Everything you need to know about the Lech Card
Lech is a mountain village in the westernmost state of Vorarlberg, Austria.
Known as being one of the poshest ski destinations in Europe, Lech is most popular in the winter period. But as we like to focus more on off-the-beaten-track destinations we decided to visit in the summertime to see what you can experience off-season. With the contrast in weather, Lech quickly becomes two completely different destinations.
Between the Lechquellen Mountains and the Lechtal Alps, Lech attracts hikers and lovers of outdoor adventure during the summertime. Being nearly 5,000 feet in elevation, Lech is a great base, making hiking accessible while being incredibly scenic. Everything is within walking distance - restaurants, hotels and shops. Along with the base of cable cars, bus stops and the start of trails.
The River Lech runs through the centre of the alpine village which is full of quaint houses, hand painted with colourful wooden shutters, adorned with flowers.
Being a small village with a population of roughly 1,500, you might not think that lech has much to offer. But its personality is bigger than its footprint. With delicious farm-to-table dining, cosy lodging and a sense of being in the middle of nowhere, Lech quickly made our way to one of our favourite destinations.
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Below is all the information you need for your visit to Lech, handy information for The Lech Card and our highlights from our recent visit.
THE LECH CARD
I don’t know about you but we usually feel relatively confident while travelling. We enjoy the novelty of being in a new county, with a foreign language and unusual cuisine. The main exception to this confidence is when we need to use public transport. Maybe an irregular bus service, a confusing underground system or the fear of being ripped off by a taxi.
The Lech Card makes life so much easier. With a clear and straightforward bus service and regular running cable cars, travelling around Lech is made easy. There’s no need to work out what stop to get off at as you’re travelling with a local guide, and you need not worry about having the right money to pay when it’s all included with the flash of the card.
We enjoyed the flexibility of having the card with such regular bus services and how the cable cars were within walking distance of the town. Everything seemed more accessible and achievable and it took the stress out of planning your day in a new destination. We also appreciated that within a 5-minute cable car ride you could experience the most glorious views overlooking the alps from above. Something that usually would take hours of hiking to get to.
WHAT IS THE LECH CARD?
The Lech Card is the ideal ticket offered by the Lech Zürs Tourism board which bundles admission to popular places, public transport and guided hikes all into a single card.
The Lech Card includes all-inclusive services and benefits with hikes with local guides throughout the mountain range, access to cable cars, free entry for bus services and a variety of other amenities and experiences on offer.
The tourism scheme is on offer for just a single day trip up to a longer stay of 21 days. The card is available during the summer and autumn period from June 24th until October 3rd.
You can pick up your Lech Card at the Tourism Information Centre in the centre of the village or from most hotels in Lech.
WHAT’S INCLUDED IN THE LECH CARD?
There are a number of attractions and amenities included in the card, so here is a list of examples. Check out the full list of services with additional info and dates here.
Free journeys with all open summer cable cars
Free journeys with the Ortsbus Lech bus service
Entry to the Zugertal Valley
A guided E-bike tour
Guided themed hikes with a local
Entrance to the forest swimming pool
Skyspace Lech guided tour
Admission to the Lech Museum
Breakfast at the Kaltenberghütte
Golf
For families
Children’s adventure programme including activities like the 3D archery, Streichlzoo Muxelhof petting zoo, canyoning, forest camp and the children's climbing area
Bowling
Swimming lessons
The Family Programme including climbing and canyoning
Along with these services included with the card you can receive advantages and discounts at partner companies in and around Lech Zürs. These discounts cover activities like wild water swimming, a high ropes course, and equipment hire at Intersport Arlberg.
THE LECH CARD PRICES FOR 2024
These are the current prices for the card, depending on how many days you’ll be in Lech. The Lech Card is free for children under 14. Seniors over 70 receive a 30% discount.
Days 1-2 = €36
Days 3-4 = €56
Days 5-7 = €69
Days 8-14 = €99
Days 15-21 = €125
HOW MUCH CAN IT SAVE YOU?
Is buying The Lech Card better value than doing things separately?
Here is an example of individual prices you’d pay if you haven’t purchased the card. The cable car prices are including ascent and decent.
Rüfikopf cable car: €21.90
Bergbahn Oberlech cable car: €14
Petersboden chairlift: €16
The Steffisalp-Express chairlift: €18.50
The forest swimming pool Lech: €10 for day entry
So from looking at individual prices, if you’re planning on using the cable cars or chairlifts multiple times then the Lech Card is worth the price so you could be saving money.
We loved having the card so we could use the cable car an unlimited amount of times. We went up the Rüfikopf cable car but once at the top it was cloudy so the vision was limited. We came straight back down and went back up later on in the day when the sky was clear. If we didn’t have the card we wouldn’t have been as flexible with the weather so it was definitely worth it.
As we had the card which had access to the outdoor Forest Swimming Pool it prompted us to visit. This is something we wouldn’t have done without the card but we were so glad we did. After a long 6-hour hike it was great to take a dip in the pool and cool down in amongst the trees.
GUIDED HIKES
Being in the heart of the alps, it’s a paradise for those who love to get lost in a maze of rolling hills amongst the scenic mountain range. While walking between clouds floating past, the chime of the bells on the cows provides a natural soundtrack as you hiked through the atmospheric landscape.
Sunshine or rain, you can find beauty everywhere in this scenic part of Austria.
With the Lech Card, you can join one of the daily hikes that take place in Lech. Each day of the week there is a different hike to choose from depending on your visit.
This is an example of the hikes available when we visited:
Monday: Herb hiking tour
Tuesday: The history of Lech tour
Wednesday: Goepath excursion
Thursday: E-bike tour
Friday: Twilight hike from Rüfikopf & adventure evening from Rüfikopf
Our hike with our local guide Barbara was fascinating. We learnt about the history of Lech while exploring the picturesque Tannberg. As our guide picked the flower heads of the arnica plants (to take home and make into medicine) she taught us about the flora and fauna, life in Lech and tips on how to get the most out of our visit.
When travelling we always enjoy spending time with locals. We find with a guide we often push ourselves out of our comfort zone more and we find more off-the-beaten-track paths. It’s also a great way to experience local culture and ask for advice and personal recommendations for your trip.
Taking a guided hike in Lech is a brilliant way of spending time with a local while taking in the breathtaking sights and surroundings.
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Another great aspect of the Lech Card for hiking is using the bus service. We took the bus to the furthest point of a hike to Lake Formarinsee and then did the 6-hour hike back to the village. During the hike, we incorporated a stop at the forest swimming pool and the Zug waterfall. Taking the bus made the journey more achievable for us so we only had to hike one way while giving us more time to explore elsewhere for the rest of the day.
WHERE WE STAYED
During our recent trip to Lech, we stayed at the Hotel Aurora.
The hotel was cosy - the perfect place to recharge your batteries after a long day of hiking. The grounds were filled with flowers with tables and chairs dotted in between, a great place for rest and rejuvenation.
We sat on our balcony every morning, drank coffee and watched the sunlight rise above the mountains.
With first-class regional cuisine, they served an incredible 4-course meal every night for dinner, with the hotel owner coming to say hello to each and every guest. Not something you experience in your average hotel!
➜ Booking.com links: Hotel Aurora & other hotels in Lech
We hope that this article has inspired you to visit Lech! If you have any suggestions or have any questions please let us know in the comments below!
Our trip to Lech was in partnership with the Vorarlberg Tourism Board, where we went on assignment to explore Lech using The Lech Card, capturing the most beautiful spots and destinations along the way.
