Zurs am Arlberg. Photo Credit: Sepp Mallaun
305 Km (linked with Lech, St Anton and other Arlberg villages)
1,720 M
1,300 M – 2,811 M
Valluga II – 2,811 M
Blue 43, Red 40, Black 17
Friedrichshafen 1 hrs 15 mins,
Innsbruck 1.5 hrs,
Zurich 2.5 hrs,
Munich 3 hrs,
Milan 3 hrs.
Zürs is considered one of the better bases in the Arlberg for beginners with its gentle nursery slopes, which are located beside the village centre, itself at a normally snowsure altitude. There are long, wide, groomed blue runs to progress on to.
For children, hotels and chalets may offer child care or there are a number of agencies offering babysitting or private nanny services.
Kinderclub Little Zürs (skinderclub-lech.at) offers non-ski care for children aged 2 – 3 and care with a little skiing each day for children aged 3 – 5. It operates from 9am Sundays to Fridays and on Saturdays on request with lunchtime cover also available.
The ski schools offer lessons from age 4 in most cases with the largest and longest established, Ski School Zurs, operates the Bockis Kinderland nursery area with hundreds of flags, gates, figures and safety barriers seen on Bockis Kinderland reached via “The Arlberg Express” play train. This impressive Kids ski area also features three magic carpet conveyor-style lifts and two other beginner’s lifts.
Zürs is the smaller neighbour of Lech. The village is very much a resort for those who don’t want to make a fuss about the fact that they’re here, so there isn’t actually a huge choice of shops and restaurants, as many of the guests don’t go out much except to ski. The skiing is, of course, excellent, with the famous white ring circuit linking the local slopes to those of Lech and the fast new lift connection to St Anton’s skiing too,
Zürs is definitely one of the world’s most high class destinations with no accommodation rated below three star and much of it in fact 4 or 5 star. Despite this classy reputation it is not actually the most picturesque Austrian resort, with much of the modern village purpose built, albeit in a traditional architectural style, but more importantly it is high altitude as well as high class, with its base at 1730m meaning you can ski back to the resort from the very start of the season to the very end most years.
Despite its modern appearance Zürs, in common with the rest of the Arlberg region, has a long history as a ski destination, with the first skiers taking to the slopes in the early years of the 20th century. One of the world’s first ski lifts was built here too about a century ago. These days the main village is made up of about two dozen buildings, most of them large, chalet-style hotels.
The ski slopes around the village include some of the gentlest terrain in the Arlberg region, which infamously has blue runs that might be considered red elsewhere and similarly reds that might be considered blacks. So it’s a good choice for those wanting to ski in the Arlberg but not actually looking for those famed steep challenges.
That said all that the Arlberg has to offer is easily accessible from Zürs. Given its pedigree it’s no surprise to know that heliskiing is possible from here and arguably the region’s best known off piste descent down from Valluga ends up in Zürs.
Zürs is a village that really caters for all ability levels and tastes when it comes to skiing and boarding. For beginners there are great, snowsure nursery slopes right by the village; intermediates have wide blues and reds taken them further afield, including the option to hop on to the famous ‘white ring’ circuit to travel around the slopes of the village and those of neighbouring Lech. The new lift connection to St Anton, opening up 305km of groomed piste, now the largest ski area in Austria, also begins right in Zürs
For advanced skiers and boarders all the wonders of the Arlberg are right there waiting for you with world-class off piste skiing opportunities (a further 200km of marked and signposted off-piste ski itineraries are available) and from Zürs, unique in Austria, the chance to try heli-boarding or heli-skiing in the mountains of Mehlsack or Schneetäli, with an expert guide to accompany you on your heli-skiing adventure in the Arlberg.
Zürs is considered one of the better bases in the Arlberg for beginners with its gentle nursery slopes, which are located beside the village centre, itself at a normally snowsure altitude. There are long, wide, groomed blue runs to progress on to.
For children, hotels and chalets may offer child care or there are a number of agencies offering babysitting or private nanny services.
Kinderclub Little Zürs (skinderclub-lech.at) offers non-ski care for children aged 2 – 3 and care with a little skiing each day for children aged 3 – 5. It operates from 9am Sundays to Fridays and on Saturdays on request with lunchtime cover also available.
The ski schools offer lessons from age 4 in most cases with the largest and longest established, Ski School Zurs, operates the Bockis Kinderland nursery area with hundreds of flags, gates, figures and safety barriers seen on Bockis Kinderland reached via “The Arlberg Express” play train. This impressive Kids ski area also features three magic carpet conveyor-style lifts and two other beginner’s lifts.
A real contrast from neighbouring St Anton, the apres ski in Zurs is relatively low key with half-a-dozen lounge and cocktail bars to choose from, most of them within the village’s larger hotels.
Livelier spots when the slopes close however include Vernissage in Skiclub Alpenrose (www.bar-vernissage.at) which runs several bars, usually has at least one DJ at the decks, and is also one of the main nightclubs in the village.
Other options include Hirlanda (hirlanda.at) and the “Shabby chic” ULLR run by a former global barman of the year and the quiet sophistication of Thurnhers Alpenhof Pianobar.
The Zurserl club in the Sporthotel Edelweis (edelweiss-arlberg.at) is one of famous night spots of the Alps, established back in 1977 and still going strong more than 40 years later.
Alpenrestaurant Valluga (hotel-valluga.com) is an extremely popular choice with a beautiful slopeside terrace. A wide ranging-menu with the chef’s very special vege-burger a great option for non meat-eaters in the arty.
Hirlanda (hirlanda.at) has a classic, rustic charm that feels authentic and cosy as well as a reputation for great service. Menu highlights include prawns with garlic spaghetti and beef strips on Asian salad.
Located right at the top station of the Seekopf and Zürserseebahn lifts, the Seekopf (www.seekopf.at) has a large sun terrace and an extensive menu of mountain favourites.
ULLR Gasthouse Restaurant (ullr.at) opened in 2015 it’s run by a former global barman of the year, has a shabby chic style and great food.
Thurnher’s Milchbar (thurnhers.com) is a trendy lifestyle-café with a unique atmosphere that combines alpine lifestyle and modern design and relaxed lounge tunes. Highlight are the creative sandwiches – home baked bread with a choice of toppings – simply delicious.
Walserstube Arlberghaus (www.arlberghaus.com) is located in a cosy corner of the Alberghaus hotel and offers scrumptious food with a particularly strong reputation for its gourmet pizza.
Ski School Zurs (skischule-zuers.at/en) has been offering lessons in the village for more than a century – not many ski schools can claim that. There are classes for all abilities, group or private and children from age 4 up are taught too.
Snowfritz Arlberg (snowfritz-arlberg.at) is run by one of the best guides and teachers in the Arlberg, Fritz Pelzeder, who set up his own ‘ski escort with lessons’ business in 2011.
Zurs Private Instructors (skischule-zuers.at/en). Private ski instructors in Zurs have a reputation for their skills and expertise and the best are booked more than a year in advance by skiers in the know and with deep pockets. It’s well worth enquiring well in advance of your visit if you’d like to book a private instructor.
A selection of luxury chalets in Zurs will be added soon.
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