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Ski town adventure

Last Updated 29 August 2015, 18:30 IST
Few Alpine resorts match Austria’s Lech am Arlberg in allure. The royal families of the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Jordan spend their winter holidays here and stars such as Tina Turner, Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones count among the long list of distinguished guests.

Unsurprisingly, nobody gives me so much as even a second glance as I stroll along Lech’s main street, at the start of the ski season. I head in the direction of the Rüfikopf ski lift, one of 97 lifts and cableways in the Arlberg ski region, which has 340 km of pistes. Late in 2013, the respected website www.skiresorts-test.com ranked Lech-Zürs am Arlberg and Warth-Schröcken — whose pistes are situated between 1,450 metres and 2,450 metres above sea level — first in a global ranking of the top 250 ski resorts.

Skiers’ paradise
It was here, a century ago, that the foundations of modern Alpine skiing were laid. The techniques used in the Arlberg region became the basis of those now taught by instructors in ski schools around the world.

The stars who come here do so secure in the knowledge that they’ll be able to ski unhindered by unwanted attention. For some, the main attraction is getting away from the crowds and into nature while enjoying the region’s renowned deep-powder, off-piste skiing. Yet, you don’t need to be a celebrity to do that. However, in the name of safety, it’s worthwhile employing the services of a local guide who knows the terrain and understands the snow conditions.

One of the biggest annual events held in this area is the White Ring ski race, known locally as Der Weisse Ring. The race takes place on a 22-km circuit of interlinking pistes, with 5,500 metres of vertical difference in the mountains above the neighbouring villages of Lech and Zürs. A maximum of 1,000 skiers and snowboarders participate in the race.

If you enjoy testing your skills, then pay a visit to Lech Snowpark, which has 20 groomed obstacles in an area of 3.6 hectares. If participation isn’t your thing, it’s still worth heading to the Schlegelkopf lift, which gives you a vantage point to appreciate the skills of freestylers heading down the runs.

I stroll on through the village to the onion-domed St Nicholas Church, which dates to the late 14th century, shortly after the valley was settled. Traces of colourful, late-medieval frescoes are still visible, etched into the interior walls and preserved behind protective glass, but my eyes are drawn up to dramatic paintings depicting Biblical scenes on the ceiling and above the altar. In the churchyard I browse the neatly tended gravestones, and see a repetition of family names that suggests this is a much more closely-knit community than I’d first realised.

Lost in the locale
I’m staying with one of those families, the Walch’s. Like all of the buildings in Lech, the family’s establishment is influenced by the design of traditional chalets and has a low, sloping roof. None of the buildings in the village are permitted to rise higher than three stories above ground level in order to maintain an Alpine village feel, despite this being a busy winter destination. The population rises from 1,450 inhabitants to around 15,000, including hotel staff and guests, at the height of the season.

To reach Lech am Arlberg, I flew into Zurich Airport and transferred by road, a journey that took two-and-a-half hours. Locals say the train journey between Zurich and Langen am Arlberg, the nearest railhead to Lech, 18 km from the village, is worthwhile for its mountain scenery. If you hire a car you can also swing into nearby Liechtenstein and Germany or skirt around the shore of Lake Constance.

The small Alpine town of Zürs is situated 3 km from Lech. With both dusk and a dusting of snow falling, I order a warm cup of mulled wine at its compact Advent market. People chat in small groups and warm themselves by hollowed logs in which flames have been set.

Cow bells ring in the distance. The conversations around the fires cease and people peer into the darkness to see the source of noise. They hang from the belts of a group of characters in animal pelts and grotesque, hand-carved masks topped with horns. These are Krampus figures.

Every December 6, it’s a tradition in this part of the world for Krampus runs to be held. The demonic looking Krampuses punish those children who’ve misbehaved while women in angel outfits accompany a man dressed as St Nicholas and reward those who’ve been good with chocolate.

My ideal present would be a good fall of powder snow so that I can hit the pistes in style tomorrow. Who knows, I might even end up on the same lift as a movie star. It’s a real possibility in Lech-Zürs.

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(Published 29 August 2015, 15:28 IST)

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