Arlberg and Flexen Pass Route (82 km)

Landeck to Lech

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Why this ride

A 82 km one-way ride from near Landeck, about 1 h 25 of riding. On the way it passes St Anton am Arlberg, Arlberg Pass and Flexen Pass. The highest point is about 2,150 m. Arlberg Pass and Flexen Pass are subject to seasonal closure - check it is open before you set off. It suits an unhurried touring pace.

Roadbook

1. Landeck start

   Landeck sits at the meeting of valleys in the Tyrolean Alps, where the Inn river swings from its long upper valley into a gorge and the Sanna comes tumbling down from the Arlberg side. At around 800 metres, it is a modest height for the Alps, but the mountains rise steeply on all sides, and the old castle on its rock above the town gives the place the look of a doorway. Burg Landeck dates from the thirteenth century and now houses a museum. The town has about 7,700 people, and the old centre is small, with painted houses and cafes.

   Landeck has always been a crossroads. The Via Claudia Augusta, the Roman road from Italy to the Danube, came through over the Reschen Pass, and later salt, wine and cattle moved the same way. Today the roads from here lead in every direction: east along the Inn toward Innsbruck, south to the Reschen Pass and Italy, and west over the Arlberg to Vorarlberg. Zams, next door, has a cable car to the Venet, a peak with views over the valley, and a pilgrimage and hospital tradition going back to the nineteenth century.

   For riders, Landeck is a perfect base. The Arlberg road, with its famous passes, climbs from St Anton, and the Flexen road beyond cuts through galleries and cliffs to Lech and Zürs, with views over a mountain basin. The Silvretta High Alpine Road, a toll road to the west, climbs to a reservoir and a pass of about 2,000 metres. Surfaces are generally excellent, and the bends are a joy, but high passes can close with snow from late autumn to late spring, and summer weekends bring heavy traffic and tour buses. Tyrol takes noise seriously, with restrictions for loud exhausts on some roads, so ride considerately.

   Practically, Landeck has fuel stations, supermarkets and many guesthouses and restaurants. Tyrolean food includes Gröstl, a pan of potatoes and meat, Kaspressknödel, cheese dumplings in broth, and apple strudel. Parking is easy in the centre, though some bays require a ticket. If you plan a high pass, fill the tank here and bring warm layers, since temperatures drop sharply with height. Early morning light on the peaks is spectacular.

2. St Anton am Arlberg scenic

   St Anton is the village where alpine skiing as the world knows it was invented, or at least codified. In the 1920s, the local ski teacher Hannes Schneider, building on the Arlberg technique, taught generations of skiers to turn on steep slopes, and his school became famous across Europe. Today, the village of fewer than two thousand people sits at the head of the Stanzer valley in Tyrol, at about 1,300 metres, with the great ridge of the Arlberg massif rising on all sides. In winter it is one of the liveliest ski resorts in the Alps, famous for its steep terrain and noisy, lively après-ski.

   Summer is quieter, and for riders, perhaps better. The valley is green, the high meadows are full of flowers, and the streets are calmer, with a few shops open, a clutch of good restaurants, and cafes with terraces. The old railway station is a handsome landmark, and the Arlberg rail tunnel, finished in 1884, opened the region to the world. The road tunnel beneath the pass, nearly fourteen kilometres long, opened in 1978 and carries the main traffic, and a toll is charged to use it. Most riders choose the old road over the pass, which is free and much prettier.

   The village has fuel, shops and plenty of places to eat, and it is the best base for the surrounding roads. Going west, the pass road climbs to the Arlberg Pass and then to Lech and Zürs. East, the road runs down the valley to Landeck, about twenty-three kilometres away, with the Inn valley beyond. Tyrol's food is hearty, with Kaiserschmarrn, a shredded pancake with raisins and fruit compote, Tiroler Gröstl, a pan of potatoes, bacon and egg, and Kasspatzln, small cheese dumplings. After a day's riding, they are exactly right.

   The weather here is mountain weather. Mornings can be clear and cool, and afternoons bring cloud and thunderstorms, especially in July and August. Snow can come early in autumn and linger late in spring, and the high roads are closed in winter. Be ready for cold at the passes, even if it is warm in the village.

   Parking in the centre is easy outside the ski season, and a walk along the main street, with the mountains above, is a good way to stretch. The cable car to the Valluga, a high summit, offers wide views.

3. Arlberg Pass scenic · 1793 m

   Few passes in the Alps have a better claim to being a true divide, because the Arlberg is where the water decides its direction. Rain falling on the western side flows into the Rhine and from there to the North Sea, while on the eastern side it joins the Inn and the Danube and ends in the Black Sea. At 1,793 metres, the pass marks the border between Tyrol and Vorarlberg, and it has been crossed since the Middle Ages, though for centuries it was a difficult and dangerous route.

   Near the top, the little hamlet of St Christoph preserves an old story. In 1386, a man named Heinrich Findelkind founded a hospice here for travellers lost in the snow, and the brotherhood he started, the St Christoph Brotherhood, still exists. The hospice rang a bell in bad weather to guide people through the storm. Today, the area is a quiet ski settlement, with a few hotels and a small church, and the monument to the hospice stands by the road.

   Since the road tunnel opened in 1978, most traffic has gone under the mountain, and the old pass road is a quiet delight. It climbs from St Anton in a series of long bends, with good surface and clear views, past pastures and rocky slopes. On the western side, the road drops through woods toward Langen am Arlberg and Klösterle, and then to the Klostertal valley. Traffic is light, apart from cyclists, who are numerous in summer. Corners are generally easy, with the occasional tight turn, and the road is wide enough to be comfortable.

   The pass is open all year, but winter is another matter. Snow and ice can close the road, and avalanche control may stop traffic for hours, so check conditions before heading out in the cold months. Even in summer, clouds can sweep in, and a mild day can turn cool and wet. The pass can be windy, and the high pastures have a chill that hints at the glaciers far above.

   There are no big services at the summit, though the nearby hotels at St Christoph serve coffee and meals. For fuel, use St Anton, about three and a half kilometres away, or Landeck. Carry a layer, and enjoy the quiet.

4. Flexen Pass scenic · 1773 m

   Flexen Pass is the road to Lech and Zürs, two of the most glamorous ski villages in the Alps, and it is a piece of engineering as much as a mountain road. At 1,773 metres, it links the Klostertal valley with the high basin of the Lech, and it was built at the end of the nineteenth century to give the villages a year-round connection. The route runs along a steep, rocky slope, with galleries and tunnels cut through the cliffs to protect it from avalanches, and there are places where the road seems to cling to the face of the mountain.

   The ride up from Danöfen is a series of tight bends, with steep gradients and rock walls, followed by a dramatic stretch through the galleries, some open on one side to give views into the valley. Be careful of the sudden change from light to dark, and of the narrow lanes in the tunnels. The surface is good, but the road is slow in places, and traffic can be heavy in the high season, with buses and cars. The road is closed from time to time in winter, when the avalanche danger is high, and sometimes in heavy snow, with long waits. Check before setting out in cold weather.

   Beyond the top, the road descends toward Zürs, a high village with hotels and ski lifts, and then on to Lech. Lech has become famous as a smart resort, frequented by European royalty, with expensive hotels, chalets and boutiques, yet the village retains a calm, traditional character, with a wooden church and a river running through. The skiing in the area is part of the Arlberg system, one of the largest ski areas in Austria, and in summer, the same slopes are used for walking and cycling.

   The landscape is rocky and wild, with grey limestone and green pastures, and snow often lies high in the gullies well into the summer. The air is crisp, and the light is bright. In June, the meadows are filled with alpine flowers, and in autumn, the larches turn gold.

   Lech has a station, but prices are high, and the nearest big town is Bludenz, about twenty-six kilometres away. Klösterle, close to the western foot, has a few basic services. The best time to ride is early in the morning, before the traffic builds, and the best season is summer.

5. Lech finish

   Lech sits in a high bowl of the Lech valley in Vorarlberg, at around fourteen hundred and fifty metres, with grey limestone peaks of the Arlberg on every side. It is known mainly as a ski resort, one of the most exclusive in Austria, and in winter the narrow village fills with fur coats and champagne, but in summer it is quiet, green and full of cowbells. The village was settled in the fourteenth century by Walser people, German-speaking farmers from the Valais in Switzerland who moved to high valleys across the Alps, and their wooden houses and chapel give it character. The river Lech, which rises nearby and flows north into Bavaria, is one of the last wild rivers in the Alps, with gravel banks and braided channels in its lower reaches.

   For riders, Lech is the end of a fine road. The Flexenpass, at around seventeen hundred and seventy metres, links the Klostertal with the Lech valley, and the road is carved into the rock on the steep slope, passing through galleries and tunnels built to protect it from avalanches. The ascent from Stuben has tight hairpins and a pleasing rhythm, and the views from the top over the Rote Wand and the green basin below are superb. The surface is good, and traffic is moderate, though weekends can bring a convoy of cars and bikes. The pass is closed in winter, usually until late spring, and sudden avalanche closures can happen even in early summer, so check conditions.

   North of Lech, the road continues along the river toward Warth and the Hochtannberg Pass, with long views and gentle bends, a route that combines mountain scenery with smooth tarmac. Weather in the Arlberg is changeable, with cold air, fog and showers in the afternoon, so carry a waterproof.

   Fuel in Lech itself is limited, so fill up in Bludenz or Landeck, or in the valley below, and use the village for lunch. Austrian mountain cooking, with Kässpätzle, cheese dumplings in a pan with fried onions, is the thing to order. The best months are late June to September.

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