Lech and Zürs. Quiet, high and deliberately small, and under two hours from Innsbruck.
Lech sits at about 1,450 metres and Zürs at about 1,720, at the Vorarlberg end of the Arlberg. In winter almost everything that arrives comes over the Flexen pass road, and the hamlet of Oberlech above the village takes no cars at all. Both facts shape how a journey here is planned.
The place
Quiet, high and deliberately small
Lech and Zürs are in Vorarlberg, on the western side of the Arlberg massif, and they have built their reputation on restraint. There are no high-rise apartment blocks, the hotels are largely family-owned and long-established, and the resort has a long-standing policy of keeping numbers on the mountain down rather than filling it. It is quieter than St Anton over the pass, and a good deal more discreet.
Zürs is smaller again: a cluster of hotels either side of the road at the top of the Flexen pass, high enough to be snow-sure and small enough that everybody walks. Lech, ten minutes down the valley, has the shops, the church and the river, and above it sits Oberlech, a group of hotels on the piste that cars cannot reach.
All of them are part of Ski Arlberg, which since the Flexenbahn opened has linked Lech and Zürs with Stuben, St Christoph and St Anton on lifts. You can ski across, but you cannot drive across quickly: the road between the two sides goes over the pass and down the valley, and in a storm that matters.
At a glance
What you need to know
- AltitudesLech about 1,450 m, Zürs about 1,720 mVorarlberg, Austria, on the Arlberg. Part of the Ski Arlberg area with St Anton and Stuben.
- Winter accessThe Flexen pass road, L198Kept open through the winter and heavily protected against avalanches. The only winter road to Zürs.
- Closest large airportsZurich and InnsbruckZurich about 2 hours 30 by road, Innsbruck about 1 hour 45, Friedrichshafen about 1 hour 45.
- OberlechCar-free in winterReached by the cable car from Lech, with luggage sent separately through an underground tunnel system.
Getting there
Airports and typical transfers
| Airport | By road | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Zurich (ZRH) | About 2 hours 30 | The dependable choice. Motorway across north-east Switzerland into the Rhine valley, then up through Bludenz and over the Flexen. Most aircraft availability and the fewest weather surprises. |
| Innsbruck (INN) | About 1 hour 45 | The shortest drive, straight down the Inn valley and over the Arlberg. The approach is demanding, crews need specific training and approval, and föhn conditions can force a diversion. |
| Friedrichshafen | About 1 hour 45 | A smaller German field near Lake Constance, often overlooked and sometimes the quickest answer. Handling and operating hours are confirmed for your dates. |
| Munich (MUC) | About 2 hours 30 to 3 hours | The large-airport fallback when Zurich is full or the aircraft is bigger. |
Realistic ranges in normal winter conditions, not promises. Heavy snow on the Flexen and Saturday changeover traffic both add time. Helicopter transfers from Zurich, Innsbruck and Munich are possible in daylight and suitable conditions, to landing sites the operator is approved for. Outside London and Manchester our cars are arranged through operators we know, with winter tyres and chains.
The road in
Everything comes over the Flexen
The Flexen pass road climbs from the Arlberg road near Rauz, runs through the galleries and tunnels cut into the cliff above the Flexen ravine, and reaches Zürs before dropping into Lech. It was built to be a winter road and has been progressively protected against avalanches for the best part of a century, so it is open in almost all weather. The alternative from the north, the Hochtannberg road from Warth, is closed in winter for avalanche risk.
Almost all weather is not all weather. After a very large snowfall the authorities close the pass for avalanche control, sometimes for a few hours, occasionally longer, and when that happens nothing moves in or out by road. There is no sensible way around it and anybody who tells you otherwise is guessing. What we do instead is watch the forecast against your dates, bring arrivals forward when a big front is coming, and keep the aircraft and the ground plan talking to each other so you are told early rather than at the barrier.
Local realities
What experienced visitors do
- Tell us if you are staying in Oberlech. Cars stop at the underground car park in Lech, guests go up on the cable car and luggage follows through the tunnel, so the plan for the last ten minutes is different
- Plan Zurich as the base case unless the aircraft and the crew are comfortable with Innsbruck, and agree the fallback before departure
- Ask about Friedrichshafen for smaller aircraft. It is often quieter than Zurich and no further away by road
- Move the arrival earlier if a big snowfall is forecast. The Flexen can close for avalanche control and no car can help you then
- Give us the hotel name and a pin. Lech and Zürs are small but the lanes off the main road are narrow and the snow banks are high
- Book New Year and February half-term in the autumn. Both villages are small and the good hotels have long-standing guests who rebook on departure
Around the trip
Related pages
Airports and routes
Other resorts
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Tell us the week
Dates, numbers, which village and which hotel, and how much ski kit is coming. We reply with aircraft options into Zurich, Innsbruck and Friedrichshafen, the transfer plan, and what we would do if the Flexen closes for avalanche control on your arrival day.
Prefer to talk? +44 2030 048300 or WhatsApp, at any hour.
Questions people ask
About Lech and Zürs
Which airport should we use?
Zurich for certainty and aircraft availability, Innsbruck for the shortest drive, Friedrichshafen for smaller aircraft when it suits. We usually plan one and hold another, and agree with you beforehand which way we will move.
What happens if the Flexen pass closes?
Nothing moves by road until it reopens, which is usually a matter of hours after avalanche control. We watch the forecast against your dates, suggest moving the arrival earlier when a large front is coming, and keep you informed rather than leaving you at a barrier.
How does it work if we are staying in Oberlech?
The car takes you to the underground car park in Lech. Guests go up on the cable car, which runs from early morning until well after midnight, and luggage is taken separately through the tunnel system to the hotel.
Can we ski over to St Anton?
Yes. The lifts link Lech and Zürs with Stuben, St Christoph and St Anton. Driving between the two sides takes a good deal longer than skiing, so tell us if you plan to end the day on the wrong side of the pass and we will have a car meet you.
Do you have your own cars in Austria?
Our own cars and chauffeurs are in London and Manchester, and a trusted global network covers everywhere else. Austrian transfers are arranged through operators we know, and one contact at Odyssey holds the whole itinerary together.
One contact, wherever you are