Mittersill ( Bavarian : Mittasü ) is a city in the federal state of Salzburg , Austria , in the Pinzgau region of the Alps . It is located on the Salzach River. It has a population of 5,408 as of 2011.
31-839: Mittersill lies approximately 25 km to the west of Zell am See , 30 km to the south of Kitzbühel and 27 km east of the start of the Salzach Valley in Krimml . Mittersill straddles the Salzach River and one of its tributaries; the Felber. The town is bordered to the south by the Hohe Tauern mountain range, and to the north by the Kitzbühel Alps . It has traffic links running east to west and north to south. The Felbertauern road tunnel runs south through
62-615: A Baroque facade and onion dome, and an 18th-century high altar in rococo style. The smaller church of St. Anna dates from the 18th century and is fashioned in the style of the Tyrolean rococo. Though originally a Roman Catholic church, it is used today for Protestant worship in Mittersill. St. Nicholas church, located next to the Felber Tower, was built in the 15th century in the late Gothic style. The interior decor
93-683: A 743 deed. The denotation Cella or German: Zelle refers to a monk's cell in the sense of a monastery , Bisonzio is the name of the Pinzgau region. Zell received the rights of a market town in 1357. During the German Peasants' War in 1526, the area was a site of heavy fighting against the troops of Swabian League . The Zell am See citizens had not participated in the uprising, nevertheless 200 years later, numerous Protestant inhabitants were expelled from Salzburg by order of Prince-Archbishop Count Leopold Anton von Firmian . From 1800,
124-403: A goods cable car across the mountain range started in 1943. Part of this cable car included two supports, each 280 m high; one was built of steel, the other was constructed of wood (the tallest ever in this material). As a result of the war, this aerial cable car could not be completed and both pillars were demolished in the 1950s. On August 8, 2008, Mittersill received city rights . Mittersill
155-465: A popular summer vacation spot for wealthy Russians and Arabs , many of whom spend their whole summer in one of the luxury lakefront hotels. The area of Zell am See was continuously populated at least since Roman times. About 740 AD, by order of Bishop Johannes (John) I of Salzburg , monks founded the village within the stem duchy of Bavaria , which was mentioned as Cella in Bisonzio in
186-549: Is 17th-century Baroque , with the exception of the side altar, which is rococo. The Hohe Tauern National Park Center opened in Mittersill in 2007. It functions as a museum and centre for the Hohe Tauern National Park, with information about the geology, landscape, flora , and fauna found in the alpine region. Zell am See Zell am See is the administrative capital of the Zell am See District in
217-575: Is a popular destination for sports such as skiing , snowboarding , and sledding . Mittersill has a connection with the Kitzbühel ski area through the newly built Panoramabahn cable car. It allows access to the Resterhöhe ski area, which in turn is connected to the ski areas of Kirch and the Hahnenkamm at Kitzbühel by the 3S Aerial Tramway ; a structure with the largest span of its type in
248-541: Is home to two large industries, the Blizzard Sport factory, and Fahnen Gärtner flag factory, which provide jobs for the local people. It also has a fair amount of tourist business, attracting mainly skiers and snowboarders during the winter season and hikers in summer. Farming also remains significant with the emphasis mainly on cattle and dairy farming. A large tungsten mine is located south of Mittersill. The ore consists mainly of Scheelite . In winter Mittersill
279-597: Is the highest peak of the Salzburg Greywacke Zone. Zell am See provides winter skiing on the above Schmittenhöhe mountain. The skiable area is around 138 km, including the pistes on the Kitzsteinhorn and Kaprun Maiskogel. The ski pass covers the whole area including transport to and from the glacier, which is open most of the year, dependent on snowfall. Zell am See is a low-altitude ski area and snow cover can suffer from higher temperatures, but
310-615: Is the main focus of the Zell am See skyline. It has a height of 36 metres (118 ft). The strong walls have a limestone exterior. From 1660 until 1670, the main altar was replaced by a Baroque one, which was removed again in 1760. Almost none of the Baroque furnishings of the church remain apart from some adornments. Two Baroque statues ended up in the church of Prielau . Next to the main altar are two statues dating from 1480: St Rupert and St Vigilius . The side altar contains an image of
341-526: The Austrian state of Salzburg . Located in the Kitzbühel Alps , the town is an important tourist destination due to its ski resorts and shoreline on Lake Zell . While Zell am See has been a favored winter and summer resort for the European aristocracy since the 19th century, it is known as a hub of the international jet set today. The Zell Valley is a corridor in the Kitzbühel Alps , connecting
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#1732790664345372-581: The Hohe Tauern at an elevation of about 1630 m, providing a connection with Lienz in East Tyrol . To the north lies the Thurn Pass at an elevation of 1274 m, providing a connection with Kitzbühel and Tyrol . There is evidence of a settlement in the Mittersill area during the Bronze Age in around 2200 BC. Mittersill itself was first founded in the 11th century as a part of Bavaria . Its castle
403-643: The Saalfelden Basin of the Saalach River in the north and the Salzach in the south. Zell am See is located about 100 km (60 mi) east of Innsbruck and 30 km (20 mi) north Austria's highest mountain, the Grossglockner . The historic centre of Zell am See is located on the western shore of the 68 m-deep (223 ft) Lake Zell , with the villages of Thumersbach to
434-508: The Virgin Mary from the now non-existent Church of Maria Wald, which dates from 1540. The left nave has a small altar dedicated to St Sebastian in its apsis. The Grand Hotel Zell am See is situated in a unique position on a private peninsula right at the shore of Lake Zell, this large chalet is surrounded by water with a panoramic view of the mountains. The Porsche family farm is located in Zell am See, having been obtained in 1939 by
465-675: The Austrian and European aristocracy, such as the Empress Elisabeth "Sissi" of Austria , Emperor Franz Joseph , or the von Trapp family . Zell am See is the seat of the Porsche family, which has significantly contributed to the town's international standing. Since 2001, the family operates the local airport, and in 2007, the Ferry Porsche Congress Center for conventions was completed. In cooperation with
496-479: The Felbertauern Pass (2481m) to Southern Tyrol and Friuli in northeastern Italy . Goods such as wine, fruits, velvet, and silks came north over the pass to be taken into present-day Austria and Germany . In the 1525 German Peasants' War ( Bauernkriege ), Mittersill castle was burned down and subsequently rebuilt, giving it the appearance that can be seen today. In 1635 and 1746 the town itself
527-542: The Netherlands and Prince Bernhard , the Shah of Iran , Clark Gable , Henry Ford , Bob Hope , and Aristotle Onassis . The 900-year-old Felber Tower hosts a museum about the local area and its heritage, covering topics such as local history, geology , and mountaineering . The parish church of St. Leonard originally dates from the 13th century, but has later additions, such as a 1420 stone sculpture of St. Leonard,
558-623: The area form a horseshoe shape; the slopes are mainly forested or covered with Alpine pastures . The Hausberg ("home mountain") of Zell am See is the Schmittenhöhe , 1,965 m (6,447 ft), which together with the adjacent Salzburg Slate Alps range in the west is part of the Greywacke zone between Northern Limestone and Central Eastern Alps . Mt. Schmittenhöhe is a popular centre for skiing and winter sports. The nearby Mt. Hundstein ("Dog Stone") at 2,117 m (6,946 ft)
589-482: The baroque furnishings of preceding centuries were removed. The highpoint of the church is its elevated walkway with its ornate parapet , built in 1514. The walkway rests on four carved columns of precious marble , in between which an intricate net-vault is spun. The three pointed arches are crowned with crockets , and end in pointed towers. Between the arches are Gothic baldachins with cut-out figures of St Hippolyte and St Florian , originating from 1520. The tower
620-426: The central nave was crowned with a Gothic vault , but in that year it was replaced with another vault, which in turn was replaced by a flat wooden roof in 1898. Four steps lead up to the main altar , but the crypt has been filled in. The narthex and aisles are still Gothic, but some of the other Gothic objects (like the neogothic altars by Josef Bachlehner ) were added during the renovation in 1898, when also
651-495: The east, Erlberg to the southeast, and Schüttdorf directly to the south. The village of Zell am See comprises five cadastral communities : The original Lake Zell reached somewhat further to the north and extended south to the Salzach River. The dimensions of the lake, however, have changed over time into marsh areas. The lake has the shape of a peanut, with an area of 4.7 km (1.8 sq mi). The mountains of
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#1732790664345682-405: The glacier has snow cover most of the year. In 2017, Zell am See announced a potential merger with Saalbach-Hinterglemm ski resort. In the 2019-2020 ski season, the Zell am See Express 1 gondola was opened, which allows access to the Zell am See Express 2 gondola at the base of piste 21 from Viehofen . Notable ski pistes in the resort include: The Trassabfahrt (14), which is the steepest piste in
713-639: The municipality, the Porsche family annually hosts the International Porsche Days in summer and the Greger Porsche Ice Race (since 1952) in winter. The family also owns the Schloss Prielau hotel, situated in a historic castle formerly owned by Hugo von Hoffmansthal on the shore of Lake Zell. The family's private estate is located in the district of Zell am See-Süd . In the 21st century, Zell am See became
744-487: The region reaching an incline gradient up to 75%, the Standardabfahrt (13), which is another valley run reaching an incline gradient of 60%, and the recently reopened Tannwaldabfahrt (21), a ski-racing piste in the 1930s, and is well known for being consistently icy, and having a high steepness-width ratio in some sections of the piste. In the 19th century, Zell am See became known as a summer and winter resort for
775-426: The senior Ferdinand Porsche in anticipation of the war. During the war, he transferred some of his business operations here and to Gmünd , away from Stuttgart where, notwithstanding the heavy bombing, his son Ferry Porsche remained to oversee plant operations. In Zell am See there are three elementary schools, one high school, one special school, one vocational school, one grammar school, one commercial academy and
806-742: The town was occupied by French troops during the Napoleonic Wars . After the secularisation of the Salzburg Archbishopric, "Zell am See" finally passed to the Austrian Empire by resolution of the Vienna Congress in 1816. When in 1850 neighbouring Saalfelden became the capital of the Pinzgau district, the town's mayor successfully strived for relocating the administrative seat to Zell. The town's development
837-510: The town, The castle's story began in the 12th century, when the Counts of Lechsgemünd (subsequently: Mittersill) decided to establish their family seat. The current building dates from the 1525 German Peasant's War when the original structure burnt down. Thereafter the building was used as a regional court and centre for witch hunts in the Pinzgau region. The castle has been in private hands since 1888, hosting notable guests such as: Queen Juliana of
868-653: The world. Mittersill is also close to other well-known ski resorts such as Zell am See , Kaprun , and the Zillertal Arena . Mittersill is also located near the municipality of Bramberg am Wildkogel which boasts what is estimated to be (at 14 km), the longest completely lit toboggan run in the world. In summer Mittersill has an 18-hole golf course and acts as a gateway to the Hohe Tauern National Park with its newly built visitor centre. Popular summer activities include hiking , mountain biking , and paragliding . Mittersill Castle stands about 140 m above
899-671: Was built in the middle of the next century. Mittersill fell under the control of the Archbishopric of Salzburg in the 13th century and the castle became the seat of the archbishops in Upper Pinzgau. By 1357 Mittersill had a market town charter conferred upon it by the Salzburg Archbishop Ortolf, which boosted the town's profile considerably. By the 14th century it was acting as an important trade crossroads with salt, ice, and copper being taken south over
930-595: Was decisively promoted by the opening of the Salzburg-Tyrol Railway line ( Giselabahn ) on 30 July 1875, starting the annual summer tourism season. Zell am See received city rights on 24 January 24, 1928. (Source: Custos Cav. H. Scholz) St Hippolyte's Church Within St Hippolyte 's Church are the oldest known building remnants of the Pinzgau region. The church is built in a mostly Romanesque style and consists of three naves . Before 1794,
961-579: Was struck by fire and most of the medieval marketplace was destroyed as a result. Mittersill became linked to Zell am See in 1898 and Krimml along the Salzach Valley with the opening of the Pinzgauer Lokalbahn train service, which still operates today. A military school for an aerial tramway was founded in Mittersill in 1939. A subcamp of the Mauthausen concentration camp was located here during World War II . Construction work for