Lech Zürs. Winter Paradise
Lech Zürs am Arlberg are two mountain villages and an exclusive ski resort in the Bludenz district in the westernmost Austrian state of Vorarlberg. Lech Zürs is part of the Arlberg ski region, which also includes Oberlech, Zug, and Stubenbach.
Lech am Arlberg is a mountain village on the banks of the river Lech, with the best hotels, and an unbelievable concentration of high-quality award-winning restaurants. Typical features include cheerful murals on the walls of homes, the expansion of houses using regional materials and an approach to home design that is testament to the harmonious growth of the entire region.
Lech is an internationally known ski resort and caters to wealthier clientele, particularly to the international jet set and foreign royalty. The Dutch and Spanish royal families ski here.
At 1716m above sea level, Zürs am Arlberg is one of the highest ski resorts in Austria. Zürs is home to elegant hotels and gourmet restaurants. With all hotels offering “ski-in, ski-out”, meaning that guests can strap on their skis right in front of the hotel before heading out to the slopes and lifts, it’s clear why Zürs enjoys such a deserved reputation among winter sports fans.
Lech Zürs am Arlberg is a premier ski destination and one of the 11 members of the "Best of the Alps" group.
Lech Zürs am Arlberg is one of the cradles of the skiing sport. The first ski course took place in Zürs in 1904, and the first ski lift in Austria was built in Zürs in 1937.
From 1988 to 1994, numerous FIS Alpine Ski World Cup races were held in the Lech-Zürs ski area. After a 26 year break alpine ski races were back in Lech, in November 2020. Since then, a Parallel event for men and women take place on November in the Flexenarena Zürs.
The Arlberg with is a truly ski paradise. Ski Fans from all over the world appreciate the powder snow, the varied terrain, and the fascination of the local mountain world.
"Ski Arlberg", with more than 300 kilometers of downhill slopes and 87 lifts and cable cars, is Austria's largest connected ski area and the fifth largest in the world.
With three top ski areas, St. Anton – St. Christoph – Stuben, Lech - Oberlech – Zürs, and Warth-Schröcken, Ski Arlberg offers a maximum of choice for winter sports enthusiasts.
Ski Arlberg is considered one of the best ski areas for guaranteed snow in the Alps with a long season stretching between November and April. With an average of eleven meters of natural snow, Warth-Schröcken is the ski resort with the most natural snow in Europe.
The 2016-2017 season marked a turning point in Arlberg's history with the creation of the largest interconnected ski area in Austria. The Flexenbahn cableway opened making skiing at the Arlberg an amazing experience. With the help of the link between Zürs and Stuben/Rauz, skiers can easily reach all resorts at the Arlberg on skis.
In addition to being part of Austria's largest contiguous ski area and one of the most extensive ski resorts in the world, Lech Zürs is also extremely versatile and therefore equally popular with families, freeriders and ski tourers.
For more than 60 years, the legendary ski circuit the “White Ring” connects the towns of Lech with Zürs, Zug, and Oberlech. For wintersport enthusiasts the White Ring presents a half-day sporting challenge with about 22 kilometers, 5,500 meters of difference in altitude and a sightseeing tour of easy to medium-difficult ski slopes with viewing platforms at Rüfikopf and Madloch (nature platform).
The challenge: The Langer Zug. The most extreme ski route in the Arlberg region
The Rüfikopfbahn cable car transports skiers up to 2,350 m elevation and the starting point of the 4.7-km ski route, which is groomed daily by the cable car company. Access to the Langer Zug starts at the Rüfikopf panorama restaurant via ski route no. 181. From here, ski route no. 215 branches off towards the Schafalp surface lift, which transports skiers to the entry point of the steep gully in the Langer Zug.
The gully boasts a maximum gradient of 80% in the upper area and does not forgive any errors. After successfully mastering the steep descent, you’ll reach the Schlosskopf lift at the end of the ski route, which will transport you back to the Lech ski resort.
With an 80% gradient in the upper third, the Langer Zug is one of the steepest groomed ski runs in the world.
