In December 1999 Zell`s local skiing was lift-linked to neighbouring Gerlos, Konigsleiten and Wald to create the Zillertal Arena, the fourth largest ski area in the Tyrol and one of the largest in Austria. Skiers get good value for money here - The Zillertall Super Ski Pass opens up a vast area of trails served by more than 150 lifts throughout the Ziller Valley including the guaranteed snow trails of the Hintertux Glacier, known as some of the best glacier skiing in the world, as well as free travel on scheduled trains and buses. Zell am Ziller itself is lift linked to four other ski areas in the Zillertal Arena ski domain. Long before the American gold rush days Zell thrived as the gold mining centre for the Ziller Valley. Between the 14th and 19th centuries Tyrolean gold was much in demand and was used for minting coins throughout Europe. In 1997 the old mine in Hainzenberg was re-opened to the public and offers some insight into how hard the miners worked. The name `Ziller` derives from the Ziller River which, since Roman times, has acted as a natural boundary between provinces and countries.
