Lech Zürs is better for families than its glamorous reputation suggests. The kids’ areas are free, the snow is reliable, Oberlech is car-free, and many hotels are built around ski-in/ski-out family holidays. The obvious catch is cost, and the single access road is worth watching in heavy snow.
Is Lech Zürs good for families?
Yes, particularly for younger children and confident families:
- Free kids’ areas with moving carpets and colourful figures in Lech, Oberlech and Zürs.
- Kids’ clubs in Lech, Oberlech and Zürs, and ski schools with programmes from age three.
- Oberlech: a car-free hamlet on the slopes, where children can walk out of the hotel and onto the snow.
- Snow: around nine metres of fresh snow a season on average, so conditions are rarely the problem.
Ski schools and kids’ lessons in Lech Zürs
Several ski schools in Lech, Oberlech and Zürs teach children, and many run programmes from the age of three, usually in small groups and through play. Many instructors speak German and English, and some speak French or Dutch; you can usually request a language when booking. Book well in advance, directly with the school; some hotels can also book lessons through reception.
Childcare and nurseries in Lech Zürs
Ski Arlberg lists kids’ clubs in Lech, Oberlech and Zürs with supervised play and crafts for the youngest, while parents ski. Several family hotels also run their own childcare: Sonnenburg in Oberlech, for example, offers childcare and programmes for different age groups. Ask your hotel or the ski school about ages and hours for your dates.
Best beginner areas for children in Lech Zürs
- Lech kids’ area: in the heart of the village. The ski school’s own moving carpet there isn’t open to the public.
- Oberlech kids’ area: sunny, peaceful and car-free, with the Oberlech practice lift close by.
- Zürs kids’ area: spacious and varied, around the Trittkopfbahn I valley station.
- Practice lifts in all three villages for the next step, and a family park with small rails and boxes plus a fun slope with waves and banked turns.
All three kids’ areas are free to use during operating hours, even without a ski pass.
Lech Zürs lift passes for families
- No family tickets, but discounted children’s and youth rates.
- Snowman tickets for the youngest children, by the day or for the season.
- Practice-lift tickets for beginners, and the kids’ areas are free.
- Season-pass family bonus: the third and younger siblings get a free Ski Arlberg season pass when a parent and the first two children buy theirs together.
- The pass covers the whole of Ski Arlberg, so older children can ski over to St. Anton or Warth-Schröcken.
Things to do with kids in Lech Zürs off the slopes
- The 1.2 km floodlit toboggan run from Oberlech to Lech, open daily from 9 am to 9 pm (last ascent 8.30 pm). Toboggans and minibobs can be hired at the Bergbahn Oberlech or in sports shops.
- The Schottenhof farm, up the Schlosskopfbahn, with Highland cattle and feeding time as the highlight.
- Winter walks and family events, such as children’s ski races.
- Family spas in hotels such as the Zürserhof and the Burg Hotel.
Best family hotels in Lech Zürs
Sonnenburg in Oberlech (five-star family hotel with childcare, ski-in/ski-out) is the standout. The Burg Hotel in Oberlech has separate family and adult spa areas, and the Zürserhof in Zürs has a Family SPA. See where to stay in Lech Zürs for more.
Tips for skiing in Lech Zürs with kids
- Stay where the kids’ area is. Oberlech is ideal for small children; just remember everything goes up and down on the lift.
- Use the bus. The blue local bus is included in your ski pass and stops at many hotels and lifts.
- Watch the weather on travel days. In heavy snow the Flexen Pass road can close at short notice, which matters with tired children in the car.
- Pick your weeks. School holidays, especially Christmas and February half-term, are the busiest and most expensive weeks.
- Read the full Lech Zürs ski guide for snow, season dates and getting there.
