Zell am See

Thumersbach boat, Kitzsteinhorn glacier, Krimml train

Give the first day to the lake: walk the promenade from the old town past St. Hippolyte's church, take the boat to Thumersbach and walk back for the classic view, swimming in July and August. Day two is bus 660 to Kaprun and the Kitzsteinhorn glacier; day three, the Pinzgauer Lokalbahn west to Krimml.

Spend the first day on and around the lake. Walk the promenade from the old town, look into St. Hippolyte's church and the Vogtturm with its museum, then take the boat across to Thumersbach and walk back along the shore, the route with the best view of the town under the Schmittenhöhe. In July and August, finish with a swim from one of the bathing spots around the lake. In winter, swap all this for a day on the Schmittenhöhe, reached by the cityXpress from the centre.

On day two, catch bus 660 from Postplatz to Kaprun and ride up to the Kitzsteinhorn, where the snow is higher and colder and the view stretches across the Hohe Tauern. Come back for an evening in the old town lanes.

Use the third day for the Grossglockner High Alpine Road in summer, starting from the Fusch valley, or ride the Pinzgauer Lokalbahn west to Krimml to see the waterfalls. In winter, ski the areitXpress side from Schüttdorf for a change of scenery.

Pinzgauer Kasnocken on the Schmittenhöhe huts

Zell's kitchens draw on the mountains and the lake. The dish to try is Pinzgauer Kasnocken, small flour dumplings baked in a pan with sharp local cheese and topped with crisp onions, on the menu at many huts on the Schmittenhöhe. Kaiserschmarrn and hearty soups fill the gaps between runs.

Down by the water, summer menus feature lake and river fish such as char and trout, often grilled whole. Restaurants in the old town lanes and along the promenade range from simple Gasthäuser to hotel dining rooms full of half-board guests, and the five-star Salzburgerhof, close to the lake, is the formal option.

After dark, the old town has a modest bar scene. Murray's Irish Bar is one of the livelier places, with live music during the week and a weekly pub quiz. Book dinner ahead over Christmas and in the February school holidays, when the town fills with families.

Kaprun reservoirs, Grossglockner hairpins and the Krimml Falls

Kaprun is the closest outing, a short ride on bus 660. Above the village, the Kitzsteinhorn glacier offers skiing well into spring and high views over the Hohe Tauern, and in summer the high mountain reservoirs above Kaprun make a dramatic half day. Check access dates, as the reservoir road opens only in the warmer months.

The Grossglockner High Alpine Road starts in the Fusch valley south of Zell and climbs towards Austria's highest mountain. It is a toll road, closed in winter, and best driven early on a clear morning before the coaches and motorbikes fill the hairpins.

Westwards, the Pinzgauer Lokalbahn trundles along the Salzach valley to Krimml, where the waterfalls drop in several stages through the forest and a path climbs beside them. Allow most of a day for the slow train and the walk. Salzburg itself is about 90 minutes away by hourly train, close enough for a rainy-day city visit.