Midsummer days in Lech

At the apex of summer and under unusually warm temperatures for a shaded valley at 1,444 meters high, the village of Lech am Arlberg can feel miles away from the snowcapped landscapes it is often associated with. The delicately nostalgic photographs of Slim Aarons or Robert Capa, the frequent “villegiatura” of royal families or the Vorarlberg’s deep association with ski history and culture have all helped in conveying this righteous image of Lech as a perpetual and idyllic winter dream. If the village is indeed this picture-perfect fairy tale for one large chunk of the year, it seems like it is in summer that the town blooms in an even wider diversity of landscapes, activities… and encounters.

The village’s pulsing heart

Instantly recognisable with its green and pink facade visible along Lech’s main street, the Post Lech seems to simultaneously embody the village’s heart and spirit in a subdued, extremely elegant style, all the while offering set back and tranquil spaces to seek refuge in. If some rooms and suites offer plenty of plunging views onto the village’s entertaining activity and the expanding mountains, some offer complete privacy, directly facing the bare and pure countryside. For even further privacy or to accommodate large groups or families, the Post makes it possible to privatise either entire wings or the hotel’s own private chalet across the road, Chalet Säge.

From its awarded restaurants to the unique 46 rooms and suites and complete with a vast 1,100 square meters contemporary spa, the Post is indeed brimming with seemingly infinite possibilities for leisure, or what German speakers call “genuss”. In those deliciously long, sun-filled summer days, the outdoor pool and lounge are best enjoyed in the early morning or before dinner for their peaceful and calming power, solely overlooked by the magnetic and legendary 2,557 meters high Omeshorn peak. In a thought-of contrast against the timber and glass architecture of the pool house, the much-photogenic, slightly elevated black stone pool reflects the continuous attention paid to design and quality throughout the hotel.

While the Post, in an on-going tradition of perfection and renewal, has always transformed and enhanced its spaces since it was bought in 1937, it has seen major renovations and new additions over the last decades, with the opening of the beautifully-designed panorama restaurant, the both minimal and spectacular spa as well as a new modernised wing for rooms and suites. The panorama restaurant, “Postblick”, offers welcomed expansive views over the village’s main street, sheltered by the Kriegerhorn in the distance, and has rapidly and quite naturally become a key culinary and design destination for the hotel, but also for the village and many international visitors on the lookout for a perfected gastronomic experience. Throughout all of its restaurants, the Post team keeps on faithfully offering a creative and accomplished cuisine, all the while celebrating Austrian’s traditions and crafts. The hotel has also grown over the years as a true destination for wine-lovers, with sommelier Miroslav Kalinic working on an ever-renewed wine carte, allowing guests to either their favourite drink or to experiment new regions or smaller producers. A rare sight, some wineries even have their own full page on the menu, including Schloss Gobelsburg, a definitive highlight for those who want to discover and taste the diversity of Austrian wine culture.

The mountain is calling

If winter calls for alpine sports during the day and a hearty cuisine at night, summer seems to open Lech’s gates even wider for opportunities both up and down the mountain tops. The breathtaking landscapes that regulars know as snow-white are rediscovered in their full summer attire through biking, swimming or golfing as longer days allow for the maximum of enjoyment. Summer season in Lech is also the occasion of many recurring world class meetings and events in arts, culture, gastronomy and sports. Several music festivals are held throughout the year as well as the highly anticipated Arlberg Classic Car Rally, marking each season’s start in great style and roaming engines in both the village and the impressive neighbouring road passes.

Although it is tempting to stay at the heart of the village and watch its activities unfold in an ever joyous atmosphere, there is an undeniable attraction conveyed by the summits visible from the valley. Both the Rüfikopf and the small village of Oberlech as well as their surrounding hiking trails and hütten (small mountain restaurants) are made extremely easy to access through an system of lifts that takes over what is in winter Austria’s biggest skiing area. When up there, there is an undeniably ecstatic feeling of freedom and deep reconnection with nature as one is confronted by the purest and most beautiful forms of air and rocks. The million-years-old formations that now constitute the recognisable Vorarlberg mountains show out- worldly traces of fossilised animals, and it is hard to believe those delicate patterns at a hand’s reach stems from an ocean that used to cover this part of the world. A cure for the soul and body, a simple hike can not only help getting back in shape, it also is an opportunity to contemplate earth, its sounds and movements, its telluric power as well as to learn about its past, present and future through its living and constantly shifting geology, flora and fauna. After a few minutes of meditative stillness, one has high chances to observe flocks of marmots and flying birds of pray around the Monzabonsee — or even the magical local ibexes in the more abrupt parts of the mountains.

Unexpected encounters

Despite its maintained appearance as an enchanting village tucked into one of the most beautiful valleys of the Alps, Lech has over the years and in a lot of creative ways perfected the art of making one’s journey extra special. It is not in every village indeed that can be seen a road-legal Porsche 906 racing past the floor-to-ceiling windows of one’s hotel at breakfast, only to be followed by shimmering vintage open-top Mercedes or Jaguars ready to drive up the alpine hairpins. Nor any village can boast an exhibition programme of such quality and creative freedom than the one proposed by the Lechmuseum and its director Monika Gärtner. Located in the more than 400- years-old Huber Hus, the organisation is hosting a diversity of cultural events, talks or workshops on top of its temporary exhibitions, running from the summer to the winter seasons and covering a broad range of subjects. The museum also functions as a meeting space for local villagers who feel deeply rooted to this storied, typically Austrian house. This year, and until the spring of 2027, the Lechmuseum is showing a series of works from legendary as well as contemporary photographers from either local international background. They all have in common to have visited the Arlberg region at least once in their lifetime and to have captured it through their specific lens, vision and style. This exceptional and well-preserved refuge for culture and encounters reflects the spirit of Lech very well, as the village has definitely carved out a special place for freedom, creativity, and enjoyment. Inhabitants and visitors alike meet here with the common ambition to discover or contemplate what life has to offer at its finest, whether it is in the valley’s mountain peaks explored through sports, a gastronomy that transcribes a hundred-years old Austrian culture, or the simple beauty and quality of classic cars, local architecture or the rich art of photography. Reflecting on all those special elements colliding together in this resolutely unique Arlberg valley, it seems like the essential common thread linking them is a perpetual, deeply-rooted tradition for excellence in hospitality, one that has hovered over the region for centuries. In Lech, being an hotelier does not only feel like a profession but a true passion and dedication one is born with. Now in its third generation of management by the same Moosbrugger family that had originally bought the establishment in the 1930s, the definitely pioneering Post Lech feels like the ideal embodiment of this balance between looking at its past and preserving traditions but also challenging and enhancing luxury hospitality standards. Constantly on the look-out for the best quality in all domains, whether it is in the products that pass through its kitchens, wine cellar, or even spa boutique, in its multiple design details or through its excellent staff, the Post has become over the course of the past 88 years an undeniable destination for the sensible connoisseur who know how to appreciate the best things that mountain life has to offer.

About the author

Cécile Christmann is an architect, curator and writer based in France. She has specialised in the worlds of hospitality and design and regularly works with select brands or hotels on room curations or diverse content productions. She is also a keen writer on her favourite subjects, ranging from the automotive world to architecture, arts and culture.