SMALL BUT PERFECTLY FORMED... AND WITH ALL THE ALPINE AMENITIES YOUR HEART CAN DESIREN°001
Vorarlberg, Austria
Private poolSki-in/ski-out
From $11,445 per night
Photo by Christian S.Austria's refined western corner, from the Arlberg to Lake Constance
Vorarlberg is Austria's westernmost state, a compact land of high alpine valleys, celebrated timber architecture and quietly polished resorts stretching from Lake Constance to the Arlberg. Renting a luxury chalet here, whether ski-in comfort in Lech am Arlberg or a Montafon valley base near Sankt Gallenkirch, brings private spas, mountain views and concierge service to one of the Alps' most discreet corners.
- Lech Zürs am Arlberg, one of the Alps' most elegant ski villages, within Austria's largest linked ski area
- The Montafon valley around Sankt Gallenkirch, home to the extensive Silvretta Montafon slopes
- Summer hiking and biking from valley meadows to the glaciated Silvretta range
- The Bregenz Festival's famous floating stage on Lake Constance each July and August
- Chalets with private spas, ski-room comforts and dedicated concierge service
Known forLech Zürs and the Ski Arlberg area, the Montafon valley, the Bregenz Festival's lake stage, the Bregenzerwald's timber architecture and superb alpine food
Best time to visitDecember to April for skiing on the Arlberg and in the Montafon; June to September for hiking, lake culture and festivals
Nearest airportZurich (ZRH), about two hours by road; Innsbruck (INN) and Friedrichshafen (FDH) are alternatives
Ideal forSkiers, families and multi-generational groups who value understatement, service and serious mountains
A CHARMING CHALET IN A GORGEOUS LOCATION IN ONE OF AUSTRIA’S BEST SKI AREASN°002
Vorarlberg, Austria
Private poolSki-in/ski-out
From $11,445 per night
A MAGNIFICENT CHALET IN ONE OF THE WORLD’S BEST SKI AREASN°003
Vorarlberg, Austria
Private poolSki-in/ski-out
From $10,465 per night
3homes available
1–1bedrooms
up to 22guests
3with a pool
Vorarlberg in pictures
Events not to miss in Vorarlberg
- Mid-January
Der Weisse Ring race, Lech Zürs
A thousand skiers race the legendary 22-kilometre Weisser Ring circuit linking Lech, Zürs and Oberlech in a single January day. Even as a spectator, it is the Arlberg at its most exuberant.
- April
Tanzcafé Arlberg Music Festival, Lech Zürs
Lech closes its season with weeks of live swing, jazz and pop on sun terraces across the resort, reviving the golden-age tradition of the alpine tea dance. Spring snow, deckchairs and music.
- June and late August to early September
Schubertiade, Schwarzenberg and Hohenems
The world's leading Schubert festival brings celebrated singers and chamber musicians to intimate halls in the Bregenzerwald village of Schwarzenberg and in Hohenems. A pilgrimage for lieder lovers.
- Mid-July to mid-August
Bregenz Festival (Bregenzer Festspiele)
Opera on a spectacular floating stage on Lake Constance, with monumental sets rising from the water. One of Europe's great summer festival experiences, under an hour from the mountain valleys.
Vorarlberg through the seasons
- Winter (December – April)
Snow-sure skiing on the Arlberg
Deep, reliable snow across Ski Arlberg and Silvretta Montafon, with immaculate pistes, storied off-piste and a season that stretches beyond Easter at altitude.
- Spring (May – June)
Meadows in bloom, valleys to yourself
Wildflowers fill the Montafon and Bregenzerwald as the first hiking trails open and the Schubertiade begins. The quietest, freshest weeks of the year.
- Summer (July – August)
High trails and opera on the lake
Cable cars open walking country from valley meadows to the Silvretta glaciers, while the Bregenz Festival stages opera over Lake Constance on summer evenings.
- Autumn (September – November)
Golden larches and alpine traditions
Clear light, amber forests and the festive Alpabtrieb, when garlanded cattle are led down from the high pastures through the villages. Harvest cooking fills the inns.
The Area and Where to Stay
Vorarlberg rewards those who look west of the classic Tyrolean circuit. Its marquee address is Lech am Arlberg, a discreetly grand village of sunlit chalets on the Lech river, joined with Zürs, Stuben, St. Christoph and St. Anton in the vast Ski Arlberg network, Austria's largest linked ski area. To the south, the Montafon valley runs from Bludenz towards the Silvretta massif, with Sankt Gallenkirch and its Gargellen side valley giving direct access to the Silvretta Montafon ski area, a quieter, family-minded alternative with genuine alpine character. Between them lie the Bregenzerwald's villages, famous for contemporary timber architecture, and Bregenz on Lake Constance. Chalets here favour natural wood, deep spas and long balcony views, with concierge support for lift passes, instructors and transfers.
Things to Do
Winter is the headline. The Arlberg's terrain runs from immaculate cruising to some of Europe's most storied off-piste, with Lech's famous Weisser Ring circuit linking the villages in a single celebrated day. The Silvretta Montafon combines broad family pistes with freeride reputation, and both areas support strong ski schools, guiding and mountain restaurants worth planning a day around. Summer opens hundreds of kilometres of marked trails, from gentle meadow walks above Sankt Gallenkirch to high crossings beneath Piz Buin, along with the panoramic Silvretta High Alpine Road, e-biking, and swimming in Lake Constance. Down at Lake Constance, Bregenz adds museums, lakeside promenades and boat trips for a change of register. Cable cars run in both seasons, and the concierge can arrange private guides, instructors and family programmes.
Food and Local Flavour
Vorarlberg takes food seriously in an unshowy, deeply regional way. The Bregenzerwald's cheese tradition is the backbone: alpine dairies produce the Bergkäse that anchors Kässpätzle, the state's beloved dish of pasta, mountain cheese and crisp onions. Lech Zürs holds one of the Alps' densest concentrations of acclaimed hotel restaurants and hosts gourmet events through the winter season, while Montafon inns serve hearty valley cooking, from Sura Kees, the local sour-milk cheese, to game and river fish. Farm shops and mountain huts make lunch an event in itself. In your chalet, a private chef can pair regional produce with Austrian wines, and the concierge secures tables that otherwise book out with the snow.
When to Visit
The Arlberg's altitude and famously generous snowfall give Lech one of the Alps' longest and most reliable seasons, typically early December to after Easter, with the Montafon running on a similar calendar. Christmas, February and March are the premium weeks; January often combines deep snow with quieter slopes. Summer, from June to September, is Vorarlberg's second high season: warm valley days, cool nights, flower-filled meadows and the Bregenz Festival drawing opera audiences to Lake Constance in July and August. Autumn brings golden larches, harvest tables and the ceremonial return of cattle from the high pastures. Only the shoulder weeks of November and late April to May are genuinely quiet, when many lifts pause.
Getting There
Zurich Airport (ZRH) is the most comfortable gateway, roughly two hours by motorway to Lech or the Montafon, with a broad intercontinental schedule. Innsbruck (INN) sits about an hour and a half east of the Arlberg and adds atmospheric alpine approaches, while Friedrichshafen (FDH), across Lake Constance, is convenient for Bregenz and the north of the state. Trains run to Langen am Arlberg for Lech and to Schruns for the Montafon on Austria's efficient rail network. In winter, private transfers with winter-equipped vehicles are the effortless option, and the concierge arranges these along with resort shuttles and equipment delivery to the chalet.