Local Foreigner in Lech
(L-R) Alex Erdman Ely, Amanda Schulenberg, owners Florian & Sandra Moosbrugger, Kelly Pierson, Hillary Lewis Murray, and Hutton Beckcom at the Gasthof Post in Lech, Austria
In Austria’s Arlberg massif, sharing a tight cluster of valleys with St. Anton, St. Christoph, Zürs, and Zug, Lech has quietly built a reputation among skiers as one of the most sophisticated, snow-sure, and distinctly Austrian corners of the Alps. And while we know the European families who have skied here for generations would rather keep it quiet, consider this our yodel from the mountaintop. Five of Local Foreigner most dedicated powder hounds spent a week exploring this Alpine Eden, centered on five nights at the storied Gasthof Post Lech, they reached a rare, nearly unanimous verdict: this is one of the most charming, high-quality ski destinations any of them had experienced - a place that rewards the kind of traveler willing to trade a little scene for a lot of soul. We try not to play favorites around here, but this may just be Local Foreigner’s favorite ski destination.
Getting oriented in the Arlberg takes a moment, since the region is a constellation of small towns rather than one resort. “Lech tends to be the most high-end, sought-after town of the four to six towns that make up this area,” explains Alex Erdman Ely. To get there, most of the group flew into Zurich and drove two and a half hours into the mountains, though timing and weather can occasionally route travelers through Innsbruck. Ski season runs December through April, and Lech has a reputation for exceptional late-spring conditions, when winds coming off the nearby lake stir up fresh powder even as other resorts start to slush out. Our group, traveling in the last week of March, hit the snow jackpot. “There was a three-to-four-foot powder storm that hit on our second day there,” Alex says, “A proper Alpine dumping, in early April, that put most February ski weeks to shame.”
Prior to heading up to altitude, Hutton Beckcom overnighted at Zurich’s Baur au Lac, right on the lake and a short walk into the Old Town. “I really loved it. I think I went in just thinking, ‘Zurich, another big city,’ and I was pleasantly surprised," she says, citing the hotel's recent refresh of its f & b outlets. “Everyone knew my name within the first fifteen minutes of being there and was so gracious. It was truly incredible service.” It's also a smart landing pad for families traveling with kids; the parents on the trip remarked on the family-friendly nature throughout the itinerary. “The flexibility of full or half board in Lech itself would be really nice for families,” Hutton continues, “Letting parents skip a nightly reservation hunt in a town where dinner options, while excellent, aren’t as numerous as you might find in Zermatt or Courchevel.”
And that’s exactly the point. Lech is tiny and walkable in minutes, with the Post Lech at its heart. There are a handful of other hotels and a few boutiques, and little in the way of nightlife beyond a handful of après spots. “Post Lech has been run for four generations by the Moosberger family, and they're heavily involved,” says Alex, who stayed in the hotel's chalet across the street from the main building, a two- and three-bedroom setup with its own kitchenette and living area. “If you had a family that needed two or three rooms and wanted their own little chalet with a kitchenette and living area, it was perfect.” Rooms and suites in the main hotel are each unique, featuring classic alpine décor, antiques, and character.
And if you’re going to spend all day on the slopes, you better be fueled; Austrian mountain cuisine is up for the task. The schnitzel and fondue delivered, and Kaiserschmarrn - Austria's beloved chopped pancake dessert - became something of a group obsession. “It's basically a delicious, pancakey, French-toasty, doughnutty dessert. Very Austrian,” Amanda Schulenberg says. “We had one at the end of pretty much every meal, we were obsessed.” Dinner at Hûs Nr. 8, a cozy, traditional spot just across from Post Lech, is another must. “When I posted on Instagram that I was in Lech, every single person I knew in London messaged me saying we had to go there,” Amanda laughs. “Loved it. Very cute. Definitely for anyone staying in Lech, even if it's just three nights, don’t miss it.”
There were cozy on-mountain lunches at Hospiz Alm in St. Christoph and Gasthaus Älpele in Zug (reached by snowcat), and livelier scenes in the evening. The group made the short trip over to St. Anton one evening for its famous nightlife, and closed out another night dancing at the Arlberg clubhouse's new nightclub, where somehow there was line-dancing music on a private dance floor. “No one's looking at your brands,” Kelly Pierson says about the scene. “It's just people wanting to have a good time.”
Lech has quieter pleasures too: cross-country trails out to Älpele, sledding down from Oberlech, and artist James Turrell's walk-in Skyspace installation right on the piste. But really, this is a destination for skiers, which, in the end, was the group's biggest takeaway: Lech isn't trying to be Courchevel or Aspen, and that's precisely its appeal. It's compact and deeply Austrian built for travelers who want serious skiing without the scene. And if you need to balance that out with a bit more action, it’s great as an anchor for a longer European itinerary - more skiing across the border in Switzerland, or with Salzburg and Vienna for travelers drawn to the cultural side of Austria (don’t worry, there’s more Kaiserschmarrn to be had in the cities as well).
