About Lech am Arlberg
Lech am Arlberg is among the most celebrated ski resorts in the world – and one that expects a certain standard of arrival. AlpRoads provides fixed-price private transfers to Lech from Munich, Innsbruck, Zurich, Friedrichshafen, and Memmingen airports, with meet-and-greet service, free ski equipment transport, and real-time flight monitoring included as standard.
Location and Overview
Lech am Arlberg sits at 1,450m above sea level in the Bregenzerwald district of Vorarlberg, Austria – the westernmost of Austria’s states. It lies at the eastern end of the Flexenpass road and is part of the Ski Arlberg ski area, which connects Lech, Zürs, St Anton, Stuben, and Warth-Schröcken into a single lift-linked network covering approximately 305km of marked pistes.
The Skiing
Ski Arlberg is regularly ranked among the top five ski areas in the Alps. The terrain around Lech and Zürs is particularly noted for:
- Deep powder fields – Lech receives some of the highest snowfall totals in the Alps, averaging over 8 metres per season. The White Ring – a classic 22km ski circuit linking Lech, Oberlech, Zürs, and back – is one of the Alps’ most iconic day routes.
- Expert off-piste – the Valluga above St Anton offers extreme freeriding, accessible from the Lech side via the Kriegerhorn lifts.
- FIS World Cup venue – Lech and Zürs jointly host the Arlberg-Kandahar race, one of the oldest competitions on the World Cup calendar.
- Beginner and intermediate terrain – the wide, perfectly groomed blue and red runs above Oberlech (accessible by cable car from Lech village) are among the most confidence-inspiring in Austria.
The Village
Lech is a small, contained village that has retained its traditional Vorarlberg character despite its international reputation. The architecture is distinctly local – low-rise, timber-clad chalets, working farm buildings, and a Romanesque church at the village centre. Luxury five-star hotels sit alongside family-run guesthouses. The village does not permit day-trippers by car during the ski season; access is controlled, and the atmosphere is consequently quieter than comparable resorts.
The clientele is genuinely international: Dutch, British, German, and Scandinavian families return year after year, alongside guests from further afield. Several members of European royal families holiday here regularly – the Dutch royal family’s annual ski holiday in Lech is well-documented – which gives some indication of the resort’s character.
Summer in Lech
Lech is increasingly popular as a summer destination. The same peaks that provide skiing from December to April become a network of hiking and mountain biking trails between May and October. The Arlberg is part of a well-marked long-distance hiking network, and the valley road that is impassable in heavy snowfall becomes one of the most scenic drives in western Austria. The Lech river, which runs through the village, supports fly fishing throughout the season.
