Lech

The Resort

Situated in the Arlberg region of western Austria, Lech is an upmarket mountain resort, with facilities and infrastructure to match, that has nonetheless managed to retain its traditional Alpine character. Originally a farming hamlet dating back to the 14th century, Lech’s emergence as an internationally-renowned ski destination began in the 1920s when Hannes Schneider and other local pioneers helped develop skiing as a leisure pastime.

Situated on the banks of the Lech river at an altitude of 1,450 metres, the village is part of the Unesco-listed Kleinwalsertal and still has a typical Vorarlberg atmosphere, with timber chalets and onion domed church spires. Today, Lech has plenty of luxury chalets, apartments and hotels along with chic boutiques and fine dining restaurants and is frequented by a well-heeled clientele from Europe and around the world. At 1,750 metres, the hamlet of Oberlech is even more exclusive and offers convenient access to the pistes, whilst the neighboring village of Zürs is more pastoral and somewhat less exclusive.

With the completion of the Flexenbahn lift system in 2016 Lech became fully integrated into the Arlberg ski area, the largest in Austria with a total of 305 km of marked runs. Lech’s predominantly northerly aspect and reliable winter precipitation generally ensure good snow conditions throughout the ski season. The Arlberg area is popular for off-piste skiing and Lech/Zürs are the only resorts in Austria where heli-skiing is permitted.

With convenient transport links to Zurich, Innsbruck or Friedrichshafen airports, Lech is easy to get to, however a restriction on the number of visitor beds available in the resort helps ensure that overcrowded pistes and long waits at the lifts are a rarity. Offering challenging skiing, high-end accommodation, world-class infrastructure and an authentic mountain ambience, Lech is a more laid-back and upmarket alternative to the larger and much livelier resort of St Anton 20 km down the road or a short ski away.