Lech

Our Take

Lech is the quiet, classy side of the Ski Arlberg region -- connected to St. Anton by lifts but worlds apart in vibe. While St. Anton is the rowdy après party, Lech is the cashmere sweater sipping champagne by the fire. The skiing is spectacular -- 305 km of connected terrain across the Arlberg, with Lech offering some of the best intermediate cruising in the Alps plus serious off-piste if you know where to look. The Rüfikopf cable car opens up steep north-facing powder stashes, and the run down to Zürs is one of those perfect, flowing descents you replay in your head for weeks. The village itself is postcard-perfect Austrian -- wood chalets, church steeple, frozen creek running through the center. Princess Diana used to ski here. That tells you everything about the clientele. Snow record is excellent thanks to the Arlberg's position catching weather from the northwest. It's expensive, sure, but it's the refined kind of expensive -- not flashy, just effortlessly good.

Nerd Stats

Fun Facts

• Part of Ski Arlberg -- 305 km of connected terrain making it one of the largest ski areas in Austria.
• Princess Diana was a regular. So was the Dutch royal family. You're in good company.
• The White Ring ski circuit is a legendary 22 km loop connecting Lech, Zürs, and Zug -- and there's an annual race.
• Zürs, just down the road, was one of the first places in Austria with a ski lift (1937).