Lech and Zurs
If you are not on a budget then Lech is definitely the place for you. With its blend of cutting edge 5 star hotels and traditional hamlets spread throughout the resort it means it is one of the most exclusive ski resorts in all of Europe.
On the Piste
There is a good reason why Lech is so exclusive…the snow. On average Lech will see double the amount of snow of Val d’isere and in 2009 saw over 7.5 metres fall and the neighbouring village of Zurs there was over 10 meters.
For Beginners Lech has a range of gentle blue runs to help you find you feet on the lower terrain and enjoy the marvellous scenery that is has on view. Most of the blue runs are located in Lech resort and are near on another so you will be able to travel up and down them without trudging across the resort. This is great if you are happy to ski at a relatively low altitude but it can get tedious if you want to really get up into the mountains see the sites
For those a little more experienced, heading out of the comfort zone of Lech and up to the higher altitude runs of Zurs and Madloch will suit you better. These runs take you right up into the mountains and there you can really experience some of the best cross country ski that Austria has to offer.
If you are an expert looking for thrills and spills, then you would be better served hopping on the bus up the mountain into Zurs resorts where there are far more challenging runs to suit your needs. These black runs are full of carved out backsides and testing moguls that can still challenge even the most experienced of skiers
Nightlife
Lech is not the sort of place to go if you are on a budget. With chic five star hotels and champagne cocktails Lech is very much the elder statesmen of Austrian Ski resorts and has the price tag to go along with it. Head to the Hotel Montana straight from the slopes where Champagne is the drink of choice. Then your night can go one of two ways, you can either dance on the tables at Tannbergerhof and later on s’Pfefferkörndl which get very lively or you can go for the more relaxed nights at the Scotch club or hotel Krone where you can enjoy one of their fine malts or wines and relax after a hard days skiing.
Julie
Jan 06, 2012 @ 16:10:02
We stayed in Lech and visited Zurs and Sonnenkopf. The grading of the pistes in general is not a particularly good guide to judge their difficulty. We found some “ski routes”, which you would normally associate with off-piste, to be groomed after fresh snowfall and comparable with blue or red runs whilst some blue runs had very steep sections which could unsettle less confident skiers.
Mornings were busy in many areas however after lunchtime the pistes became very much quieter. We found starting a bit later, having a coffee stop instead of lunch some days and skiing on until the lifts closed was best for enjoying a bit of space. Loads of good places to stop for food, although in keeping with everything in this area – pricey.
Sonnenkopf has woodland – good if visibility is likely to be poor elsewhere – and can be reached by postbus 91 (30 mins) from Lech -near horse carriage stop – to Langen, change to postbus 90 (30 mins) from Langen to Sonnenkopf. The upper slopes here do not have tree cover and in bad weather are as exposed as anywhere else.