| Zell am See | |
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Zell am See
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| Country | Austria |
| State | Salzburg |
| District | Zell am See |
| Mayor | Ing. Hermann Kaufmann (ÖVP) |
| Area | 55.17 km2 (21 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 750 m (2461 ft) |
| Population | 9,568 (1 January 2011)[1] |
| - Density | 173 /km2 (449 /sq mi) |
| Time zone | CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2) |
| Licence plate | ZE |
| Postal code | 5700 |
| Area code | 06542 |
| Website | www.zellamsee.salzburg.at |
Zell am See is the capital city of the Zell am See district in the Austrian state of Salzburg. The city has about 10,000 inhabitants.
Zell am See is a tourist destination and a transportation hub for the region. The German name "Zell am See" means "Zell by the lake".
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The valley of Zell is a corridor in the middle of the Austrian Alps between the Saalach and the Salzach rivers. The lake is the 68-metre (223 ft) deep Lake Zell, with Zell am See's "Altstadt" (or Old Town) in the west, and with the villages of Thumersbach to the east, Erlberg to the southeast, and Schüttdorf directly to the south. Zell am See is approximately 100 kilometres to the east of Innsbruck and 30 kilometers the north of Großglockner.
The city of Zell am See is divided into five districts:
The original Lake Zell reached somewhat further to the north and extended south to the Salzach river. The dimensions of the lake, however, haved changed over time into marsh areas. The lake has the shape of a peanut, with an area of 4.7 square kilometres (1.8 sq mi).
The mountains of the area form a horseshoe shape and are mainly forested or agricultural fields. The "Hausberg" or home mountain of Zell am See is the Schmittenhöhe(1.965 metres), which is part of the Salzburg Greywacke zone (or slate Alps). The Schmittenhöhe is a popular center for winter sports. The nearby "Hundstein" (or "Dog Stone") at 2,117 metres (6,946 ft) is the highest peak of the Salzburg Grewacke Zone.
Zell am See was already populated in Roman times. In 740 AD, by order of the Archbishop Johannes (John) of Salzburg, monks founded the village "Cella in Bisonzio". Zell received the rights of a market town in 1357, and its city rights on 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, 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 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 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 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.
In Zell am See there are 3 elementary schools, one high school, one special school, one vocational school, one grammar school, one commercial academy and a commercial school: