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GOURMET TRAVELLER 161

City hitlist

PHOTOGRAPHY GETTY IMAGES (LECH VILLAGE) & HERBERT LEHMANN (POSTBLICK)

Don’tmiss EAT

Getting

there

SEE STAY

The White RingOne

of the world’s most

exhilarating, looped

skiroutesstartsatthe

2,360-metre summit

of the Rüfikopf cable

cardirectlyabove

Lech.Ittraverses

22 kilometres of

superbly groomed runs

with 5,500 metres

of descent, returning

skiers to Lech via

aseriesoflifts.Views

from the opening run

in particular are

jaw-dropping.

derweissering.at

Lech

Old blends with new and white-outs melt into summer hikes in

Austria’s celebrated ski resort, writesBRIAN JOHNSTON.

Postblick

OwnedandrunbytheMoosbrugger

family since 1937, the elegant Hotel

GasthofPostistheepitomeof

tradition but its new restaurant,

opened in December, surprises

with mountain views through plate

glass and the energy of a new young

chef. David Wagger lightens and

refines home-style Austrian dishes:

beef tartare with mustard emulsion,

say, or venison ragoût with a

brioche soué and cranberry

(above). There’s nothing light about

thecheesetrolley,though,which

bears European (including local)

fromage.Dorf 11, postlech.com

Hus Nr. 8

This age-blackened, low-ceilinged

building in the local Walser style

datesbacktoatleast1760.Itsfare

is suitably hearty, with fondues,

raclette,roastduckandgröstl,a

fry-up of potatoes, black pudding

and bacon served in an iron pan,

fuelling weary skiers and walkers.

Après-ski schnapps flows at the

bar.Omesberg 8, hus8.at

Rud-Alpe

This rustic pit stop on the ski slopes

above Lech – open year-round – has

a sunny terrace from which diners

cangazeuponthetown’sonion-

domed church and mountain

panoramas. Servings of trad fare

• charcuterie, Würstel sausages and
  boiled dumplings – are mountain-
  sized. Save room for kaiserschmarrn
  (which translates as emperor’s
  mess),araisin-studded,shredded
  pancake, topped with plum
  compote.Rud-Alpe, rud-alpe.at

Kristiania LechWood panelling, mounted

antlers and dirndl-clad staf create an

alpine mood, but this 29-room, family-run

hotel is distinguished by its contemporary

styling and colourful artwork. Impeccable

service runs to a bath butler and

ski nanny. Hands-on owner Gertrud

Schneider, the daughter of an Olympic

champion skier, ensures eiciency and

quirky charm.Omesberg 331, kristiania.at

UpperLechValleyIn summer the valley’s

alpine fields bloom with wildflowers, and

busesandcablecarsgivehikersaccess

to 350 kilometres of trails. The Rüfikopf

cablecarhoistswalkerstothestartof

several exceptional routes, including

Geoweg and the three-day Green Ring.

The 125-kilometre Lechweg trail follows

the Lech river into Bavaria to Füssen, near

Neuschwanstein Castle. lechzuers.com

The €45 million Flexenbahn gondola, opened last year, has finally linked

Lech to the rowdier rival ski resort of St Anton, making the Arlberg region

one of the world’s largest ski fields, with 305 kilometres of runs.arlberg.net

Emirates, Etihad,

Cathay Pacific

and Singapore

Airlines fly one

stop from select

Australian cities

to Zürich, the

nearest airport to

Lech, followed by

a four-hour train

or two-and-a-half-

hour drive.

Lech village