The ski resorts of Lech / Zuers, as well as the neighboring St. Anton, are considered a freeride mecca and one of the best and most prestigious regions in Austria.

It was in these two once little-known villages of the Arlberg in the very west of Austria that winter ski tourism originated more than a hundred years ago. Back in 1938, Austria’s first ski lift appeared here, at that time it pretended to be a “cable winch for skiers”.

Today, these resorts are officially included in the top 11 best ski resorts in the five Alpine countries. The richest and most famous people from all over the world like to come here, including members of the royal families of England, the Netherlands and the Middle East. However, ordinary fans of alpine skiing or snowboarding will also find a place here to let off steam in unbridled carving on perfectly prepared wide slopes, and for fans of freeride and wide skiing – to paint beautiful arcs on the pristine fresh pistes.

Ski Region Characteristics

Altitudes: 1445-2450m, Vorarlberg Tyrol Austria

Lech – 1445-1660 m, 1380 inhabitants.

Zuers – 1720 m, 130 inhabitants.

Nearest train station: Langen am Arlberg.

Nearest airports: Innsbruck (100 km), Austria; Zurich (200 km), Switzerland; Munich (250 km), Germany.

Ski pass: free ski passes to Stubenbach, Zürs and Alpe Rauz.

Info about ski passes: Arlberg ski pass including Lech, Oberlech, Zürs, St. Anton, St. Christoph, Stubben, Sonnenkopf – adults 43 / 45.5 €, children – 25.5 / 27 €.

Map – scheme Lech / Zürs (Lech / Zuers) Austria

Season dates: 02.12 – 22.04

Freestyle: fun park with halfpipe under the Schlegelkopf lift and fun park in the Rendl area.

Entertainment, après-ski: discos, bars, cafes, restaurants, cinema, dance halls, casino, local museum, horse-drawn sleigh rides.

For children: ski kindergartens from 3 years, separate ski areas with children’s lifts, with lessons for children from 4 years. “Storytime” by the fireplace. Children’s ski races.

Courses: 2 schools, 300 instructors in Lech and one, 180 instructors in Zuers – alpine skiing, snowboarding. In addition, many private courses including one-on-one and freeride schools.

Off-piste, freeride: 180 km of marked trails for off-piste powder skiing, heli-skiing in Orgelscharte and Melzach.

Without skiing: Lech – 2 indoor pools, sauna, massage, ice rink, tennis, squash, golf, paragliding, ice hockey, 30 km of hiking trails. Zuers – 4 indoor pools, sauna, massage, squash, indoor golf, 4 km of hiking trails.

Cross-country skiing: 23 km of ski runs in total (3 ski runs). Free use.

Sledding: in Oberlech – 1.5 km with lift and evening lighting until 10 p.m. Daily.

A lot of money has been invested in the development of the infrastructure of the resorts, including thanks to wealthy foreigners who love to relax here in the winter. Today, the resorts offer guests, if not the best, then a very good level of service. At the resorts, there is an opportunity to live in luxurious 5-star hotels with spacious, comfortable rooms for distinguished guests, with a central heating system. There are a lot of wonderful restaurants, of which there are more than 80, with excellent cuisine, discos, dance halls, a cinema, a casino, an excellent bus network. In addition, the ecology here is wonderful, there has long been no industrial production, and Oberlech is a zone free from automobile transport. There are also three schools for teaching skiing and snowboarding. For those who want to learn modern freeride or off-piste skiing techniques, Arlberg also has a lot of private courses and instructor guides.

For children, there are ski kindergartens from 3 years old and children’s ski courses from 5 years old, with their own separate ski areas and lifts.

The most important feature of this ski region is the unique microclimate and location of the terrain, thanks to which the Arlberg area is truly a “snow hole”. On average, the layer of snow falling during the winter season reaches a height of 9 meters. Moreover, the snow here is mostly dry and of first-class quality. It is not for nothing that the entire Arlberg area, which also includes Stanton, Stuben and Sonnenkopf, is considered one of the most famous cult places for freeride and backcountry skiing enthusiasts. The only downside to such heavy snowfall is the frequent high risk of avalanches and, as a result, the closure of the access road between Stuben and the Flexenpass, which can leave you stranded in Lech, cut off from the outside world. But there are fewer people skiing here than in Sankt Anton and the off-piste snow does not roll in as quickly.

The slopes in Lech are mostly considered easy, designed for impressive family skiing. However, there are also some pretty steep red slopes for advanced skiers, such as Langer Zug and Tanneg from the Rüffikopf peak.

The village of Zuers on the Flexenpass grew out of a local resident who first opened a small hotel for tourists. This place is rightly called the “snow diamond”. Now there are 130 residents, who have luxurious 4- and 5-star hotels with 1,450 beds. In Zuers, medium-difficulty trails start from the Trittkopf and Seekopf peaks, located on opposite sides of the road. From Seekopf, you can climb even higher to the Madloch Joch, from where the five-kilometer red Madloch run of the same name starts.

From all these peaks you can find alternative, off-piste descent routes, which are described in his book by local freerider – guide Andy Turner. In total, for lovers of virgin lands, the book describes more than fifty options, from Stanton and Stuben, to Sonnenkopf and the village of Petni, and covers the entire Ski Arlberg.

Favorite resort of European aristocrats

The Austrian ski resort Lech is amazing in its beauty, literally permeated with a sense of exquisite luxury and impeccable service. In 2004, Lech received the title of the most beautiful European village (Prettiest Village in Europe). The peculiarity of this resort is perfect snow cover throughout the season (from December to April), the best quality of service, as well as many beautiful, rich and famous vacationers. All tourists note another special advantage of this resort – a clearly planned structure of the entire region, thanks to which the lifts can be easily reached from any part of Lech. Compared to neighboring San Anton, Lech remains calmer and more respectable, as more elderly people rest here. Today, Lech is included in the list of 11 best alpine resorts – The Best of the Alps.

Lech resort trails and ski passes

The ski area at this resort begins at around 1,450 meters and rises to 2,450 meters above sea level, forming a height difference of 1,750 meters. The resort has 55 ski slopes, most of which (49%) are “red”, that is, oriented towards more or less experienced skiers. For beginners, there are “blue” slopes (27%), and for experienced skiers – extreme “black” slopes (24%). All these slopes are distinguished by their ideal quality and impeccable coating, which will please even the most experienced and demanding tourists.

The slopes of Lech and the neighboring Zürs are served by 47 ultra-modern high-speed lifts. The largest number of chairlifts here (18), slightly fewer – tow lifts (16), and only 13 cabin and cable cars. An important feature of the resort is the very successful location of the lifts – the slopes start literally from the doors of local hotels. For snowboarders, Lech has two snow parks, a half-pipe, and 23 kilometers of cross-country ski trails. Hiking trails cover about 26 kilometers, and the toboggan run is 1,275 meters long.

Ski passes sold in Lech also cover the ski areas of the resorts of San Anton, San Christoph, Stuben, Zürs, and Klöstertal. A one-day ski pass for adults costs 35.50 – 51 euros, depending on the season, for teenagers and pensioners – 32.50 – 46.50 euros, and for children – 21 – 30 euros. In addition, in Lech you can buy hourly ski passes, as well as for a larger number of days or even for the entire season at once. By the way, in this skiing area, along with the traditional ski pass card, a special magnetic plastic card Arlberg Card is issued, for which a refundable deposit of four euros per person is charged.

Ski schools and kindergartens

As in any respectable resort, Lech has several ski schools, and individual training with instructors is also provided. The most famous and popular is the Skischule Lech school. The cost of group skiing or snowboarding lessons is 75 euros per day for adults, children and teenagers. A six-day group course for adults costs 295 euros, and for children and teenagers – 275 euros. In addition, you can take individual lessons with instructors at the school. One day of lessons will cost 345 euros per person. However, it is worth bearing in mind that since Lech is considered a prestigious resort, finding an instructor here for less than a week in high season is almost an unrealistic task.

By the way, ski school students can count on special conditions at some ski equipment rental points. Here you can rent complete ski or snowboard sets or rent individual elements. The cost of equipment rental depends on the rental period, as well as the model of skis and snowboards. One-day rental of an adult set costs 28 – 42 euros, and a child’s set costs 7 – 16 euros. For six days you will need to pay 147 – 243 euros for adults and 39 – 90 euros for children.

Despite the fact that Lech is popular with older vacationers, there is a children’s club for tourists with young children. You can send your child to this kindergarten any day of the week from 09-00 am to 16-00 pm for an hour, several hours, half a day or a whole day. At this time, the child will be engaged in experienced and certified teachers who have extensive experience working with kids. The cost of one day of stay in such a kindergarten in the high season is 73 euros, two days – 130 euros, etc. For lunch you will need to pay an additional 10 euros. Children from the age of three are accepted in the kindergarten.

Hotels and après-ski opportunities in Lech

In terms of high cost and “bourgeoisie”, Lech hotels are in no way inferior to the Swiss St. Moritz and the legendary French Courchevel. There are many four- and five-star hotels in Lech, where wealthy German and Austrian pensioners, as well as representatives of the European aristocracy, prefer to stay. It is worth noting that accommodation in hotels in this resort is more expensive than the average in Austria.

The best 5 * hotels in Lech are the Hotel Arlberg chalet with spacious and luxurious rooms, as well as the Gasthof Post hotel and Hotel Romantik Krone in the city center. Rooms here cost from 350 euros in low season and up to several thousand euros in high season. Of the 4 * hotels, it is worth noting the Hotel Jagdhaus Monzabon in the city center, the family boutique in the Alpine style Hotel Schwarzwand and the Hotel Tannbergerhof, which will appeal to fans of fun après-ski parties. The cost of accommodation starts from 143 euros per night. However, this price is a promotional price and is valid for only a week, while in other periods you should focus on 160 euros and more per day. Cheaper, but no less comfortable are the 3 * hotels Hotel Lärchenhof with a large SPA center, Hotel Lech & Chesa Rosa next to the ski bus stop and Hotel-Garni Felsenhof. Rooms cost from 70 euros per day.

As for apres-ski, lovers of loud parties until dawn are better off choosing a more youthful resort, as life in Lech is quite measured and calm. Most of the establishments are located at hotels and close until late in the evening. Gourmets should visit local restaurants such as, for example, Arlberg in the hotel of the same name – here they serve haute Austrian cuisine. Also worth noting is the restaurant in the Krone hotel and Goldener Burg – here you can enjoy excellent fondue and other traditional Austrian dishes. The Italiener restaurant is famous for its Italian dishes, in which a bar is open after 10:00 PM. Those looking for apres-ski events can try their luck by visiting Burg and Sonnenburg. Outdoor terrace dancing is sometimes held at the Tannbergerhof, while a bit more sedate people relax at s’Pfefferkörndl. Guests of Lech praise the jazz bar Fux, whose avant-garde architecture contrasts with the conservative Lech.

Getting there

The most convenient way to get to Lech is from the resorts of Zürs and San Anton. The nearest airport is Innsbruck, 120 kilometers away, and the train station is Langen.