Hiking the most beautiful trails up in the Montafon mountains

This tour is a true borderline experience: you walk in the footsteps of the smugglers between Austria and Switzerland. From the beginning of the 19th century until well into the 20th century, smuggling was an important source of income for the population, especially in the Montafon. In their nocturnal marches, the smugglers transported salt, flour, tobacco or coffee, soap and toilet rolls, books, cowbells or meat and fur across the borders.Today it is enough if you pack some provisions and clothes adapted to the weather for the eight-kilometer hike. Start is at the mountain restaurant Schafberg Hüsli in Gargellen. The first climb leads you up a wide path uphill to the top station of the Kristallbahn. At the top, signposts show you the direction to St. Antönier Joch. You continue up the green meadows until you reach the yoke at an altitude of 2,379 meters and stand on the border between Switzerland and Austria. The fantastic view rewards you for the steep climb.For the next section, surefootedness is required: over the ridge you walk to the highest point of this tour. You can find ropes in the narrow places that give you security. You continue on the Swiss side and pass the beautiful Gafiersee.Over block fields you hike then again uphill to the Gafierjochs (2.415 meters). You pass numerous impressive viewpoints that make this hike an unforgettable experience. You cross the border again and you're back on Austrian soil. Past the Speichersee you hike back to the starting point.The smugglers were smart and crafty. Some nailed their soles upside down on their shoes to mislead pursuers. In this way, their tracks pointed exactly in the opposite direction. If a customs officer followed the fresh tracks in the snow, he did not run after the smuggler, but away from him.

The AlpkulTour theme trail is all about the history of alpine farming. At a total of 13 stations you will find works of art by the Montafon artist Roland Haas. He has created sculptures using traditional materials, which bring you closer to individual aspects of life in the mountains. So you meet the myth tree, the cheese harp or the antler tree. Of course, you should not miss a trip to a real alpine hut, because on the Alpe Spora the Montafoner Sura Kees is prepared after centuries-old recipe.From the Latschau reservoir, you can take the gondolas of the Golmerbahn cable car up to the Grüneck. Already at the driveway you can enjoy the magnificent view of the surrounding mountain landscape. Just a few meters from the mountain station of the cable car, you will already meet the first station of the theme trail. At the entrance gate is also a small outline map with information about the individual stations. From there, it's leisurely downhill on leisurely hiking trails. The path runs above the tree line and so you can enjoy the great view of the valley and the surrounding peaks. The path meanders along the hillside and soon you pass small, clear woodland. Halfway along, you will reach the cozy Lindauer Hütte. If you like, you can already take a first break here. Alternatively, you walk a little further, until you meet the Sporaalpe. Here you can also taste the homemade cheese with a hearty snack. Through the idyllic Gauertal you finally hike back to the valley station of the Golmerbahn.

The Wiegensee is located within a unique moor landscape. The lake and its direct surroundings are today a landscape protection area. On a beautiful circular walk you can discover the lake and moors. The trail leads you over lush alpine meadows and through enchanted mountain forests. In many places you have a fantastic view of the mountains of the Silvretta and the impressive Kops reservoir.From Partenen it goes with the gondolas of the Tafamuntbahn up to the middle station. You follow the trail into a dense mountain forest. The path ascends along the slope and the forest becomes lighter. Soon you will reach the tree line. The path runs over a wide, tree-lined mountain meadow. As you continue your hike, your gaze sweeps over the mountainsides and peaks. The surrounding vegetation is constantly changing. From the lush green mountain meadow is now a wet bog area. The path snakes through the moor and finally you reach the Wiegensee. A little later, the moorland is back and the trail leads you leisurely down to Verbella Alpe. After a well-deserved break, you continue your hike. First, you follow a Schottweg until a narrow trail branches off. Over meadows and with a view of the Kopssee, we continue downhill in the direction of the valley. In a wooded area you meet again on the gravel road. You follow the wide path down to Verbellatal and walk along the stream back to the starting point of your tour.

The Silvretta is an impressive massif on the border between Austria and Switzerland. Many peaks are over 3,000 meters high and numerous glaciers lie in the barren high valleys. The Hohe Rad is part of the summit group and rises to an altitude of 2,934 meters. On the round trip around the Hohe Rad you can also get to know the raw nature of the Silvretta without glacier equipment. Starting from Lake Silvretta, you circle around the Hohe Rad and enjoy the view of the mighty mountain peaks. This mountain hike is classified as moderate.Via the toll road Silvretta-Hochalpenstraße you reach the trail parking lot on the bank of the dam. Along the northern shore you walk in the direction of Hohe Rad. You leave the Uferweg and come across a fork in the road shortly afterwards. Here the ascent route to the Hohen Rad branches off to the right. You follow the trail straight ahead into the wild and romantic Bieltal. Through the barren high mountain valley you continue on and wander past the Radsee. Over the steep slope of the Hohe Rad you cross the Radsattel, the highest point of the hike. From here it is leisurely down to the Wiesbadener hut. Here you take a break and enjoy the dramatic mountain scenery. The trail then leads you through a wide valley down to the Silvretta Reservoir. Above the shore, you hike back to the starting point of your hike.

The Hochjoch is a 2,520 meter high peak in the Verwallgebirge. Below its rocky slopes are two beautiful mountain lakes. A nice hike takes you from the middle station of the Sennigrat Bahn to the Herzsee and on to Schwarzsee. On your way, you will also walk past the reservoir lake Seebligasee. The hike runs above the tree line and thus vision is guaranteed. Since you manage the ascent with the gondola lift and wander on well maintained paths, the Montafon Tour is an easy hike.From Schruns you start with the Hochjoch Bahn and change at the mountain station to the Sennigrat Bahn. Leave this at the middle station and start your hike here. Follow the signposted path to Wormser Hütte. From the quaint DAV hut, it's a bit uphill to Kreuzjoch. Here you can enjoy the view and then hike downhill to the Herzsee. At the Teufelsbach along it goes down to the Schwarzsee. With a wonderful view, you hike from here on a narrow mountain trail in the direction of reservoir pond. You circle the memory pond Seebligasee and now follow a wide dirt road over green mountain meadows. A little later you reach the mountain station of the Hochjoch Bahn. Before you go back to Schruns, you can take a break here in the Alpe Vorderkapell.

The 2,089 meter high Itonskopf is the local mountain of Bartholomäberg. The summit is the highest elevation of a small mountain range between the Silbertal and the Klostertal. So on top of the Itonskopf you have a wonderful 360-degree all-round view. From the village of Bartholomäberg you can climb the summit on a moderately difficult mountain hike.In the small community Bartholomäberg begins your summit tour. On little-used roads you walk along individual farms and wide mountain pastures. After a small forest you already reach the Rellseck. From here you have a fantastic view of the Montafon and the city of Bludenz. In addition, the Alpengasthaus Rellseck invites you to take a break. From here you hike on a mountain trail on towards the summit. The path meanders up the slope. Mountain meadows and sparse woodland alternate on this section. The last part of the way to the summit runs over the broad ridge. Once you have arrived on the Itonskopf, you can treat yourself to a break and enjoy the wonderful panorama of the Montafon, the Silvretta and the Verwall. With fresh energy, you then make the descent on the southern slope of the mountain. First it goes over mountain meadows and then downhill along the edge of a forest. The path becomes a wide dirt road. From the historic mine above Bartholomäberg, follow the old Bergknappen path down to the starting point of your tour.

In the Montafon, minerals and metals were mined as early as the Bronze Age. In the Middle Ages, it eventually became one of the most important mining centers in Europe. The miners were formerly called miners and dismantled iron, copper and silver. The Bergknappenweg leads on the historical path of the miners from Schruns over Bartholomäberg up to the mining zone. Here an old mine was built into a museum mine. If you descend into the tunnels, you can get an insight into the strenuous work of the miners.Your hike on the Bergknappenweg begins in the village of Silbertal at the mountain station of the Kristbergbahn. After a few meters you will reach the miner's church of St. Agatha on the Kristberg, the oldest church in the Montafon. The more than 500-year-old cultural gem tells a part of mining activities in the Montafon that have already taken place over 1000 years ago. About former Knappenwege leads the promising path over Ganzaleita, Torah Lake and Fritz Lake to the historic museum mine in Bartholomäberg. After exploring the museum and the galleries, the trail leads along the theme path "Bergknappenweg" with various stations to Schruns to the Litzkapelle.