Ski holiday in Zürs am Arlberg, based in Stuben

Zürs am Arlberg in brief

Zürs is part of Lech am Arlberg in the Bludenz district. It has around 150 residents and lies higher than Lech (1,450 metres) and almost as high as Oberlech (1,750 metres).

Ski Arlberg calls Zürs the snowiest winter sports resort in Austria, measured by the sum of daily fresh snowfall. For Lech Zürs the ski area gives an average of around nine metres of fresh snow per season.

Its ski history goes back a long way. In 1906 Viktor Sohm from Bregenz gave the first ski courses for guests in Zürs. In 1937 the first drag lift of the kind we know today ran here.

Zürs and Stuben also share a family story. Friedrich Schneider from Stuben founded the Stuben ski school in 1924 and later, with a break during the war, ran the Zürs ski school until 1969. At the end of the 1930s five ski instructors, among them Friedrich Schneider and Emil Walch from Stuben, bought the Hotel Lorünser in Zürs. More about this in the history of the Ski Hotel Mondschein since 1739.

Skiing from Stuben to Zürs

Stuben and Zürs belong to the same Ski Arlberg area, together with St. Anton, St. Christoph, Lech, Oberlech and Warth-Schröcken. You do not need a car to get to Zürs.

The way in three steps

• Albona I lift: the valley station is in the village, around 200 metres as the crow flies from the Ski Hotel. Since winter 2023/24 an eight-seater gondola runs here from 1,405 to 1,845 metres.
• Run down to Alpe Rauz: from the top station a piste leads across to Alpe Rauz, where the routes to St. Anton and Zürs split.
• Flexenbahn: the ten-seater gondola runs around 1.8 kilometres from 1,665 to 2,227 metres. At the top it shares its station with the Trittkopfbahn I.

At the top of the Flexenbahn

At the top station at 2,227 metres is the HALL of FAME, an interactive exhibition about the Arlberg, its history and its pioneers. Entry is free while the Flexenbahn is running. It is also a checkpoint on the RUN of FAME, the 85-kilometre ski circuit from St. Anton to Warth and back.

From here you can ski straight down to Zürs. Or take the Trittkopfbahn II up to around 2,420 metres, where the Balmen runs 134 and 140 start with a wide view towards Zürs.

The way back to Stuben

To get back, take the Trittkopfbahn I from Zürs up to the shared top station and the Flexenbahn down to Alpe Rauz. From there the Albonabahn II brings you back onto the Albona, and you ski down to Stuben.

Plan your return before you stop for lunch in Zürs. If you miss the last Flexenbahn, you need the bus or a taxi over the Flexen pass. Which lifts are running today is shown on our page lifts and slopes live.

What to ski in Zürs: Trittkopf, Madloch, Seekopf

Trittkopf and Balmen

The Trittkopfbahn I runs from Zürs to the top station of the Flexenbahn, and the Trittkopfbahn II on up to the Trittkopf. Below the summit are the Balmen runs and the Hübner Hang (135) from the Trittkopf BBQ station.

For your first turns there is the flat practice slope of the Race Area Zürs (128) in the village. Ski Arlberg describes it as flat, with plenty of room.

Madloch: the crossing to Lech and Zug

At the Madloch you ski from Zürs over to Lech. The Madlochbahn takes you up to the Madlochjoch in around five minutes, with the top station at 2,446 metres. You get there via the Seekopf or Zürsersee chairlifts.

From the col, the Madloch Zug run (170) leads down to Zug, 4.2 kilometres with just over 950 vertical metres according to Ski Arlberg. To Lech you ski via the Madloch Lech (173). What awaits you there is on our page Lech from Stuben.

Seekopf and Zürser Täli

The Seekopf Standard run (157) starts at the Seekopf mountain restaurant and leads back to Zürs. For confident skiers there is the Zürser Täli (144). It starts at the Muggengratbahn at 2,440 metres and runs 4.2 kilometres and 720 vertical metres to the valley station of the Trittkopfbahn I.

Every Thursday in the ski season there is an Early Start into the Täli, accompanied by a lift company expert. You meet at 7.45 am at the valley station of the Seekopfbahn, and afterwards there is breakfast at the Seekopf mountain restaurant.

Off the piste

Ski Arlberg names the top stations of the Madlochbahn, Muggengratbahn and Trittkopfbahn as starting points for popular freeride tours. The ski area recommends experienced ski guides there, and we agree. On request we arrange ski guides and mountain guides, also in several languages.

Der Weiße Ring from Zürs

Der Weiße Ring links Lech, Zürs, Zug and Oberlech in one circuit. Ski Arlberg gives around 22 kilometres and more than 5,500 vertical metres. It is a half-day undertaking and can be skied on easy to intermediate pistes.

In Zürs you join at the Seekopfbahn or the Zürserseebahn. Via the Madloch you ski to Zug, via the Zugerberg and Kriegeralpe to Oberlech and Lech, and via the Rüfikopf and Trittalp back to Zürs.

From Stuben the circuit fits into an early day. Take the Flexenbahn, ski the loop and you are back at the Trittkopfbahn I in good time in the afternoon.

Once a year it becomes a race. According to Ski Arlberg, "Der Weisse Ring" takes place on 16 January 2027, starting at the Rüfikopf and finishing in Lech.

Ski pass for Zürs: what to watch for

A ski pass from the Ski Arlberg web shops is valid across the whole ski area, including the Flexenbahn and the lifts in Zürs. Multi-day passes are valid on consecutive days. The web shop opens for the 2026/27 season on 27 November 2026.

In Lech, Oberlech and Zürs, Ski Arlberg limits the number of skiers on busy days. Day passes bought in Stuben then have restricted validity. If you want to be sure of getting to Zürs on a given day, ask when you buy. We are happy to get your ski passes before you arrive.

Getting to Zürs by car, train and bus

By car over the Flexen pass

From Stuben you drive over the Flexen pass road (L 198) to Zürs, around six kilometres. The pass road branches off the Arlberg road at Alpe Rauz and runs through the Flexen gallery. The pass is at 1,773 metres and has been open in winter since 1936.

From 1 November to 15 April your car needs winter equipment in Austria in wintry weather. For Lech Zürs, Ski Arlberg lists winter tyres as compulsory from November to April and snow chains in the boot. The road from Warth to Lech is closed in winter. In Zürs you park free of charge during the day at the Trittkopf and Seekopf car parks.

By train and bus

The nearest station is Langen am Arlberg. Line 750 runs from Langen via Stuben to Zürs and Lech, line 760 from St. Anton via St. Christoph to Zürs and Lech. Both need a ticket, and you pay on the bus by card or smartphone.

With a valid ski ticket, the village bus in Lech, Oberlech and Zürs is free. In the evening the James night bus runs daily from 7.30 pm to 2 am in the ski region. For trips over the Arlberg our hotel shuttle will take you on request. How to get to Stuben itself is under getting to Stuben.

The figures from the station and airports come from Ski Arlberg and apply to Lech Zürs.

Zürs without skis: Flexen pass and Zürsersee

In winter a cross-country and winter walking route leads from the Trittkopfbahn I in Zürs up to the Flexen pass, 2.2 kilometres and about 40 minutes. On the pass you can stop at the Flexenhäusl. Because of the climbs, the route is less suitable for beginners.

In summer the Seekopfbahn runs daily from 8.30 am to 5 pm straight up to the Zürsersee lake at around 2,160 metres. Walking round the lake takes half an hour at most. If you want to go further, walk from the lake back to Lech, an intermediate 8.2-kilometre round from Zürs according to Lech Zürs Tourismus. In summer only our Mondschein Chalet with its private spa suites is open, and the Ski Hotel and Motel are closed.

Ski holiday in Zürs am Arlberg: why guests stay in Stuben

Stuben lies between Zürs and St. Anton. With the Albona I lift in the village and the Flexenbahn, you are in Zürs without moving the car. In the other direction you ski to St. Anton am Arlberg.

At the Ski Hotel Mondschein we arrange ski passes, equipment, ski school, private instructors and mountain guides, when you book or at reception. Check-in is from 3 pm, check-out by 11 am. What the village itself looks like is under Stuben am Arlberg.

After the ski day you eat in the Alte Gaststube or at the Chef's Table for no more than eight guests, which Falstaff 2026 rated with 95 points. The evening, the tables and the wine cellar are described on the page restaurants and Chef's Table.