Lech (Vorarlberg)

Lech
coat of arms	Austria map
Basic data
Country:	Austria
State :	Vorarlberg
Political District :	Bludenz
License plate :	BZ
Surface:	89.97 km²
Coordinates :	47 ° 13 '  N , 10 ° 9'  E Coordinates: 47 ° 12 '36 "  N , 10 ° 8' 34"  E
Height :	1444  m above sea level A.
Residents :	1,607 (January 1, 2020)
Postal code :	6764
Area code :	05583
Community code :	8 01 13
Address of the municipal administration:	Dorf 329 6764 Lech
Website:	www.gemeinde.lech.at
politics
Mayor :	Ludwig Muxel
Local council : (2015) (18 members)	Majority vote
Location of Lech in the Bludenz district
Lech (2006) with the Omeshorn in the background and the Hasenfluh in the back left
Source: Municipal data from Statistics Austria

Lech (sometimes also with the addition of Lech am Arlberg ) is a community with 1607 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2020) on the river of the same name in the Austrian state of Vorarlberg and, like Ebnit , Damüls or Mittelberg, is one of the Vorarlberg Walser villages . The community is an internationally known winter sports resort on the Arlberg .

geography

The altitude of 1444 m for the place refers to the location of the old church standing on a hill. 14.1% of the community area is forested, 58% of the area of ​​the Alps . Geographically and historically, Lech belongs to the Tannberg , but in terms of tourism the municipality is part of the Arlberg region . Lech belongs to the Bludenz district and also to the Bludenz judicial district , but unlike its neighboring communities in the south of Klösterle and Dalaas , which also belong to the Bludenz district, it is not in the Klostertal , but in the Arlberg massif to the northeast of it.

In the municipality of Lech, the source rivers Formarinbach (source near the Formarinsee) and Spullerbach , which flows out of the Spullersee , combine to form the Lech river , which then flows via Warth through the Tyrolean Lech Valley towards Bavaria .

Community structure

Districts are: Anger, Berg, Burg, Bürstegg, Oberlech, Oberstubenbach, Omesberg, Schönenberg, Straß, Stubenbach, Tannberg, Zug and Zürs.

Neighboring communities

Lech borders eight other municipalities, five of which are in Vorarlberg and three in the neighboring state of Tyrol . Clockwise from the north, the municipalities around Lech are:

• Schröcken and Warth in the Bregenz district ,
• Steeg and Kaisers in the Tyrolean district of Reutte ,
• St. Anton am Arlberg in the Tyrolean district of Landeck ,
• the communities of Klösterle and Dalaas in Klostertal ,
• as well as Sunday in the Großer Walsertal .

The municipal areas of Lech, Klösterle, Kaisers and St. Anton am Arlberg meet at the top of the Valluga at 2809  m above sea level. A. , although Lech is only adjacent to St. Anton am Arlberg in this one point. The common border point with the communities of Schröcken and Sonntag is on the Braunarlspitze at 2649  m above sea level. A. This shows, on the one hand, the mountainous location of Lech in the middle of the Lechquellengebirge , and on the other hand, the course of the municipality boundary, which is mainly oriented towards mountain ridges.

history

Lech in summer, around 1900

Lech was in the 13./14. Founded in the 18th century by immigrant Walsers . It was called Tannberg until the 19th century , then the name Lech, derived from "Tannberg am Lech", caught on. The parish church of St. Nikolaus, which was probably built in the early 14th century, was the parish church of the Tannberg judicial district until the 16th century , and the Tannberg court building was also located in Lech until the Tannberg Court was dissolved in 1806. The small town has developed into a flourishing community in the last few decades, initially due to the influence of winter tourism , but subsequently also increasingly due to summer tourism .

In August 2005, large parts of the village were devastated by a flood disaster. The sometimes considerable damage had been repaired as far as possible by the beginning of the winter season in December 2005.

Population development

Culture and sights

See also:  List of listed objects in Lech

Old parish church St. Nikolaus, new church (sloping roof) behind it on the right

Gipslöcher Nature Reserve

Gipslöcher Nature Reserve

• Old parish church Lech am Arlberg : The church was built around 1390 in the Gothic style and thoroughly renovated in 1987. The originally Romanesque church can still be recognized by various frescoes - the entire interior of the church was redesigned in the country rococo style in 1791. The tower with a height of 33 meters and its unique onion roof is particularly striking. There are six bronze bells in the bell chamber. The oldest bell is from the beginning of the 15th century. The church houses a single manual organ by Anton Behmann .
• Kästle Mountain Museum: In December 2008, the Kästle Mountain Museum was opened in the mountain station of the Rüfikopfbahn. The permanent exhibition shows the history of the ski brand Kästle and its close connection with Lech.
• Viewing platform on the Rüfikopf just above the mountain station of the Rüfikopfbahn. Here you have a very good panoramic view of the surrounding mountains.
• Museum Huber-Hus : The Huber-Hus , which was built in 1590, invites visitors on the first floor to discover rural living and working, with the kitchen being the historically oldest core of the house. Exhibits from the baroque to the present come from the original owners, the Huber family. The numerous exhibits in the “ cooper's workshop ”, some of which date from the 18th century, are particularly valuable . The archive of the Lech community is located in the basement of the house. The renovated rooms on the upper floor are available for special exhibitions that change twice a year.
• Gipslöcher Nature Reserve: Above Lech there is the “Gipslöcher” nature reserve. The area protrudes with over 1,000  sinkholes , with diameters of up to 100 meters and depths of 35 meters. The nature reserve was founded because it is home to 20 different types of orchids and many marmots. This is why hikes are particularly popular when the orchids are in bloom from July to mid-August. The landscape gives the orchids and marmots optimal protection from enemies and wind and the soft gypsum rock is ideal for cave construction.
• Cineastic Gondolas: At the beginning of the winter season there is an art festival for animated short films, visual art & music in the gondolas of the Rüfikopfbahn or in front of and in the Rüfibahn mountain station.
• Skyspace Lech: this light space and art installation was designed by James Turell in 2014 . The artist's aim was to enable heaven and earth to come together in the high alpine landscape with a new perspective. For this purpose, James Turell created a round structure that was largely laid out underground and thus fits perfectly into the sensitive alpine landscape. In this light space there is a surrounding bench that allows a view of the open sky and offers different perspectives due to the rotation of the earth. The location is also characterized by a special visual axis between the striking summit of the Biberkopf and the town of Bürstegg on the one hand and the Omeshorn on the other.

Regular events

• The White Ring : This ski race leads the participants over 22 kilometers of slopes, 5500 meters of altitude and 5 ski lifts through the entire Lech-Zürs ski area. The race is therefore also known as the "longest ski race in the world". The number of participants is around 1000 each year. There is an extensive supporting program and the race is a popular meeting place for current and former ski stars.
• Philosophicum Lech: The Philosophicum Lech has been held in Lech every year since 1997 , a renowned interdisciplinary conference that deals with philosophical, cultural and social science reflection, discussion and encounter.
• Medicinicum Lech : A public health event that deals with topics related to health and health-prolonging measures (medicine, technology, nutrition, exercise, etc.). Every year the program revolves around one main theme. The Medicinicum Lech 2021 deals, for example, with the prospects for a longer life.

Site design

Lech was awarded a gold medal in the village category in 2004 as part of the European “ Entente Florale Europe ” competition.

sport and freetime

Winter sports

The Ski Arlberg ski area on both sides of the Vorarlberg state border currently (as of the 2014/15 season) comprises 350 km of groomed ski slopes and 200 km of designated tour runs. About 63% of the ski slopes can be covered with snow . A total of 97 lifts and cable cars with a transport capacity of 123,600 people per hour are in operation. Lech and Oberlech (Arlberg West area) have 23 lifts and cable cars as well as 17 ski slopes and 18 ski routes.

Since the 2013/14 winter season, the Auenfeldjet gondola lift has been connecting the previously neighboring but separate ski areas of Ski Arlberg West and Snowworld-Warth-Schröcken. The last gap in the area will be closed for the 2016/17 winter season with the construction of the Flexenbahn between Stuben and Zürs . The resulting common ski area is currently the largest in Austria with a total of 88 lifts and 304 kilometers of slopes. Furthermore, tickets can only be purchased for the respective partial ski areas Snowworld-Warth-Schröcken , Ski Arlberg East and West ; the use of the entire ski area requires the purchase of the Ski Arlberg ski pass .

The Langer Zug slope (slope number 215) from Rüfikopf (via slope 181) to Lech is one of the ten steepest groomed slopes in the world.

As part of the extreme snowfall in Central Europe in January 2019 , the Lange Zug hit the media when a German avalanche victim was searched for for days: A group of four experienced German skiers was killed by an avalanche on the slope that was closed at the time, during the first search only three people could be rescued and the fourth victim could only be rescued four days after the accident.

Lech is the only place in Austria where heli-skiing is still allowed. The landing sites are on the Mehlsack and at the Orgelscharte near the Göppinger Hütte. However, there are no flights on weekends and public holidays. The PES doubts that the most recent extension of the permit for helicopter tourism, which took place in 2016, is legitimate.

List of plants in Lech and Oberlech

Surname	Construction year	system	Height above sea level Valley station [meters]	Height above sea level Mountain station [meters]	Route length [Meter]	Transport capacity [Pers./hour]	business winter	business summer
Balmengrat lift	1999	Knitting lift	2,077	2,082	222	-	W.	0
cable railway Oberlech	2016	80- ATW	1,434	1,649	845	1,235	W.	S.
Berghof lift	-	Knitting lift	-	-	163	-	W.	0
Flühlift	1964	1- SL	1,446	1,528	379	620	W.	0
Hasensprungbahn	2003	6- CLD / B	1,869	2,050	818	2,800	W.	0
Hinterwieslift	1958/1981	2-SL	1,475	1,662	602	1,186	W.	0
Kriegerhornbahn	2002	6-CLD / B	1,800	2,171	1,140	2,880	W.	0
Petersbodenbahn	1998	6-CLD / B	1,645	1.929	1,091	3,200	W.	S.
Rotschrofenbahn	1993	2- CLF	1,866	2.132	1,260	1,434	W.	0
Rüfikopfbahn I	1957/1972	55-ATW	1,460	2,350	2.124	500	W.	S.
Rüfikopfbahn II	1987	80-ATW	1,456	2,344	2.173	800	W.	0
Sheep lift	2003	1-SL	1,989	2,065	666	600	W.	0
Schlegelkopfbahn I	1990	4-CLD / B	1,441	1,808	1,298	2,400	W.	0
Schlegelkopfbahn II	1972	2-CLF	1,441	1,829	1,393	1,200	W.	S.
Schlosskopfbahn	1964/1998	2-CLF	1,435	1,773	1,428	850	W.	0
Schwarzwand lift	1961	1-SL	1,450	1,531	410	720	W.	0
Steinmähderbahn	2003	8-CLD / B	1,822	2,309	1,288	4,000	W.	0
Oberlech practice lift	1963	1-SL	1,740	1,828	453	800	W.	0
Weibermahdbahn	2011	8/10 CGD	1,786	1.923	771	3,874	W.	0
Zugerbergbahn	1969/1988	2-CLF	1,490	2,105	1,460	1,440	W.	0

The abbreviations in the "System" column are explained under aerial cableway .

Last 2 columns:

W = winter operation / S = summer operation; green background
0 = no summer operation, red background

Mountain bike

The ascent from Lech to the Lechquell area near the Freiburger Hütte is one of the most popular mountain bike activities

Lech is also a popular area for mountain bikers in summer and autumn . The Transalp routes Heckmair Route and Joe Route lead through Lech.

Hiking trails

For hikers, the Lechquellenrunde and the Robert-Bosch-Weg offer opportunities to explore the mountain world of Lech. Many of the hiking trails around Lech can be reached through the facilities, which are also open in summer, and through so-called hiking buses. Maintained and unmanaged Alpine Club huts can be reached from Lech on various hiking trails .

Lechweg

• Formarinsee - Lech

14.3 km - 3½ hours - ascent 59 m - descent 494 m

• Lech - Warth

9.3 km - 5 hours - ascent 593 m - descent 544 m

The Green Ring (3 stages)

• Mountain station - Rüfikopf - Monzabonsee - lower station Trittkopflift - Zürs am Arlberg

7.2 km - 2-2½ hours - ascent 131 m - descent 703 m

• Seekopf - mountain restaurant - Madlochjoch - Lechweg - Zug

7.3 km - 3 hours - ascent 316 m - descent 1014 m

• Zug - Balmalp Kriegerhorn storage lake Kriegeralpe Libellensee Lech

9.7 km - 3½ hours - ascent 705 m - descent 779 m

Steinernes Meer Freiburger Hut

8.3 km - 3½ hours - ascent 350 m - descent 350 m

Lech - Wästertäli - waterfall

4 km - 2-2½ hours - ascent 397 m - descent 9 m

Oberlech - Kriegeralpe - Zugertobel - Zug

7.2 km - 3-3½ hours - ascent 388 m - descent 520 m

Lech-Überlech mountain railway station - Skyspace Lech - Karhorn Auenfeld - Bodenalpe - Lech

11 km - 3½ hours - ascent 425 m - descent 650 m

Spullersee - Ravensburger Hut - Stierlochalpe - Waterfall - Lech

9 km - 3½ hours - ascent 369 m - descent 714 m

Rüfikopf circular route

9 km - 3½ hours - ascent 369 m - descent 714 m

Oberlech / Schlössle - Tannegg - Auenfeldsattel - Batzenalpe / Schröcken - Kalbelesee

9 km - 2½ hours - ascent 288 m - descent 354 m

Zürs - Zürsersee - Madlochjoch - Mittagsspitze - Bärenkopf - Zug

9.5 km - 5½ hours - ascent 793 m - descent 1005 m

Formarinsee - Schönbühel - Johannesköpfe - Göppinger Hütte - Gasthaus Älpele

12.5 km - 6 hours - ascent 861 m - descent 1171 m

Via ferrata: Steffisalp Express - Warther Horn - Karhorn - Karalpe - Bodenalpe

6 km - 4½ hours - ascent 556 m - descent 990 m

Economy and Infrastructure

According to a survey by the Austrian Economic Chamber, 1872 employees were employed in 227 Lech companies on an annual average in 2014 . With this number of employees, the municipality of Lech was the largest job location in the Vorarlberg part of the Arlberg region and the fourth largest job location in the Bludenz district (after the industrial region around the district capital Bludenz). The vast majority of the employees in Lech, namely 1,312, went to the municipality's 156 tourism businesses. 235 employees worked in transport companies, including the cable car systems, 207 in trade and 62 in the banking and insurance sector.

The ski and sporting goods seller Strolz Sport & Mode , which has been based in the town since 1921, is one of Lech's largest trading operations . In addition, exclusive boutiques and branches of luxury brands have settled in the center of Lech.

In 2010, Lech was the second highest per capita financial power in Austria after its neighboring municipality of Warth (6,110 euros).

tourism

In the winter season 2014/15 there were 835,849 and 2015/16 863,070 overnight stays in Lech, in the summer season 2014 151,639 and 2015 156,218 overnight stays. Lech is the destination of numerous winter sports enthusiasts, including the Dutch royal family since 1959 .

Regular guests in Lech receive a badge of honor from the community after 10, 15, 25, 35, 45 and 55 consecutive years with stays of at least seven nights.

traffic

Thatched bus shelter, 2007

Lech can be reached from Klostertal via a former federal road that is not safe for winter - the Lechtalstraße with the Flexengalerie ( Flexenpass ) - so that in the winter months it happens again and again that the place is cut off from the outside world for some time.
In summer Lech can also be reached from the other side of the Lech Valley, from the neighboring municipality of Warth . On this section of the road, however, the Lechtalstraße is closed throughout the winter due to the risk of avalanches .

The closest train station is Langen am Arlberg and on the Tyrolean side St. Anton am Arlberg . These stations are approached from Lech with the rural bus route 91 or 92. In summer, the regional bus route 40a connects Lech with Schoppernau in the Bregenz Forest and on to Dornbirn .

Several private providers offer shuttle services in winter to get to Lech from the nearby airports in the area.

In winter, a night bus called "James" runs through the various districts until half past three in the morning.

A local bus connects the districts within the municipality of Lech .

education

There is a new middle school with 45 and an elementary school with 52 pupils (as of January 2013) as well as a kindergarten .

politics

General view of Lech and Oberlech from the west summit (2534 m) of the Hasenfluh. The Karhorn stands above Lech, with the rugged Widderstein behind to the left.

The municipal council of Lech has 18 members. In the 2015 municipal council election, the election was not made by party lists, but by majority vote. Mayor of the community is Ludwig Muxel.

Municipal coat of arms

The municipal coat of arms was created in 1968 based on a design by the Schruns artist and heraldist Konrad Honold . It was awarded on February 18, 1969 by the Vorarlberg state government.
Blazon : “Split by a silver wave pole; in front a golden sun in blue, behind in red on a black three-mountain a black fir tree. ”
The fir tree is the classic symbol of the communities of the Bregenzerwald and a commitment to this region.

Town twinning

• 

  Beach chair from Kampen on the "pioneer bridge" over the Lech (2019)
  Kampen (Sylt) on the island of Sylt , Schleswig-Holstein , Germany : The gift to the North Frisian community was the gondola of the former Mohnenfluhbahn, which is now set up on Kampen beach. In return, there is now a thatched bus shelter in Lech . In the Balmalp, at the mountain station of the Zugerbergbahn, there is also a beach chair with the lettering of the twin town, and another on the "pioneer bridge" over the Lech.
• Beaver Creek Resort , Colorado , USA : Beaver Creek Resort is the largest US winter sports area and is privately owned. The world-famous “Birds of prey” world cup run is also located there.
• Hakuba , Japan : the village of Hakuba is the birthplace of Japanese skiing and the venue for the alpine competitions at the 1998 Nagano Olympics.

Personalities

• Lorraine Huber (* 1980), freeride athlete
• Ingeborg Jochum (* 1946), ski racer
• Trude Jochum-Beiser (* 1927), ski racer and Olympic champion
• Gerhard Nenning (1940–1995), ski racer
• Othmar Schneider (1928–2012), ski racer and Olympic champion
• Edith Zimmermann (* 1941), ski racer
• Egon Zimmermann (1939–2019), ski racer and Olympic champion

Web links

Commons : Lech  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Wikivoyage: Lech am Arlberg  - travel guide

• 80113 - Lech. Community data, Statistics Austria .
• lech.eu Homepage of the municipality of Lech
• lech-zuers.at Homepage of Lech Zürs Tourism

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Altitude measurement function on the digital map of Vorarlberg http://vogis.cnv.at/atlas/init.aspx?karte=adressen_u_ortsplan
2. ^ Layers of Time - Hiking in Lech Zürs am Arlberg. Retrieved on August 13, 2020 (German). 
3. ↑ About • Skyspace Lech. In: Skyspace Lech. Retrieved on August 13, 2020 (German). 
4. ↑ The White Ring - The Race | Lech Zürs am Arlberg. Retrieved on August 13, 2020 (German). 
5. ^ The event - Philosophicum Lech. Retrieved August 13, 2020 . 
6. ↑ Medicinicum - Program 2021. Accessed August 13, 2020 (American English). 
7. ↑ Most beautiful village in Europe: Website of the municipality of Lech am Arlberg. Retrieved January 16, 2019 . 
8. ↑ Successful world premiere of the Auenfeldjet . Article on Vorarlberg Online (VOL.at) from March 27, 2014.
9. ↑ Flexenbahn. Retrieved August 31, 2017 . 
10. ↑ Austria: largest ski areas - largest ski area in Austria. Retrieved August 31, 2017 . 
11. ↑ The Auenfeldjet connects the Lech Zürs and Warth-Schröcken ski areas ( memento of the original from January 3, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The  archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . Article on the website of Vorarlberg Tourismus .
12. ↑ The steepest slopes in the Alps: deep black and only for those with a head for heights! skiinfo.de/Mountain News GmbH, December 19, 2018, accessed on January 15, 2019 . 
13. ↑ Steepest ski runs in the world: These are the top 10. redbull.com , February 9, 2018, accessed on January 15, 2019 . 
14. ↑ Avalanche drama in Austria / Lech: dead body of the fourth German found, world. merkur.de , January 17, 2019, accessed on January 17, 2019 . 
15. ↑ Stefan Herbke: Vorarlberg: Bregenzerwald - Rätikon - Silvretta. 50 ski tours, Bergverlag Rother GmbH, Munich, p. 70
16. ↑ https://www.alpenverein.at/vorarlberg/Natur/Natur-und-Umwelt/Aktivitaeten/Archiv/04-Heliskiing.php
17. ↑ Vorarlberg Chamber of Commerce : Employment statistics ( Memento of the original from November 17, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The  archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . Edition 2015. p. 19.
18. ↑ Municipal financial report 2011 ( Memento of the original from December 14, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. of Kommunalkredit Austria .