By Amy Tara Koch
Lech offers postcard-perfect vistas and unrivaled ski adventures. Photo courtesy of Lech Zürs Tourismus.
Long beloved by royalty (Princess Diana taught her sons to ski here) and discerning travelers alike, this fabled hamlet embodies the romance of a bygone era. Family-run inns—many of them multi-generational—set the tone for proudly personal hospitality with hosts clad in dirndls and traditional boiled wool jackets, while cozy mountain huts serve hearty fare and schnapps instead of Champagne theatrics. Yet sleek alpine-modern interiors, design-forward lodges, and Michelin-starred gastronomy ensure that Lech’s ambience feels entirely of the moment. “Lech checks all the boxes: predictable snowfall, luxurious, ski-in, ski-out lodging, and upscale dining,” says ski-tour operator Rick Reichsfeld of Alpine Adventures.
Lech, the birthplace of Alpine skiing, offers plenty to devour off the slopes, too. Photo by Daniel Zangerl.
Alpine Nirvana
Part of the Arlberg, a string of inter-connected villages in the westernmost Austrian Alps, Lech is celebrated as the birthplace of Alpine skiing. Ski Arlberg, which became Austria’s largest resort in 2017 when it gondola-linked St. Anton, St. Christoph, Stuben, Lech, Zürs, Warth, and Schröcken, delivers 200 miles of terrain skiable with one 82€ pass. With so many resorts under one pass, the options are dazzling. You could spend all of your time in Lech, where runs are predominantly cruisy groomers (similar to Colorado’s Snowmass and Utah’s Deer Valley) but with plenty of steep chutes and couloirs. A highlight is The White Ring, a 13-mile circular route that connects the towns of Lech, Zürs, Zug, and Oberlech, with 1,800 feet of ascents and descents. Many make this an all-day experience, popping off the piste for a leisurely lunch and Glühwein in one of the villages. Or, you can hop on the Flexenbahn gondola to test-drive the other resorts, which are rich in expert and backcountry terrain.
For non-downhill days, you can cross-country ski, hike through fairytale forests, or toboggan from the car-free village of Oberlech down to town, which involves whizzing through the ice-tipped trees and negotiating much of the 1,000-foot descent with your hands.
Schneggarei’s modern take on Alpine hut cuisine includes this artfully composed rye bread chip with quail egg and smoked bone marrow. Photo by Buero Ludwina.
A gastronomic culture
The expansive food scene is also tethered to tradition. The town of around 1,500 residents has 50 restaurants, including 24 spots awarded toques by French dining guide Gault & Millau and two with Michelin stars—a coup, since the Michelin Guide just returned to Austria after a 15-year hiatus. The Chef’s Table at Rote Wand hotel is a Michelin-starred fine dining experience that unfolds in a state-of-the-art open kitchen within an ancient schoolhouse.
The charming dining room at Hospiz Alm is a must for fondue. Photo courtesy of Hospiz Alm.
Hospiz Alm in St. Christoph offers fondue or veal crown roast cooked at the hearth and carved tableside. Other favorites include Murmeli, Otto, and Griggeler Stuba. It’s not all stars, though. Cozy, fire-warmed huts serving Kässpätzle (onion-flecked, cheesy pasta) and Tiroler Gröstl (a bacon, onion, and potato fry-up) are integral to the culinary culture. Alpele (reachable by ski, foot, or snowcat) and Hûs Nr. 8 are historic. On the slopes, there are modern skihüttes like Balmalp and Der Wolf. For a melding of old and new, try Schneggarei, where Alpine cuisine gets a modern touch.
The reception area at Hotel Almhof Schneider.
Local Lodging
There’s something intimate about staying at a property operated by descendants of the town’s founding farming families. It’s the mementos (Grandpa’s taxidermy, vintage photos), the micro-attention to guests (from gear advice to brainstorming the day’s ski route), and the charm of a wood-paneled, eiderdown cocoon of a room. Almhof Schneider feels like an Alpine version of the original Soho Houses, where weathered wooden beams and antique furniture live alongside contemporary art, and the two exceptional restaurants thrum with aprés verve. Gerold and Katia Schneider preside over their bolt hole with precision, imbuing the space with their passion for the landscape.
It all boils down to soul. To ski in Lech is to feel connected to tradition and nature.
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