CityXpress Seilbahn (CityXpress Cable Car), Zell am See

CityXpress Seilbahn is a practical cable car giving visitors quick access to the Schmittenhöhe, one of the area’s main mountains for skiing, hiking, views, and alpine leisure. The mountain was known before the present gondola: Emperor Franz Josef reached it in July 1893 and stayed overnight at the summit hotel, while SalzburgerLand’s first mountain cable car opened there in 1927. The current CityXpress followed in 2003, replacing an older 4-passenger lift.

The gondola is valued for speed and capacity. It travels at about 6 meters per second, rising 546 meters in roughly six minutes. With a capacity of up to 1,750 people per hour, it quickly carries visitors toward pistes, lift links, restaurants, rentals, and viewpoints, while also serving non-skiers who come for scenery or food.

In summer, CityXpress becomes a gateway to walking routes, viewpoints, mountain huts, and family areas. Schmittenhöhe has been known as Austria’s first Art and Culture Mountain since 2014, with outdoor artworks along upper paths. The steep CityXpress Hillclimb runs beneath the gondola, while family areas near the Plettsaukopf reservoir add to its summer appeal.