Lech together with Kitzbuhel
Executive summary yesteryear Darmansjah
Lech am Arlberg (1,444m) is a mount hamlet (population: 1635, xxx June 2010) together with an exclusive ski resort inwards the Bludenz district of Vorarlberg, inwards western Austria, on the banks of the river Lech. In damage of both geography together with history, Lech belongs to the Tannberg district. In tourist terms, however, it is business office of the Arlberg region. Lech is administered together amongst the neighbouring villages of Zürs, Zug, Oberlech together with Stubenbach.
Lech was founded inwards the fourteenth century yesteryear Walser migrants from the canton of Wallis inwards Switzerland.
Until the nineteenth century it was known equally Tannberg, but later the total cite "Tannberg am Lech" gave ascension to the introduce cite Lech.
The church building of St Nicholas inwards Lech, which is idea to accept been built inwards roughly 1390, was the parish church building of the Tannberg administrative district, together with at that topographic point was also a Tannberg district courtroom inwards Lech until the dissolution of the Tannberg district inwards 1806.
Ski centre
In recent years Lech has grown to go ane of the world's premier ski destinations together with the domicile of a number of globe together with Olympic ski champions.
Lech is best known for its skiing (both on-piste together with off-piste). It is good connected via mechanical lifts together with groomed pistes amongst the neighbouring villages of Zürs, St Christof, St. Anton, Stuben and, amongst number from the 2013/2014 winter, Warth together with Schröcken - together they shape the Arlberg region, the nascence house of the modern Alpine skiing technique together with the topographic point of the Ski Club Arlberg. Lech is also the starting together with finishing signal for "Der Weisse Ring" ("The White Ring"), a circle of runs together with lifts that is a pop tour together with the scene of an annual race involving both experts together with others.
Lech is a pop vacation destination for Royal families together with celebrities, for instance Tom Cruise, Diana, Princess of Wales, together with the quondam Queen Beatrix together with the Dutch Royal family. In Feb 2012, Beatrix's boy Prince Johan Friso was seriously injured inwards an avalanche patch skiing inwards Lech.
The mount vacation inwards the pic Bridget Jones' Diary ii was shot inwards Lech.
Other attractions
Although non equally good frequented inwards the summertime equally it is inwards the winter, Lech nevertheless has much to offering the summertime visitor, inwards damage of sporting, cultural, culinary together with other activities. There are many premier hotels inwards Lech, equally good equally numerous top degree restaurants.
One quondam well-known visitor was the author Ludwig Bemelmans (author of the Madeline books), whose 1949 novel "The Eye of God" was prepare inwards a fictionalised Lech.
Lech has a number of points of cultural interest, including:
the church building of St Nicholas, which was built inwards the gothic trend inwards roughly 1390 together with was extensively renovated inwards 1987. Particular features are the rococo interior dating from 1791 (although some before romanesque frescoes tin also endure seen); the 33 metre high tower amongst its distinctive onion-shaped dome; together with bronze bells of which the oldest dates from the offset of the sixteenth century.
the historic Huber House, instantly a museum, which was built inwards 1590 together with shows examples of the before means of life together with work, including the original kitchen together with workshop.
one hundred life sized human sculptures yesteryear the sculptor Antony Gormley, which accept of late been placed inwards the mountains surrounding Lech, at an height of 2039 metres. They volition endure displayed on the mount until Apr 2012.
Kitzbühel is a little medieval town inwards Tyrol, Republic of Austria together with the administrative centre of the Kitzbühel district (Bezirk). It has a population of 8,204 (as of 1 Jan 2010).
The town is situated inwards the Kitzbühel Alps well-nigh 100 kilometres (62 mi) due east of the province working capital alphabetic lineament of Innsbruck. It is a ski resort of international renown.
Sport
Kitzbühel is ane of Austria's best-known together with fanciest wintertime sports resorts, situated betwixt the mountains Hahnenkamm (5616 ft, 1712 m) together with Kitzbühler Horn (6548 ft, 1996 m). The Hahnenkamm is domicile of the annual World Cup ski races, including the circuit's most of import event, the downhill race on the famous Streif slope. This downhill is counted equally ane of the toughest downhill competitions inwards the World Cup.
Each summertime Kitzbühel also hosts an ATP lawn tennis tournament on clay, the Austrian Open.
From 2007 to 2011, ITU Triathlon World Cup races took house at the local Schwarzsee lake.
The Kitzbüheler Alpenrallye is an annual festival of historic automobiles. It was inaugural off held inwards 1988. The inaugural off trip of the United Buddy Bears was 2004 to Kitzbühel, next yesteryear the inaugural off trip into the "big broad world" – when they went to Hong Kong together with many other metropolises on all 5 continents.
Tourism
Together amongst the pistes together with ski lifts inwards neighbouring Kirchberg inwards Tirol, Jochberg together with yesteryear the Thurn Pass Kitzbühel is ane of the largest ski regions inwards Austria. With about 10,000 hotel together with invitee solid beds, Kitzbühel together with its neighbours accept an unusually high density of invitee accommodation.
Holidaymakers inwards Kitzbühel accept 56 cableway together with elevator facilities together with 168 kilometres of slopes available to them, equally good equally xl kilometres of groomed cross-country skiing tracks. Of banker's complaint is the relatively novel 3S Cable Car, the cable auto amongst the highest above-ground bridge inwards the world.
In summertime at that topographic point are 120 km (75 mi) of mount bicycle paths together with 500 km (311 mi) of hiking trails.
Other attractions include half-dozen lawn tennis courts together with 4 golf game courses, the Kitzbühel swimming pool, Austria's solely curling hall together with the bathing lake of Schwarzsee.
Kitzbühel also caters for the high terminate of the tourist market, equally many celebrities together with the jet prepare come upward hither for the international races on the Hahnenkamm.
Transport
Road:
The Brixental Road, the B170, from Wörgl intersects inwards Kitzbühel amongst the Thurn Pass Road, the B161, from Mittersill to St. Johann inwards Tirol. Kitzbühel station is a major rider vehicle halt for buses to Lienz together with Worgl.
Rail:
Kitzbühel Hauptbahnhof, Kitzbühel Hahnenkamm together with Kitzbühel Schwarzsee are stops on the Salzburg-Tyrol Railway. Whilst Hahnenkamm together with Schwarzsee stations are served yesteryear local trains only, long-distance services from Innsbruck together with Graz halt at Kitzbühel station. Kitzbühel station has merely been rebuilt (2010) together with been equipped amongst novel barrier-less platforms amongst underpasses together with a lift. From 2011 at that topographic point volition endure no stationmaster at Kitzbühel together with it volition no longer endure possible to purchase tickets at the counter.