Lech Ski Resort Guide

With legendary deep powder snow and royal connections, the Austrian ski resort of Lech located in the Arlberg ski area has a fine pedigree. Luxury ski chalets are plenty in Lech and the beautifully preserved village which is linked by a free ski bus and the resort’s exclusivity is preserved through limiting the number of ski passes per day and imposing parking restrictions.

Understanding Lech as a Ski Resort

Lech has a distinguished history when it comes to alpine sports. This was where the very first ski lift was developed at the beginning of the 20th Century. Today its five-star hotels and luxury ski chalets are filled with wealthy and distinguished visitors to ski in Winter and to explore the 350km of mountain hiking trails in Summer.

Above the main town sits the small, elite development of Oberlech, a cluster of luxury ski chalets and boutiques which is reached by cable car from below. This service runs until 1am so that late-night revellers can get home to their beds at night.

The Arlberg ski area is open from early December to the end of April, and many of the lifts are open again from late June to early October for walkers and cyclists.

What we Love About Lech

We love the exhilaration of skiing the legendary ‘White Ring’ – a unique 22km circuit of challenging pistes and off-piste tracks around Lech and Oberlech.

Getting to Lech

The nearest airport is Innsbruck which is 1 hr 30 mins away. Zurich airport is a 2 hr 20 mins drive away and Friedrichshafen airport is 1 hr 50 mins away.

The Skiing in Lech

Lech is part of the extensive Arlberg ski area and has an excellent snow record. There is an impressive array of local pistes, linking it to the lower village of Zurs, and is known for its superb off-piste powder, and its challenging White Ring circuit.

A gondola lift with heated seats links the Lech and Zurs ski area with Warth-Schroken in the next valley, it is also possible to reach St. Anton on skis too. Intermediate skiers have plenty of terrain to explore and those wanting to ski off-piste have various options, accompanied by fantastic snow conditions for those powder turns. Lech also has good facilities for beginners, with a learning area separated from busy pistes.

Best Places To Eat and Drink in Lech

The locals take their food and drink very seriously and Lech has more than its fair share of world-class restaurants competing for your attention. If you fancy something a little different and truly memorable on chef’s night off at your catered luxury ski chalet, try the Asian Fusion cuisine of Fux. This chic, glass-fronted restaurant has a main dining room plus a steakhouse and cocktail bar. Stop in at the Burg Vital Hotel in Oberlech for an unforgettable meal. Here, the Head chef creates wonderful dishes infused with the flavours of freshly picked alpine herbs.