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The Only Americans at the Familotel: Zell am See and the Lake Life

After our time in Slovenia, we drove across the border into a portion of the Austrian Alps in the southwest corner of the country. Our destination was Zell am See, a scenic lake and mountain town, and a popular destination for primarily Austrian and German tourists; in fact I learned about Zell am See through an Austrian friend’s recommendation and found a terrific β€œkinderhotel” Familotel Amiamo @familotel_amiamo for us to stay.

Surprising for us but probably not for the 99% of other guests speaking German, we were the only Americans at the Familotel (and were told they only get about one American family visiting per year, and we were it). We felt very welcomed though. Jacob loved the Kids Club’s activities and staff, and we loved the fact that you could drop in at any time (with hours ranging 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.) and that he could eat his dinner there with other children. The resort’s all-inclusive, buffet-style meals were also a helpful feature for casual dining with kids. We enjoyed paddle boarding, kayaking, and swimming in the lake, which was about a 15-minute bike ride from the resort (with bikes and child trailer provided), and included drinks and snacks to enjoy on the grassy, private lakeside area. Finally, we visited Kitzsteinhorn, one of the highest peaks at nearly 10,000 feet, though got clouded out of the views.

Zeller See (Lake Zell)

Kitzsteinhorn