Lech, at the centre of the Arlberg ski area, is one of the most exclusive ski venues in Austria. Along with its neighbour, Zurs, this is where high society goes for a winter break. There are expensive hotels, shops and top-rated eateries, in a picture-postcard village that's set in a beautiful wooded valley. The après-ski is lively, but tends to cater for the chic, older crowd, which thrives in Lech. Off-snow activities can often take up more time than the skiing itself.

Lech is an expensive resort, primarily geared to upmarket skiers; popular with royalty. Skiing suitable for all grades, with intermediates benefiting most from the wide variety of runs.

There is a whole range of accommodation available from 5-star right down to B&B, pensions and self-catering. Generally, hotels are of a very high standard, many have suites and most offer extra facilities. The majority of accommodation is situated close to a ski-lift and all are built in traditional style, priding themselves on offering traditional hospitality.

For beginners, there is a top-rated ski school and a very gentle nursery slope in the centre of the village which is ideal for young children. For boarders Lech is a great place for learners and intermediates (there is a park and a half-pipe). One thing that Lech particularly prides itself on is its lack of queues. This is due to a good lift system, but also because there is a limit of 14,000 skiers on the mountain at any one time.

Overall, Lech offers some great, varied skiing, but tends to attract the same people year after year. If your mortgage is flexible, Lech is wonderful, but you'll find Zurs even more exclusive.

Locality:

Lech is in the far west province of Vorarlberg, near the German border (20 mls NW of St Anton, 68 mls W of Innsbruck and its airport, 125 mls E of Zurich and its airport, 187 mls SW of Munich and its airport). It lies in a sunny valley, surrounded by the Lechtaler Alps, a fast mountain stream flows through the village.

Ski Information:

Highest lift: 2811m (9222ft), Lowest lift: 1450m (4757ft), Vertical drop: 1361m (4465ft), Number of lifts: 83, Uplift capacity: 44600 p/hr, Number of slopes: 55, Beginner: 27%, Intermediate: 49%, Expert: 24%, Total piste length: 260km, Snowboard parks: 1, Cross country: 19km