Complete Winter Travel Guide to Lech Austria

Check out this post for your complete winter travel guide to Lech, Austria.

Surrounded by dairy farms and framed by jagged snow covered peaks, the fairy-tale chalet village of Lech Austria, has long been the resort of choice for celebrities and even the Royal family who come to vacation in one of the most fashionable villages in the Alps. But lately, Lech has been top of the list for another type of visitor: athletic types who only have skiing at top of mind.

It’s still a mix of both camps and regardless of which category you fall- there’s no question it’s the sun-washed slopes, charming chalet style architecture and old-world charm that brings people back.

Lech was once only accessible by mountain trails and cart tracks, and was a place many feared because of the constant threat of avalanches. But after the Flexen Pass was built between 1895 and 1900, the Alpine Village started attracting tourists. And also became a place that mountain farmers settled (any many still live currently) to make a living from daily farming and livestock breeding. The popularity of skiing died down during the Second World War but in 1949 international tourists started to arrive again. Today, it’s still the magic of the mountains, alpine ambiance and abundance of trails including peak-to-peak networks that make this one of Austria’s most treasured villages.

Here is a guide to the skiing; dining and spots for schnapps come Après in both Lech and surrounding villages that are all connected by a lift.

Skiing:

Lech is part of the Arlberg ski region, which is made up of 5 Austrian villages: Lech, Zurs, Studen, St. Christoph, and St. Anton am Arlberg. The region is also known as the birthplace of the Alpine skiing technique- a system that evolves the snow plough turn to a the speedier and more efficient parallel style.

In Lech, there are 97 cable cars and lifts (some with heated seats, an invention from the region) and nearly 220 miles of trails- most of which are intermediate and well groomed in altitudes ranging from 4,365 to 9,128 feet. Experts though won’t feel shortchanged with the 125 miles of high alpine deep powder snow.

Another major bonus is the quite lift lines, since only an allotted amount of tickets are sold each day. (Electronic signs are placed along the highway to warn day trip skiers when the slopes are sold out.)

One of the most famous parts about Lech, is the White Ring, a circle of runs and lifts that links Lech with Zurs, Zug and Oberlech. Each year, more than 1,000 athletes come out to race the nearly 15 miles of trails, which are a mix of both downhill and uphill, is recognized by the Guinness Book of Records was once considered the worlds longest ski race until the Schlag das ASSinger was introduced.

If you want to try the course on your own, it starts at the Rüfikopf top station. Ring symbols along the slopes are marked to keep skiers on track.

The ski season runs from early December to early April.

Ticket cost: Passes start at 50 Swiss Francs for a day. A weeklong pass is 600 Swiss Francs.

Rentals: Strolz is the town favorite with rentals starting at 30 Swiss Francs, which includes insurance.

Favorite Spot to Break: Skihütte Hochalp

If your body is calling for a rest or warm up, check out a mountain hut like Skihütte Hochalp. This one is in Warth-Schröcken Ski-Resort area, which after a lift was built two years ago, connects to Lech, meaning an even vaster network of trails. Enjoy a coffee, tea or hot cocoa from the terrace with views of the Alps, or inside to enjoy the rustic modern atmosphere. If you are looking for a meal, specialties are Kaesspatzn (cheese noodles) and Kaiserschmarrn (a traditional pancake dish).

Favorite Lunch Spot: The Berggrill-Terrasse

To fuel up on a beautiful, big sunny terrace with sheep skin furnished chairs, head to The Berggrill-Terrasse at the Goldener Berg Hotel in Oberlach, a ski village just above Lech. For Austrian specialties, try the Wiener Schnitzel with parsley potatoes, lime & cranberry or a lighter appetite, try the classic beef soup with semolina dumplings, sliced pancakes, liver dumplings.

Favorite Dinner Spot: Restaurant Hus 8

Here, wait staff donning authentic Austrian attire duck through low hanging doors to bring out traditional dishes like fondue and Raclette. The restaurant is set up inside a farm house built in 1760 and has since been restored to a restaurant where you are sure to have a lingering dinner finished with coffee, tea or pear schnapps in the dimly lit home with flickering candles on the table.

Favorite Spot for Après Ski: Haldenhof

The star of the show here is the pinecone schnapps made with Austrian pine.

And the tangerine schnapps is a close second, both of which can be enjoyed on a cushy sofa in front of an open fire inside the elegant but still sporty dining room of the four star hotel. The same family has run the hotel and dining area for several generations.

The après scene in Lech is notably different than many other mountain villages. Here, you won’t find nightclubs or discos pumping music into the early morning. Instead, you will find the towns quite down early with people ready to hit the slopes first thing, making the scene here step up the classy vibes.

Where to Stay: Hotel Kristberg

This hotel sits high on a hill overlooking the charming chalet style village, but that’s far from the apex experience. The hotel is owned by, Egon Zimmermann, former ski Olympian (1964) and World Champion (1962). Zimmermann first opened the building as a nightclub in 1970 but later transitioned to a hotel with no shortage of Alpine hospitality.

Today, Egon is busy day in and day out greeting guests to the cozy four star-hotel filled with alpine charm. When guests check in, they are handed a palm sized metal key, and as traditions has it, they are turned in before leaving. Choose from single, double or suite style rooms. And you don’t want to miss the immaculate new spa, which features both saltwater and regular steam baths, a hot-whirl-pool as well as an Asian style relaxation room.

When it comes to dining, check out Jagstüberl (which translates to Hunter’s Cabin) and serves regional dishes- which incorporate meat products from Austria, regional cheese, eggs from a nearby farm and bread from local bakers. A five-course meal is $55 Euro a person.

Room Pricing: Starts at $250 a night per person, includes breakfast.

Halfboard options, which include dinner, are available.

In Lech, no hotels (or building for that matter) can be built higher than St. Nicholas church, and can’t be larger than 200 beds.

Lech is one of 12 Best of the Alps Skit Resorts. These resorts, which are in 5 countries (Germany, Austria, Italy, France and Switzerland) attract international guests who come looking for not only the deep history of each but also in search of some of the worlds best skiing through the Alps.

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