Arlberg, Flexen and Hochtannberg by Motorcycle: The Vorarlberg Passes Loop

The Arlberg is the watershed between Tyrol and Vorarlberg, and the passes around it make one of the best day loops in western Austria. The Arlberg road itself is a wide, fast pass road; the Flexen above it is a short, dramatic climb through avalanche galleries to the ski resorts of Zürs and Lech; the Hochtannberg beyond Warth drops into the green, rolling Bregenzerwald, a different world of wooden farmhouses and dairy pastures. Bring them together with the Faschina road and the Klostertal and you have a loop of around 190 kilometres that crosses four passes and never repeats a road.

Planning the loop

You can start anywhere on the loop. St. Anton am Arlberg on the Tyrol side, Lech and Warth at the top, and Bludenz at the foot of the Klostertal on the Vorarlberg side are all good bases. Riders coming from Germany often arrive via Lindau and the Bregenzerwald; from Innsbruck and the east, the Inn valley brings you to Landeck and St. Anton. The description below runs clockwise from St. Anton.

The route, section by section

St. Anton over the Arlberg pass to Stuben (about 15km). Ride up from St. Anton to St. Christoph and the Arlberg pass at 1,793 metres, a wide, open saddle with the hospice and hotels of St. Christoph just below. Most through traffic uses the Arlberg road tunnel below, so the pass road is often quiet, with long, open bends on good tarmac. The western side drops in hairpins to Stuben, a tiny village at the foot of the Flexen.

Over the Flexen to Zürs and Lech (about 15km). From Stuben the Flexen road climbs north up a steep mountainside, much of it through open-sided galleries built to protect the road from avalanches. Riding through them is an experience: concrete pillars on one side, the drop and the views across the valley on the other, and the sound of your engine echoing. Take sunglasses off; the light changes fast. The Flexen pass, at 1,773 metres, leads into Zürs, a ski village that is quiet in summer, and the road then runs down the upper Lech valley to Lech am Arlberg, an upmarket resort with a pretty church and the river running through the centre.

Lech to Warth and over the Hochtannberg (about 25km). From Lech the road follows the Lech valley north-east to Warth, a high village at the junction of the Lechtal road and the Hochtannberg. Turn west and climb gently over the Hochtannberg at 1,676 metres, a wide pass of high pasture and small lakes. The western descent to Schröcken is the best riding of the day: a string of bends down a steep valley side, with short tunnels and galleries on the way. Fit a working rear light, as the tunnels are dark.

Through the Bregenzerwald (about 40km). Below Schröcken the road runs down the Bregenzerach valley through Schoppernau and Au. This is the Bregenzerwald: wide green valleys, farmhouses with wooden shingle walls, and cheese dairies by the road. At Au you can carry on to Bezau and the lower Bregenzerwald for coffee, or turn straight south for the next pass.

Over the Faschina to the Großes Walsertal (about 35km). From Au the road climbs south through Damüls, a high ski village, and over the Faschina pass. It is narrower and quieter than the Arlberg passes, with tight bends and big views over the surrounding peaks. On the far side you drop into the Großes Walsertal, a deep, steep-sided valley, and follow it down through Sonntag and Thüringerberg toward the Walgau near Bludenz.

Up the Klostertal and back to St. Anton (about 60km). From Bludenz ride east up the Klostertal on the old Arlberg road through Dalaas and Klösterle to Stuben, and then back over the Arlberg pass to St. Anton. The valley road is wide and fast, with the motorway and the railway running alongside, and the climb from Klösterle to Stuben and the pass is a good finale.

Variations

From Warth, the B198 runs down the Lechtal into Tyrol toward Reutte, a beautiful but heavily used valley road. Tyrol bans motorcycles with a stationary noise figure above 95 dB(A), as given on the registration papers, on a list of roads in the Reutte district during the summer season, the Lechtal and the Hahntennjoch among them. Check your papers and the Land Tirol page on the motorcycle ban before you go.

The Silvretta High Alpine Road, often combined with the Arlberg, is not an option on the Vorarlberg side, which is closed after rockfalls. Check with the operator, Illwerke vkw, before planning a Silvretta day.

Tolls and rules

All the pass roads on this loop are free. The Arlberg road tunnel charges a separate toll, and Austrian motorways and expressways need a vignette for motorcycles; Austria is moving to a digital-only vignette, sold by ASFINAG. Using the pass roads avoids both. Speed limits are enforced, with cameras in villages and on some of the passes.

When to go

The Arlberg pass is kept open all year. The Flexen and the road to Lech are kept open for the ski resorts but can close in avalanche danger. The Hochtannberg and the Faschina can close in heavy snow. For riding, June to late September is the reliable window, with the best conditions in late June and September. Pack waterproofs: the Bregenzerwald is green for a reason. Check road conditions with the Vorarlberg and Tyrol road information services before you ride.

The roads

Surfaces are generally good. The galleries on the Flexen and the tunnels on the Hochtannberg collect dirt and water, and they are dim even on a bright day. Cows graze beside the road on the high pastures, and in the Bregenzerwald you will meet tractors and milk lorries. Fuel is available in St. Anton, Lech, Warth, Au and Bludenz; the passes themselves have none.

Where to stay

St. Anton, Lech, Warth and the Bregenzerwald villages all suit the loop; many ski hotels take summer guests with garage parking. See our biker hotels in Tyrol. From St. Anton the Kaunertal Glacier Road is an hour east, the Allgäu passes in our Allgäu guide are just over the German border to the north, and the Swiss passes of Graubünden are a day’s ride south-west.