Lech Zürs am Arlberg Ski Resort Guide: Reviews, Ratings and Stats
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Lech Zürs am Arlberg reviews & ratings
4.9 (14 reviews)
Ranked 1st of 155 Ski resorts
4.86 (14 ratings)
Overall Rating
3.92 (12 ratings)
Value for Money
3.71 (14 ratings)
Après Ski
4.46 (13 ratings)
Off Piste
4.36 (14 ratings)
Eating Out
4.67 (12 ratings)
Accommodation Options
Ski Resorts>Europe>Austria>Lech Zürs am Arlberg
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Overview

Arlberg is Austria’s largest connected ski area and fifth largest in the world - the Lech Zürs region offers an extensive skiable domain and is dominated by upmarket, luxury hotels. While Lech is the larger and prettier of the two (the villages sit just over 5km apart,) they both have a bustling resort feel and are extensively linked to each other, with gondolas to the other ski areas of Warth-Shröken and St.Anton. Known as the ‘Cradle of the Austrian Alps,’ Arlberg is not a mountain but a pass that historically connected important trade destinations. Surrounded entirely by stunning scenery, the Arlberg is dominated by the mountains Valluga and Trittkopf which provide a glorious backdrop for your ski break.

Both villages have an extensive history, starting out as untouched agricultural havens before being discovered by pioneers of skiing. The first ski school in Lech was founded in 1925, when students had to climb the mountain on foot before learning on raw, ungroomed slopes. It wasn’t until 1939 that the first lift was opened.

Catering to an eyebrow-raising level of clientele, this winter-sports mecca is a playground for everyone from the Dutch royal family to Russian Oligarchs. While this does mean a higher price point than most other resorts, the flip side of that means an exemplary level of service, impressive après scene and, as one of our Snomad community members puts it, “less Jerry’s and idiots on the slopes” - their words, not ours….

The Skiing in Lech Zürs

The fifth largest ski area in the world, Alberg caters to all riders. The Arlberg Card (which covers Lech, Zürs, Stuben, St. Christoph and St. Anton) grants access to 340km of ski runs between the altitudes of 1300m and 2800m. In short, riders of all abilities will have their needs met here.

With such a large ski area, you can guarantee a decent vertical drop and maximum run length. Lech Zürs am Arlberg boasts a 1507m vertical drop and a 9km long run - if you’re really keen on testing those quads, you can complete the Run of Fame, an 85km long ski circuit that takes you through the entire Arlberg resort. You can complete it by starting from almost anywhere, but there are two routes: Southern, from St. Anton/Rendl in the direction of Warth, or Northern, from Warth to St.Anton.

If you’d prefer to stay local, you can make the most of 141 runs serviced by 88 high-spec lifts. The majority of runs here are actually beginner level, with almost as many intermediate, which makes it a safe choice for a mixed or novice group. Intermediates definitely shouldn’t miss the red piste 144 or ‘Muggengrat-Tali’ which takes you alongside the rocks before opening up into a cruisey boulevard - snowboarders beware though, you’ll need to keep your speed for the long and gentle outro.

While there are few challenges on the piste for advanced and expert skiers, the off-piste runs down to Lech from the Trittkopf is widely considered the area’s nicest pow stash. For park rats, the Snowpark at Schlegelkopfbahn lift has a few fun lines with numerous obstacles, rails and a varied kicker line for those who aren’t afraid to send it.

Eating Out in Lech Zürs

Both villages of Lech and Zürs are a foodie’s haven - here you’ll find the world’s highest density per capita of award winning restaurants. On the slopes, there’s a large number of the more informal ‘huttes’ such as Balmalp, located at the Zugerbergbahn mountain station which is known for its hearty lunch fare and beautiful terrace, lined with magnums of champagne. At the Schlegelkopf lift, the eponymous mountain restaurant is famed for an appetising selection of international dishes (we’re talking everything from sushi to steak) and it even has rooms dedicated to both Johnnie Walker Whisky and Veuve Clicquot Champagne. By now, you’ve probably realised that champagne is a regular feature of any trip to Lech Zürs.

When it comes to your evening meal, Lech is essentially wall-to-wall gourmand offerings. For a fine dining experience of international cuisine, Chef’s Table in the Rote Wand Hotel is overseen by the skilled chef Julian Steiger, whose previous haunts include Copenhagen’s Geranium and New York’s Eleven Madison Park. For a more budget-friendly option, Italian restaurant Don Enzo has an extensive menu with prices that are widely considered very reasonable ‘for Lech.’

In Zürs, the Walserstube Arlberghaus restaurant is a good middle-ground option, with an authentic Austrian feel, friendly staff and great pizzas.

Après Ski in Lech Zürs

Austria is the epicentre of après ski, and it is widely known for doing it better than anywhere else in the world. While Lech Zürs isn’t quite as full on as neighbouring St. Anton, it does offer a fun, party atmosphere that is perhaps a little bit more elevated. Each of the mountain huts transform from quaint lunch spots to slopeside parties, where DJ sets accompany the sound of popping champagne bottles. In the centre of Lech, Krone is the place to be for après, with a huge terrace that often gets crowded during peak weeks. In total, there are 9 bars in Lech and 7 in Zürs so while it’s not exactly party central, you can definitely seek out your kind of après experience.

Families & Non-Skiers in Lech Zürs

While there isn’t a great deal of off-mountain entertainment in either villages, you can enjoy the usual roster of snowshoeing, horse-drawn sleigh rides, tandem flights, tobogganing and ice skating.

For a slower, more serene pace during your downtime, there’s a whole host of luxurious spa areas in the many different luxury hotels. Hotel Arlberg’s design-led spa is a favourite, complete with heated outdoor pool, Finnish sauna and Horizontal Shower by Dornbracht.

Accommodation Options in Lech Zürs

The range of accommodation is varied. You could choose the €10,000 per night Spa Chalet Mimi or opt instead for the Lech Hostel at around €45 for a single room with shared bathroom facilities. Luxurious hotel options include Severin’s Alpine Retreat and Hotel Auriga, and decent self-catering options include Appartements Spullersee and Haus Braunarl - but both of those will mean you need to take a short bus ride to the centre.

Environment and Sustainability in Lech Zürs

Lech Zürs has a commitment to ensuring sustainability throughout the resort, limiting guest beds to 10,000 and imposing strict building regulations to preserve the landscape. Resort-wide heating is supplied by biomass heating plants and the ski bus fleet is being upgraded to electric. The lifts, snowmaking equipment and mountain restaurants throughout the resort are also completely powered by 100% renewable energy thanks to Austrian hydropower.

Pros & Cons of the Resort

Pros

  • A huge ski area
  • Great off-piste opportunities
  • Reputation for great, luxurious service and hospitality

Cons

  • Not that many après bars
  • A small number of advanced runs when compared with beginner / intermediate
  • Expensive

Resort Stats

Ski Terrain
61Beginner Runs
56Intermediate Runs
24Advanced Runs
9 kmLongest Run
301 kmSkiable Terrain
32 kmsSnow making
Elevation
2811 mTop
1304 mBottom
1507 mVertical Drop
Lifts
16Gondolas / Cable Cars
44Chairlifts
28Surface Lifts
Lift Pass Costs
€1114Season pass
€4016 days
€751 day
Weather
444 cmAverage annual snowfall

Getting There

Airports

  • Friedrichshafen Airport (FDH) 115KMs 105min drive
  • Innsbruck Airport (INN) 140KMs 160min drive

Train Stations

  • Langen am Arlberg 20 / km 25m drive

Lech Zürs am Arlberg Reviews & Ratings

Overall Rating: 4.9
Ranking: 1st of 155 resorts
4.86 (14 ratings)
Overall Rating
3.15 (13 ratings)
Snow Parks
3.92 (12 ratings)
Value for Money
3.71 (14 ratings)
Après Ski
4.85 (13 ratings)
Family Friendly
4.46 (13 ratings)
Off Piste
4.36 (14 ratings)
Eating Out
3.29 (14 ratings)
Tree Skiing
4.86 (14 ratings)
Groomed Runs
3.38 (13 ratings)
Mogul Fields
4.36 (14 ratings)
Powder Zones
4.21 (14 ratings)
Quiet Slopes
4.93 (14 ratings)
Lift Efficiency
4.80 (10 ratings)
Ski School Quality
4.67 (12 ratings)
Accommodation Options
4.75 (4 ratings)
Intermediates
5.00 (6 ratings)
Advanced
4.75 (4 ratings)
Experts

All Reviews

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George - expert skier
Apr, 25 - 2024
Been going for over 20 years was great for kids and adults alike went to Val Desiere for a change as kids wanted Folie Douce etc but they all said Austria better especially the lift system investment over the years also the Austrians were happy to see you and thanked you for spending your money there The French just seemed to take your money and move on all were rather impersonal
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Daniel - advanced skier
Apr, 22 - 2024
Lech: one of the most snow sure resorts in Europe, great freeride opportunities with fantastic local guides, stay in Oberlech for some great ski in ski out opportunities, Lech & oberlech are traditional Austrian villages that have been made famous over the years for hosting Royalty, its at the upmarket end of Austrian skiing which generally means numbers on the slopes are kept lower due to the slightly higher price tags for accommodation. oberlech is above lech village and access to hotels is via the cable car, you turn up at the cable car station tell the lift staff which hotel you are staying at and your luggage is delivered directly to the hotel. The skiing is extensive with access to warth all the way down to St Anton. you can always find quiet runs if you look hard and venture a bit further. nice selection of hotels and restaurants in the village most restaurants are in hotels, Strolz has the rental shop monopoly in the village and offer a very good selection of equipment to purchase or rent as well as Hannes Strolz boots shop which is probably one of the finest custom boots in the world allowing you the opportunity to purchase a new pair of custom boots and then try them on the doorstep and have additional tweeks made if necessary. Also worth mentioning is the "white ring" Arlbergs legendary ski circuit which gives you a ski circuit of 22km 5,500 meters of vertical and 6 runs, defiantly worth considering but would avoid this on weekends and ski holiday times as unlike the rest of the resort it can get busy. best thing about lech 1hr flight london to Innsbruck always has atail wind and then a 1hr 20 transfer great for a last min booking for fresh POW
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Noah - advanced skier
Apr, 22 - 2024
Ive been to Lech around 15 times and have always loved it there, its always been great fun great piste and off piste
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Marta - intermediate skier
Apr, 17 - 2024
I absolutely love Lech and all the connected areas esp Warth and Schrocken. The lift/cable car system is amazing. Pistes are well labelled and groomed. It's pretty snow sure so even better. There's fab hutte on the slopes, letting you take lovely, panoramic views in whilst you eat or drink. Accommodation is wonderful... from hotels to chalets to apartments. Public transport is frequent but can be frantic at beginning and end of day if you are staying elsewhere like St Christoph/St Anton. Because its a bit pricy, there are fewer nutters/Jerry's on the slopes. Plus it's such a huge area you can find some lovely runs almost to yourself. Thoroughly recommend
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Edmond - advanced skier
Apr, 15 - 2024
Lech Zürs probably has one of the best lift systems anywhere. Its very easy to navigate the ski area, with each lift/run leading seamlessly to the next.
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Charles - advanced skier
Apr, 14 - 2024
Lech is ideally situated if you want to ski in the one of the top 5 ski areas in the world. It is part of the Arlberg domain which includes the more famous St.Anton. The state of the art lift system seamlessly links all the different villages providing plentiful opportunities to access snow parks, challenging slopes and off-piste terrain. I would recommend Lech for families and beginners with all the lifts and nursery slopes within 10 minutes walk of most of the accommodation. The Arlberg ski school has a long history and an enviable reputation. All the local pistes are groomed to perfection. The village is elegant, beautiful and sophisticated but quieter at night than the very lively St.Anton.
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Callum - advanced skier
Mar, 26 - 2024
I rated the resort personally as 5* based on the fact that it had the things most important to me: really great off piste/back country routes to explore and on non powder days some really excellent fast runs. Links to other areas like Warth and further south are easy if you want to go off on a long route around the Arlberg. Some challenging terrain and mix of snow conditions, excellent for those wanting to improve technique and work through areas of weakness. Both steep and flat off piste opportunities-recommended that one warms up before some very long and exciting powder routes. When the snow conditions werent ideal it was challenging but rewarding-if slightly unfit expect knackered thighs on some off piste around Madloch, Muggengrat and Trittkopf. Going for a week or two will improve fitness hugely (in my experience). The après is good on a small scale i.e some good bars and pubs on and off the mountain which have a lively atmosphere-if you want something bigger and rowdier then St Anton is probably the place to go though not far to ski, bus or drive. Lech is a charming Austrian town, Zürs has some brilliant areas to explore and some very quiet runs. Its a rather expensive area but one could cut costs with a dose of self catering and buying beer and wine at spar as well as at Balmalp. Better for more experienced skiers who can make the most of what this place has to offer, though still excellent for a mixed ability group and for those who want to push and challenge themselves.
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Alex - intermediate skier
Mar, 21 - 2024
A great, sophisticated ski resort with very high and medium range restaurants. There are no bad hotels here - the service is excellent and facilities very traditional. Some great shopping and gentle apres ski
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Charlie - intermediate skier
Mar, 16 - 2024
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Gemma - intermediate skier
Mar, 15 - 2024
Great infrastructure with high speed lifts and minimal queing times. With the popularity of the resort Lech becomes quite crowded and the runs choppy in the warmer weeks. But it's easy to find great quality runs in Zürs and over to the Warth area. It's connection with St Anton and St Christoph gives you so much to explore for a weeks skiing for all abilities. The quality of on mountain restaurants is excellent and there are many sunny terraces of hotel bars on the lower slopes to enjoy the apres ski. The towns themselves could do with a few more outdoor apres ski bars. Again the restaurant quality is excellent in the towns themselves, however the majority are apart of high end hotels. It would be ideal to see a few more middle prices restaurants for a bit more variety for those looking for something more casual. Both towns are full of four and five star hotels, a lot on the piste. As well as catered chalets, apartments and bed and breakfasts. Everything is very highly processed but the quality is there throughout the resort
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