Zell-am-See

Rudi and Anita Heitzmann have made a speciality of weddings based on their own family-run Hotel Heitzmann, noted for its high standards of cuisine and personal service. This has become such a popular venue that early booking is essential, particularly for winter and peak summer periods, when four or five weddings take place there every week, many of them British couples. Their huge album of photographs and handwritten personal comments confirm the success of the Heitzmann weddings.

Two packages are offered, both of which may be extended or revised through the services of Austria Direct to suit individual choices, or to cater for larger groups. The first option is for a ceremony in the office of the Registrar, at Castle Rosenberg, which is one of the oldest and most romantic buildings in town. It is but a three-minute drive from the hotel. The ceremony will be in English.

After the ceremony, the horse-drawn carriage takes the couple for a traditional tour along the lake and back to the hotel, or the couple are driven by Cadillac to the opposite side of the lake for a small outdoor reception, before returning to the hotel to be greeted by their guests. Alternatively, the ceremony can take place on a boat in the middle of the lake with typical Austrian music. Flowers, Austrian-style wedding cake, sparkling wine, romantic dinner for two and ‘Honeymoon Breakfast’ in room are included in both packages. For wedding parties, evening entertainment comprising of a DJ or live group can be arranged at the Hotel Heitzmann on the wedding night.

Package prices at Hotel Heitzmann for these two types of wedding include the fees of the Registrar and also the translation costs, thus producing an initial saving of several hundred pounds! For those wishing to fly into Salzburg, road transfers can be arranged for any number of guests. Austria Direct charges nominal arrangement fees when organising ‘Heitzmann’ weddings, due to the experience of Rudi and Anita.

Whilst Hotel Hietzmann offers a traditional wedding in a modern setting, there are those couples who prefer to have a traditional Austrian wedding in a traditional Austrian hotel that looks as if it has been there for ever! The four-star Romantikhotel fits this choice superbly and offers a fine alternative. Parts of this wonderful building are more than 500 years old and timber beams are everywhere and the rooms entirely fitted out in wood. Whether you are in one of the many bedrooms or suites, or in the public rooms, there is never any doubt that you are ‘in Austria’. Peaceful gardens, indoor and outdoor pools, wellness areas – and excellent cuisine – all go to make this a highly recommended venue for the truly traditional event.

The wedding organiser, Sabine Hörl, a member of the family who own and run both this and the adjoining Hotel Metzgewirt, has years of experience with weddings of British couples and is able to deal with requests for photographers, flowers, live entertainment, transport and all those finer details which go into making a successful and memorable day.

Please note that weddings in Zell-am-See are available only on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. It is occasionally possible to make a Friday date, but only by special request to the Registrar.

Wedding guests who do not wish to stay at the wedding hotels have a wide choice of alternative accommodation in guesthouses and pensions, whilst those who wish to self-cater may select from the wide range of apartments offered through our British colleagues TSL Associates.