A 4-star establishment open from late June to late April, the Burg Hotel in Oberlech am Arlberg, Austria, is a haven of well-being whose motto is “We take your pleasure seriously”. At an altitude of some 1,750 metres, in a car-free village with immediate access to the slopes, you can enjoy the advantages of the Arlberg, a vast ski area renowned the world over. Unless you prefer summer hiking in breathtaking surroundings.
Text: Marie Le Berre
Oberlech is a car-free village, at least in winter. Access is by cable car from Lech, 200 meters below, and luggage is transported by buggy. A unique feature is that all hotels, restaurants and guesthouses are connected by a network of tunnels. No traffic, no annoying noise, no unpleasant odors or exhaust fumes, Oberlech is an ideal destination for 100% nature holidays, an exemplary ski-in ski-out resort.
The Arlberg is an Alpine pass between the Austrian states of Vorarlberg and Tyrol, considered the cradle of alpine skiing. Since the opening of the Flexenbahn cable car at the start of the 2016-17 season, the ski area is the largest in a single stretch in Austria and one of the five largest in the world, with a total of 305 km of pistes for all levels and 88 lifts. Thanks to its high altitude, skiers and snowboarders enjoy ideal conditions, with plenty of snow and sunshine, from mid-December to around the end of April. In particular, they can indulge in the freeride sport for which the destination is particularly renowned. Among the many peaks offering breathtaking views in the region, Valluga reigns supreme at 2,811 meters.
In summer, there are over 350 km of hiking trails, with popular destinations such as Kriegeralpe and Mohnenfluh. Green mountain pastures, dense forests and crystal-clear lakes await nature lovers. In Oberlech am Arlberg, they’ll be close to the famous Lechweg, a trail inaugurated in 2012 that runs along one of Central Europe’s last wild rivers, the Lech.
In summer and winter alike, there are a variety of facilities to keep you entertained: toboggan runs, a rope park, archery courses, enduro trails, tennis courts, golf courses and fishing spots, for example. And let’s not forget the cultural events, including the Bregenz Festival, a flagship event featuring open-air opera and theater performances throughout the summer.
A family-run establishment
The Burg Hotel was founded in 1961 by Helga and Fridolin Lucian. The latter, a pioneer at heart, was also behind the construction of the tunnels under Oberlech. In the 1990s, management was taken over by Gerhard and Elisabeth Lucian. While the first generation was responsible for most of the development of the hotel structure, the second generation was responsible for the development of the food production facilities: the Burg Hotel has its own bakery, its own pig farm and, at 2,000 meters above sea level, an alpine chalet where shepherd Charlie makes his own dairy products, butter, yoghurt and cheese. Since 2021, the establishment has been officially managed by Christian Lucian and his partner Patricia Lorenz, who are following in the footsteps of their elders while adapting to the expectations of today’s clientele, eager for experiences as natural as possible.
Perfectly integrated into its surroundings, the Burg Hotel offers rooms and suites decorated in Alpine style, with lots of wood and natural materials. It consists of a main building and a chalet connected by a tunnel, which houses a number of suites and, above all, a 1,550-square-meter spa, the Burg Oase. Here you’ll find a spring-water pool, Jacuzzi, whirlpool, infrared cabin, tepidarium, Finnish sauna, bio-sauna, jet showers… A wide variety of treatments and massages are offered, from classical to Ayurvedic. Babor products are used, as are homemade oils made from herbs harvested by hand at altitude, a particularity initiated by grandmother Helga Lucian. She also created the blend for Oberlech’s famous herbal teas.
Catering
The flagship Lechtaler Stube restaurant offers gourmet cuisine concocted by chef Sebastian Daeche and awarded 3 toques in the Gault & Millau guide. The Burg Restaurant serves Mediterranean and traditional Austrian dishes, while the Burg Schenke, where Helga, who has worked at the Burg for 50 years, welcomes guests with her legendary fondues and raclettes. If you decide to sit out on the sunny terrace, don’t miss the Burg Beef Tartar, a classic Burg dish made with finely diced beef fillet. And to accompany your meal, call on the skills of sommeliers Hermann Lankmeier, Christoph Viehauser and Claudia Fath: the wine cellar boasts 60,000 bottles!
