resources in the Alps.
In the "Wasser Wunder Welt" in the Pinzgau community Krimml, there is a bit too much ado about water. This theme park in a somewhat hidden corner of the Salzburg province is dedicated to the wonders of water. A "Aqua-Centrum House of Water" explains physical properties of water and physiological facts on how plants transport it.
In the second floor of the "Aqua Centrum" you will have more opportunities to play with "hands on exhibit" toys and learn more about the "Krimmler Wasserfalle" or "Krimml Waterfalls" - the highest waterfalls in Austria. They are the real attraction of the area and the reason why the museum (that′s what the "Water Wonder World" really is) was built in first place. The waterfalls are within the National Park Hohe Tauern.
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