Ski holiday in Lech am Arlberg: Lech, Oberlech and Zug from Stuben

Lech, Oberlech, Zug and Stubenbach at a glance

Lech lies at around 1,450 metres in the valley of the river Lech, in the Vorarlberg part of Ski Arlberg. The municipality also includes Zürs, Oberlech, Zug and Stubenbach. At the start of 2021, Lech and Zürs together had around 1,600 permanent residents. Lech alone has almost 7,000 guest beds.

Lech

The village is first mentioned in 1059 and was settled around 1300 by Walser people from the Valais. The name comes from the river. Only the Flexen road, built between 1895 and 1900, gave it a permanent link to the Arlberg. The Lech ski school was founded in 1925, and in 1939 the first lift went up on the Schlegelkopf.

Oberlech

Oberlech sits at 1,750 metres above the village. From December to April it is car-free, and the hotels are linked by underground tunnels. You get up there on the Oberlech cable car, a ride of about four minutes. If you come by car, you park below in the underground garage at the Lechwelten. What a day up there looks like is on our page about car-free Oberlech.

Zug

Zug lies just under three kilometres west of the centre in the Zugertal, below the Zuger Hochlicht. From here the Zugerbergbahn runs up to the Balmalp at around 2,100 metres. On the roof of the top station stands the Lech Mountain Mirror by the architects Snøhetta, open to everyone while the lift is running.

Stubenbach

Stubenbach lies north-east of the centre on the Lech, on the road towards Warth. The village bus also runs to Zug and Stubenbach, free of charge with a valid ski pass.

Skiing from Stuben to Lech via the Flexenbahn

Since December 2016 the Flexenbahn has run from Alpe Rauz up to the Ochsenboden above Zürs. The ten-seater gondola climbs 562 metres over 1.8 kilometres, from 1,665 to 2,227 metres. Before that, buses shuttled between Zürs and Alpe Rauz through the Flexen gallery. The top station is also the middle station of the Trittkopfbahn.

Alpe Rauz is three and a half kilometres by road above Stuben. The Albonabahn II is there too, and it is the way you come back towards Stuben in the afternoon. From the Ski Hotel Mondschein it is a three to four minute walk to the Albona I lift, and from the Mondschein Chalet one to two minutes to its own lift.

From Zürs to Lech

In Zürs you ride up on the Seekopfbahn or the Zürserseebahn and continue on the Madlochbahn to the Madlochjoch at 2,446 metres. The Madloch-Zug run drops 954 metres over just over four kilometres down to Zug. The Zugerbergbahn takes you up to the Balmalp, and from there you ski via the Kriegeralpe and Petersboden down to Oberlech and Lech.

From Lech back to Stuben

To get back, take the Rüfikopfbahn from the centre of Lech. From the Rüfikopf at 2,350 metres you ski to the Schüttboden lift, on to the Trittalpbahn and down to Zürs. There the Trittkopfbahn I takes you to the middle station at the Ochsenboden, and the Flexenbahn brings you down to Alpe Rauz.

Plan the day backwards from the end. The connecting lifts close in the afternoon, and if you miss the last one you take the bus or a taxi. Whether the Flexenbahn and the Albona are running today is shown on our page Arlberg lifts, slopes and weather live.

Ski Arlberg plans the 2026/27 season from 2 December 2026 to 18 April 2027, the same for Lech, Zürs and Stuben. Operations may be limited on the first and last days.

Der Weiße Ring: the ski circuit around Lech, Zürs, Zug and Oberlech

Der Weiße Ring, the white ring, links Lech, Zürs, Zug and Oberlech over around 22 kilometres and more than 5,400 vertical metres. The circuit has existed for over 60 years and was the idea of Sepp Bildstein. Ski Arlberg reckons on half a day.

The marked entry points are the Rüfikopfbahn in Lech, the Seekopfbahn and Zürserseebahn in Zürs and the Zugerbergbahn in Zug. From Stuben you join in Zürs as soon as you have come over on the Flexenbahn. With an early start the circuit fits into one ski day, including the way home. The table shows four sections on the Lech side, from the Ski Arlberg route list.

Once a year the circuit is skied as a race, with more than 1,000 participants. The next race is on 16 January 2027. The winners are listed on a roll of honour at the valley station of the Schlegelkopfbahn.

Rüfikopf, Schlegelkopf and Zuger Hochlicht

Rüfikopf

The Rüfikopfbahn starts at the Rüfiplatz in the village centre and is the start of the ski route to Zürs. At the top, at 2,350 metres, is the panorama restaurant, with a fondue evening on Fridays. A short walk leads to a viewing platform with an all-round view.

Schlegelkopf

Lech built its first lift on the Schlegelkopf in 1939. Today a four-seater chairlift goes up, with the Schlegelkopf restaurant next to the top station. On the broad slope stands the Rud-Alpe, once a hay barn.

Zuger Hochlicht, Madloch and Kriegerhorn

Above Zug the terrain rises to the Zuger Hochlicht and the Madlochjoch. This is where Madloch-Zug runs, one of the two longest descents on Der Weiße Ring. Ski Arlberg calls the Lange Zug ski route a challenge for strong skiers. Across the whole area Ski Arlberg counts more than 200 kilometres of deep-snow runs. Off the piste, it is best to go with a mountain guide.

In winter the heli-skiing flights start from the Kriegerhorn near Oberlech and from the Flexen pass. On request we arrange the flight and the guide for you from Stuben.

Mountain huts, restaurants and après-ski in Lech

Lech Zürs Tourismus counts 89 restaurants and 22 restaurants with Gault&Millau toques in the municipality. For a ski day, a few addresses right on your route are enough.

• Balmalp above Zug, at around 2,100 metres at the top of the Zugerbergbahn, built almost entirely of wood.
• Kriegeralpe on the run from the Kriegerhorn down to the valley, known for its Kässpätzle.
• Rud-Alpe on the Schlegelkopf slope, a converted hay barn.
• Schneggarei in the middle of Lech by the piste, awarded the Vorarlberg timber building prize.
• Rüfikopf panorama restaurant at the top station, handy as a last stop before the way to Zürs.

Après-ski in Lech and Oberlech

In Oberlech the Burg Bar is the meeting point, open daily in winter from 10 am to 7 pm. In the centre you will find the Krone's après-ski bar right next to the piste and the ice bar at the Tannbergerhof, looking onto the slope.

After the last lift you can no longer ski back to Stuben, so plan your return for early afternoon. In the evening you eat with us: in the Alte Gaststube, at the Chef's Table with 95 points in Falstaff 2026, or at the fondue in the Bilderzimmer. Times and reservations are under our restaurants and the Chef's Table.

Getting to Lech by car, bus and train

The times come from a route planner and apply to dry roads. Allow more in snowfall.

By car over the Flexen pass

You drive along the Flexen road L 198 and through the Flexen gallery to the Flexen pass at 1,773 metres, then down to Zürs and Lech. From 1 November to 15 April, winter tyres are compulsory in wintry conditions. The road from Warth to Lech is usually closed in winter.

In Lech you park in the Anger garage, with around 600 spaces. In winter 2026/27 it costs €31 per day from five hours. When the avalanche risk is high, the avalanche commission closes the Flexen road at times, most recently after an avalanche between Zürs and the Flexen pass in February 2026. Check the road report in the morning.

By bus and train

Regional bus 750 runs several times a day from Langen via Stuben and Zürs to Lech, with a ticket. In high season line 703 runs every ten minutes between Lech and Zürs. In the evening the James night bus runs daily from 7.30 pm to 2 am, linking Lech with Oberlech, Zug, Stubenbach and Zürs.

By train you get off at Langen am Arlberg, 17 kilometres from Lech. How to get from there to Stuben, and how our pick-up works, is under getting to Stuben by train, car and plane. On request our shuttle will also take you to Lech during the day, for shopping for example.

Stay in Stuben, ski in Lech

Stuben lies at around 1,400 metres between the two sides of the Arlberg. Over the Albona you reach St. Christoph and St. Anton, over the Flexenbahn Zürs and Lech. What the village where Hannes Schneider was born in 1890 looks like is on our page about Stuben am Arlberg.

Lech is a resort with large hotels, shops and many restaurants. Stuben is a small village on the pass, with few houses and short distances. If you want both, stay with us and go over for a day or two.

For guests who want a full hotel with restaurants, bar and sauna after skiing, there is the Ski Hotel Mondschein, an inn since 1739. If you would rather have your own space with your own wellness area, choose a suite at the Mondschein Chalet with private spa suites. We get your ski pass for Lech before you arrive.

For the day before or after: the slopes and huts of Zürs on the Flexen pass are right on the way. From Lech, the Auenfeldjet also takes you to the Warth-Schröcken ski area.

Lech in summer and autumn

In summer 2026 the Rüfikopfbahn ran from June to 4 October, daily from 8.30 am to 5.30 pm. The Green Ring trail and the Rüfikopf geology trail start at the top station. Since June 2016 Lech has had a nine-hole golf course.

Above Oberlech, on the Tannegg, is the Skyspace Lech by James Turrell. The light installation has been open since 2018 and can be reached on foot in summer and winter.

In September and October the Genuss Festival brings chefs from across the Alps to Zug and Oberlech, including the Rote Wand and the Burg Hotel. During that time the Ski Hotel and the Arlberg Motel are closed. The Mondschein Chalet is open all year.