Zürs

Zürs lies at 1,720 metres, at a point where the Flexen pass road climbs from Lech to the Arlberg region's high ground. The village occupies a bowl in the Lechquellen mountains, with steep slopes on all sides, and the combination of altitude and exposure brings heavy snowfall, often four to eight metres in a winter. The lifts begin right in the village, and the ski area is among the highest in the Arlberg.

The place is a tiny settlement by any measure. Only a few hundred people live here in winter, and almost all the buildings are hotels and guesthouses. It belongs to the municipality of Lech am Arlberg. Although the area is remote, the region has a long tradition: the Arlberg is the birthplace of the Alpine ski technique, and Zürs saw some of the first lifts in Austria, with a pioneering ski lift opened in the 1930s. The village became a fashionable winter destination in the decades after the Second World War, and it has kept its exclusive character.

The ski area is shared with Lech and linked into the Ski Arlberg network, one of the largest in Austria. From Zürs, the Zürsersee chairlift and the Trittkopf lift carry skiers up to long, wide slopes. The Madloch, a bowl and ski area above the village, offers some of the best off-piste and ungroomed runs, and the Schlegelkopf, a peak reached by a lift, is another popular area. The famous White Ring, a 22-kilometre circuit of pistes and lifts that links Zürs with Lech, Zug and Oberlech, passes through the village and is an iconic day out for strong skiers.

The Tannberg Museum in nearby Lech covers the story of the region's skiing heritage and local history, though visitors should check the opening hours. At Zürs itself there is a small chapel and a handful of shops, including a long-established sports retailer whose name is known across the Arlberg. Because the village is so small, much of the social life takes place in hotel bars and restaurants, with a refined atmosphere in contrast to the louder après-ski of other Tyrolean resorts.

The terrain around Zürs is serious. Avalanche danger is a constant, and the Flexen road has galleries and tunnels to protect it from slides. Off-piste skiing demands knowledge and equipment, and visitors should go with a guide. A snowboard show and freestyle events occasionally take place in the area, but the village is not a centre for snowparks.

In summer, Zürs is very quiet. Many hotels close, but those that stay open serve walkers who come for the high meadows, the little lake, the Zürsersee, and the long trails. A path leads from Zürs toward Lech along the Lech river, and cable cars at Lech carry walkers up to viewpoints. The Rüfikopf cable car, the Lechweg trail and the Formarinsee, a lake, are within reach. The surrounding Lechquellen mountains hold alpine flowers, and the area is also a good place to see ibex and chamois.

Food in Zürs is of high standard, as is typical of the Arlberg resorts. Hotel kitchens offer Austrian classics such as Tafelspitz, Wiener Schnitzel and game, with Kaiserschmarrn and strudel for dessert, and mountain huts serve simple Vorarlberg dishes such as Käsknöpfle.

The best time to visit is from December to April for skiing, with the best snow in January and February. The village is nearly deserted from May to June and from October to mid-December.

Getting there is easy but not close. The nearest railway station is at Langen am Arlberg or St. Anton, where buses run to Lech and Zürs over the Flexen pass in around 30 to 40 minutes. By car, the Arlberg road and the road via Warth and the Flexen road lead to the village, which is about two hours from Innsbruck and about three hours from Zurich. The Flexen road can be closed after heavy snow, so check conditions. Within the village, ski buses and the lifts provide transport.