Zell am See's Altstadt sits on a small peninsula jutting into the Zeller See, largely traffic-free since a bypass tunnel removed through traffic from the medieval lanes. The centre is compact enough to walk in twenty minutes, with the Kirchgasse and the streets around the Church of St Hippolytus forming the core. Most restaurants, cafés, and shops are within this area.
The old town retains a genuine historic character uncommon in ski resorts — the Vogtturm watchtower, the Romanesque church, and the narrow lanes pre-date the resort era by several centuries. In winter the buildings are lit after dark and the atmosphere is lively; in summer the lakefront terraces fill with hikers and cyclists.