Zell am Ziller

Zell am Ziller

Zell am Ziller is a municipality in the Schwaz district of Tyrol, Austria. It is situated at an altitude of 575 meters above sea level. Zell lies in the back of the Zillertal, in a valley basin on the right bank of the Ziller. It is the smallest village in the valley. The surrounding slopes form the villages of Zellberg, Rohrberg, Gerlosberg and Hainzenberg. To the north the municipality of Aschau im Zillertal and to the south the municipalities of Hippach and Ramsau im Zillertal join Zell. Next to Fügen, Zell is the old main town and the economic, administrative and educational center of the Zillertal. The foundations of the community were laid in the 8th century by monks who converted the inhabitants of the valley to Christianity from the Gerlos Pass and built a simple monastic cell. Zell was of great importance to the Archdiocese of Salzburg. In addition to extensive estates, it was the direct route across the Gerlos Pass to the ancient lands of Salzburg. Zell's economy is characterized by agriculture, various commercial enterprises and tourism, which has been developing since the early 19th century. Zell is home to the oldest private brewery in Tyrol, the Zillertal Bier brewery, founded in 1500.