An Austrian ski resort which hosts a cult event dubbed the longest ski race in the world has been named the best in Europe by readers of CN Traveler magazine.
Located in Western Austria, Lech Zurs am Arlberg was given top marks in the magazine's Readers' Choice Awards for being the most "fashionable" resort in Austria.
Recent developments at the site include a new gondola link to Warth, the snowiest slopes in the Alps, which have helped to expand piste and off-piste skiing by 50%, editors note.
The resort is also popular among avid skiers for hosting "The White Ring," a cult event draws about a thousand participants to Rufikopf mountain where the starting block stands at 2,337m for 22km of downhill skiing at altitudes as high as 5,500m.
Overall, the resort features 97 ski lifts and 340km of ski runs along with seven ski schools for skiers of all abilities.
Rounding out the top three spots on the list are St. Anton am Arlberg, Austria, which was ranked the top ski destination in Europe for its nightlife, and Zermatt, Switzerland which lies at the foot of Switzerland's most famous mountain, the Matterhorn.
Overall, readers are most enamored by the French alps, which took half of the top 10 spots, followed by Switzerland (three) and Austria (two).
Here are the top 10 ski resorts in Europe as chosen by readers of CN Traveler magazine:
1. Lech Zürs am Arlberg, Austria
2. St. Anton am Arlberg, Austria (rated #1 for nightlife)
3. Zermatt, Switzerland
4. Klosters, Switzerland (rated #1 for value)
5. St. Moritz, Switzerland
6. Courchevel, France (rated #1 for trails and runs)
7. Les Trois Vallées, France
8. Val d'Isère, France
9. Méribel, France (rated #1 for lifts and short lines)
10. Megève, France (rated #1 for food and hotels).
