Our first day in Maishofen begins with a tour of the town. In the afternoon, we take the bus to Zell am See to visit this well-known town.
In Maishofen we are accompanied by the marketing representative of the Quehenberger Hotel, who is also the hotel owner’s daughter. She shows us the most important buildings in town, and tells us about its history and well-known residents.
Maishofen is a town whose economy rests on three pillars: agriculture, with its famous Pinzgau cattle, several industrial companies, and tourism. That makes it one of the wealthiest municipalities in Austria, relative to its population.
We see the town’s prosperity right at the start of our tour. Well-kept villas in Alpine style and beautifully landscaped gardens line the streets.
Extensive meadows where Pinzgau cattle graze lie in between. These cattle are known for their sturdy hooves, which give them great pulling power and enable them to graze on steep mountain pastures. They were the most widespread breed of cattle in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Today, the population of purebred animals has declined, but the breed remains popular worldwide, particularly in Canada.
Maishofen has four castles, protected as historical monuments.
- The Stiegerschlössl is now an inn.
- Kammer Castle houses a country inn and a castle hotel.
- Saalhof Castle is the center of an agricultural business, and apartments are available to rent there as well.
- From 1932 on, Prielau Castle belonged to Gertrud von Hoffmannsthal, the widow of Hugo von Hoffmannsthal. It was expropriated during the Nazi era, but restituted in 1947. In 1987, the Porsche family purchased it and converted it into a hotel. The amenities include a large park, a red deer farm, a golf course, a helicopter landing pad, a wellness area, and a private beach on Lake Zell.
In addition to many accommodation options, Maishofen offers the large indoor park, Kreativland, which provides children with a wide range of entertainment. The cattle breeding association building hosts auctions that are also entertaining for adults.
A circular hiking trail in Maishofen with several mini-golf stations allows you to play mini-golf while exploring the town. You can get clubs, balls, and maps for the mini-golf course at the Maishofen Tourist Office.
The parish church in Maishofen houses a work by the renowned Austrian artist Anton Faistauer.
The school, the municipal office, and various shopping facilities are next to the church.
Surprisingly, on clear days, you can see the Schattberg cable car mountain station in Saalbach from here.
Zell am See
Zell am See is the capital of the Pinzgau district. It is an important destination for winter sports tourism. In the summer, visitors can choose from a variety of hiking and cycling trails.
Our tour begins at the parking lot in front of the indoor swimming pool. We walk through Strubergasse and reach the shore of Lake Zell, the Esplanade.
From there, we continue south past the beach and the city park until we reach the casino and the Grand Hotel.
The Hundertwasser Fountain, named after the famous artist who designed it, is located between these two buildings.
Then, we treat ourselves to a coffee on the terrace of Villa Crazy Daisy on Seegasse. From there, we enjoy the beautiful view of Schmittenhöhe, in winter, a popular starting point for ski tours.
We then reach Elisabethpark. In the lake, one built a base for the hourly water shows. The beautifully designed shows last between five and ten minutes each and are performed to different music. At night, they are additionally illuminated with colors, creating a fantastic atmosphere.
We continue our tour, passing the train station and the Ferry Porsche Congress Center, and reach the parish church and town square.
The oldest building in town is the Vogtturm, probably built in the High Middle Ages (mid-12th century), which now houses a museum about the town’s history, art, and culture. The district administration office is also on the town square.
After passing the town hall, we reach the parking lot in front of the indoor swimming pool again and take the bus back to Maishofen.
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