Where alpine exclusivity is at home

BEST OF | Issue 04 | AUTUMN/WINTER 2025/26 | Text: Stephanie Geiger

Nestled in the majestic setting of the most wondrous Alps, the Arlberg offers unforgettable holiday experiences all year round. Regardless whether it’s descending on skis over snowy slopes in St. Anton, meandering on sunny summer hikes over primeval alpine pastures, stopping at huts, or taking a time-out in a truly cosy chalet on the borderline of Tirol and Vorarlberg, the Arlberg brings together all the alpine traditions, couples them with luxurious elegance and a magnificent backdrop in truly unique ways in summer and in winter. Whoever wishes to flee everyday life, its stress and burdens, to breathe in fresh mountain air, imbibe a superlative mountain panorama and at the same time enjoy heartwarming hospitality, on the Arlberg that person is spot-on

Particularly in wintertime, the Arlberg has made a name for itself. It is considered not only the cradle of alpine skiing, today it is the guardian of the largest interconnected ski region in Austria.

With a helicopter, savour the ultimate in powder snow

The ski runs of St. Anton, which traditionally launches the winter season in the first week of December, St. Christoph, Stuben, Zürs, Lech, alongside Warth and Schröcken, are sure to fulfil every wish of skiers for skiing joys on pistes of unbeatable quality. Apart from 300 kilometres of meticulously groomed ski descents there are also more than 200 kilometres of deep-snow descents and off-piste variations for freeriders on the Arlberg. Lovers of this sport also savour a very special delicacy on the Arlberg: heli-skiing and heli-boarding, a highly unusual offering which, in Austria, is only possible in Lech-Zürs. Another gigantic advantage of the region: assuredness of snow. The ski runs on the Arlberg all lie above 1,250 metres altitude. Whoever is aspiring enough to want to complete the Run of Fame in the course of one day has to be quick about it. At a length of 85 kilometres and with 18,000 metres of altitude to master, it is considered the longest interconnected ski round of the Alps. Particularly ambitious skiers should mark the 17th January 2026 in bright red on their calendars. That is the day of the White Ring. The race in Lech-Zürs, in which thousands of high-flying wintersports participants take part, occupies the status of an international cult. And doubtless inspiring equally much cultish excitement is the so-called Weisse Rausch (“White Madness”), the legendary ski race at season’s end in St. Anton. It will take place on 18th April 2026.

But even far apart from the ski runs, the Arlberg has loads to offer: whiskey tastings at the Schlegelkopf Restaurant, promising fondue and à-la-carte evenings at the Rüfikopf, where ski manufacturer Kästle presents its history in the Mountain Museum, or else exclusive cruises with Moët & Chandon Champagne-Gondola of the Zug mountain railway.

Whether in the depths of winter with heavy snowfall and snowstorms, or in springtime with sun-soaked skiing and Aperol on a sunny terrace – the Arlberg, with its charming villages, mountain huts, ski slopes, and breathtaking alpine scenery, is always an unforgettable highlight.

Tradition and heartwarming hospitality

The history of the Arlberg is compellingly brought to life at the Museum in St. Anton, where you can discover lots about the skiing greats and the skiing sport itself, and also about the construction of the famous Arlbergbahn. At the Lech Museum you gain insights into the life of people in earlier times. The Huber-Hus, in which the museum is housed, was built in 1590. Today, the museum awakens the enthusiasm of visitors with regularly changing special exhibitions, such as the current presentation about photography on the Arlberg. And because the region has been a destination for travellers since time immemorial – even in primordial times, one of the most important east-west connections led over the nearly 1800-metre-high Arlberg Pass – hospitality is something writ large. As far back as 1570, Hotel Schwarzer Adler in St. Anton was an icon for far-reaching hospitality. Nowadays, the Tschol family which runs the hotel is in its fifth generation. In Lech at Hotel Post, the Moosbrugger family regularly plays host to the royal family of the Netherlands. Whoever wants to spend a top-notch vacation, whether with family or a group of friends, is right-on-target in Chalet 1551 or Chalet Mimi, in Lech: two luxurious private chalets with butler service and a private chef.

Where less is more – or even everything… DER WOLF in Lech is a mountain lodge that blends traditional values with international influences, impressing with its striking, minimalist architecture.

Arlberg, destination of connoisseurs

The gourmet restaurant Griggeler Stuba in Lech has been distinguished by two Michelin stars, and equally so, the Chef’s Table in the exclusive Rote Wand Gourmet Hotel in Zug and the gourmet restaurant in Hotel Tannenhof in St. Anton. Breaking all bounds of excellence is also the Alpin Gourmet Stube in Hotel Gletscherblick in St. Anton (1 Michelin star). At Hotel Mondschein in Stuben, the young cooking star Joshua Leise wins acclaim with his creations, he is already a well-known celebrity from the “Mural” in Munich with his Chef’s Table. At the restaurant Marile in Berghof Lech, the cuisine can best be described with appellations such as tradition, back to the roots, deep values and new times.

Where refined culinary delights meet luxurious ambience and stunning mountain views: The Arlberg Club House (Interior Design by Bernd Gruber Kitzbühel).

The brand-new place-to-be in Lech: the Arlberg Club House. Inside this former travel office, illustrious Austrian interior architect Bernd Gruber and Kitzmüller Architektur have achieved a design masterpiece incorporating a galaxy of profoundly conceived, saturated earth tones accompanied by high-quality natural materials.

The Arlberg is not merely a place for vacations, rather, it is a place which you discover, conquer, and take home with you in your head and your heart, back to everyday life. That is the way true desires arise and perhaps permits you a vacation in this direction next summer, or next winter.

A sparkling high-altitude experience: The Moët & Chandon Champagne Gondola at the Zugerberg lift can be booked for up to 1.5 hours for 2 to 7 people.