Lech Zürs am Arlberg
If you are travelling with your family…
The breadth of trails for beginner and intermediate skiers makes this traditional alpine town a popular – and glamorous – destination in the Austrian Alps for families. There are some 500 instructors who cater for all skill levels, nursery slopes for young learners and plenty of ski-in, ski-out lodges that make access easy. Take the Flühen lift to the best terrain for beginners. Children aged three to five can join the Snow, Play and Ski Lech Kids’ Club, while a babysitter can be booked for infants. With its variety of fine-dining restaurants, luxury hotels and gentle slopes, Lech is a favoured resort of VIPs, including King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands and their three princesses.
STAY
Set in the beautiful town of Oberlech, directly on the slopes above Lech, Cresta Alpin Sport Hotel (cresta.at) is a high-end getaway that you can access only by cable car, snowboard or skis. Oberlech is car-free (and carefree, for that matter) and this familyrun four-star lodge is designed to make life easy during the winter season. Simply pick up your ski passes at the front desk, put the kids into the nearby ski school and step into your skis outside before exploring the enormous five-resort ski area. Free child care can be booked for kids over two years of age. At the end of the day, Cresta Calmar spa is the place to relax in the sauna or aroma steam bath (or with a classic or sports massage).
SKI
Lech is one of five resorts in the Arlberg mountain range that have been linked by cableways and lifts, making it the largest contiguous skiing area in the country. With the Ski Arlberg pass, you can access 305 kilometres of groomed slopes and 200 kilometres of powder skiing via 87 cable cars and lifts. Lech is the starting and finishing point for Der Weisse Ring (The White Ring), a 22-kilometre circuit that takes in the Rüfikopf peak (2131 metres) and 5439 metres of altitude change.
APRÈS-SKI
On Cresta Alpin Sport Hotel’s terrace, enjoy panoramic views of the Arlberg mountains while you sip wine from the well-stocked cellar. Its on-site restaurant specialises in Italian, Asian and traditional Austrian cuisine. Lech is renowned for its eateries and bars, including gourmet restaurant Aurelio’s (aureliolech.com), which dishes up local specialties such as gold trout – from the fishpond in the nearby hamlet of Zug – served with pumpkin, quince and barberries. Also reserve a seat at the Rote Wand Chef’s Table (rotewand.com), held in a restored building that dates back to 1780 and was once Zug’s schoolhouse.