Walking in Austria

Carrying the borders of Liechtenstein and Switzerland southwest of the Montafon valley, this small group of limestone mountains provides an attractive backdrop to a variety of walks. Although several peaks remain the preserve of rock climbers, a few summits such as the 2818m Sulzfluh, and the Rätikon’s highest – the Schesaplana (2965m), attract experienced mountain walkers and scramblers and reward with extensive panoramic views.

At the northwestern end of the Rätikon group the Gamperdonatal is the first of the tributary valleys to give access to these mountains. Opening at Nenzing it stretches up to the Liechtenstein border, its highest settlement being Nenzinger Himmel at 1370m, from where a variety of trails splay onto and across neighbouring ridges.

In the Montafon valley, Bludenz is an important transport hub lying mostly on the north bank of the river Ill at 561m. Although it boasts a cable-car to the Muttersberg with commanding views of the Rätikon and Silvretta Alps, the town is really too low to serve as a useful base. But about 12km away to the southwest, and almost 500m higher in the Brandnertal, Brand (1037m) acts as the main base for walkers and climbers at this end of the district. On the southern outskirts of this popular little resort the Zalimtal branches southwest, while the main valley continues southward to the roadhead where a cable-car carries visitors up to the Douglass Hut overlooking the Lünersee. From here a number of excellent walks and scrambles can be made, including the ascent of the Schesaplana.

Between Bludenz and St Gallenkirch the Montafon valley is largely flanked by wooded slopes, with a string of villages on either side of the river – St Anton im Montafon, Vandans, Tschagguns and Schruns. Cutting into the southern wall of mountains are the Rellstal, Gauertal, Gampadelstal and finally, the Gargellental which effectively forms a division between the Rätikon and Silvretta Alps. Mountain huts grace each of these tributary valleys, and in their upper reaches trails climb to the wonderland of craggy peaks that give the district much of its allure.

Visitors staying in any Montafon resort are given a Guest Card on arrival. This gives access to a number of services within the district free of charge or at a reduced rate. In addition it could be worth buying a Montafon season ticket (the Sommerkarte) for unlimited use of cable-cars in the Montafon valley, Bludenz and the Brandnertal; or the Montafon-Silvretta Card which allows unlimited use on numerous cable lifts and public transport on 3, 5, 7, 10 or 14 consecutive days, not only in the Montafon district, but also in the neighbouring Paznaun and Samnaun valleys.

Brand (1037m) A small health resort and low-key ski station, the village has more than a dozen hotels and pensionen up to 4-star, plus a number of private rooms and apartments, shops, restaurants, two banks with ATMs and a post office. For information contact Brand Tourismus (tel 05559 5550 tourismus@brandnertal.atwww.brandnertal.at). There’s a campsite 4km to the north at Bürserberg.

Schruns (690m) Together with neighbouring Tschagguns across the Ill, Schruns is the main tourist centre in the Montafon valley. With a campsite and no shortage of hotel or apartment accommodation, the resort makes an obvious base, not only for the Rätikon group, but also for the Verwall mountains at the head of the Silbertal which stretches behind it. There are plenty of shops and restaurants, tourist information, banks with ATMs and a post office, while use of the Hochjochbahn cable-car gives access to some high trails east of the village. The tourist office is on Silvrettastrasse (tel 05556 721660 info@schruns-tschagguns.atwww.schruns-tschagguns.at).

Tschagguns (687m) Lying on the south bank of the Ill, Tschagguns is slightly smaller than its neighbour Schruns, but is close enough to share many of its facilities, including tourist office. It also has plenty of accommodation, including a campsite, a bank with ATM, restaurants and supermarket.

Gargellen (1423m) Located deep inside the Gargellental on the southern edge of the Rätikon Alps, Gargellen is served by bus from St Gallenkirch in the Montafon valley. It has limited facilities, but a good range of hotels, apartments and private rooms, a supermarket, post office and tourist information (tel 05557 6303 info@gargellen.atwww.gargellen.at).

Other Montafon villages offering accommodation at the foot of the Rätikon range include St Anton im Montafon (652m) on the right bank of the Ill, and Vandans (648m) which has a wide variety of hotels, apartments and private rooms located a short distance downstream from Tschagguns at the mouth of the Rellstal.

Douglass Hut (1976m) The original Douglass Hut was the first built by the DAV in 1872, and named after the British mountaineer John Sholto Douglass. With the creation of the Lünersee reservoir the former hut was flooded; its replacement dates from 1960, and is adjacent to the Lünersee cable-car station on the north shore of the lake at the head of the Brandnertal. Owned by the ÖAV’s Bludenz section, this Category II hut is staffed from the end of May to mid-October, has 64 beds in rooms, and 80 dormitory places (tel 05559 25962 www.douglasshuette.at).

Heinrich-Hueter Hut (1766m) Set below the impressive 2643m Zimba above the Rellstal and reached either in 2½hrs from the Douglass Hut or in 3–3½hrs from Vandans, this Category I hut is fully staffed from mid-June to the beginning of October. It has 20 beds in rooms and 90 dormitory places, and is owned by the Vorarlberg section of the ÖAV (tel 05556 76570 www.hueterhuette.at)

Lindauer Hut (1744m) A popular hut standing among pinewoods below the Drusenfluh at the head of the Gauertal, it is owned by the Lindau section of the DAV and is manned from the end of February to the end of March, and from June to mid-October. With 60 beds in rooms and 140 dormitory places, it may be reached by a walk of 2½hrs from Latschau near Tschagguns (tel 0664 5033456 www.lindauerhuette.at). Category I.

Madrisa Hut (1660m) Located southwest of Gargellen, this is an unmanned Category I hut owned by the Karlsruhe section of the DAV. It has just 15 dormitory places and may be reached by a walk of about 45mins from Gargellen (www.alpenverein-karlsruhe.de. Prospective users should enquire at the tourist office in Gargellen for the key holder.

Mannheimer Hut (2679m) The highest of the Rätikon huts, it makes a popular base for climbs on the north side of the Schesaplana. Situated close to the shrinking Brandner glacier it stands south of the Oberzalim Hut, albeit almost 800m higher than its neighbour. Owned by the DAV’s Mannheim section, it has 25 beds in rooms, and 150 dormitory places, and is staffed from July to mid-September (tel 0664 3524768 www.dav-mannheim.de/huetten). A Category I hut, it is reached in about 5hrs from Brand via the Oberzalim Hut.

Oberzalim Hut (1889m) Reached by a walk of about 2½hrs from Brand, this Category I hut is located near the head of the Zalimtal. Owned by the Mannheim section of the DAV, it has a total of 28 places and is staffed from mid-June to the end of September (tel 0664 1229305 www.dav-mannheim.de/huetten).

Tilisuna Hut (2211m) Overlooking a small tarn northeast of the Sulzfluh, and owned by the Vorarlberg section of the ÖAV, the Tilisuna Hut has places for 142 in beds and dormitories. A Category I hut, it is manned from mid-June to mid-October (tel 0664 1107969) and may be reached in 2½–3hrs from Tschagguns (www.tilisunahuette.at.

Totalp Hut (2385m) Reached by a walk of a little under 1½hrs from the Douglass Hut, this Category I building lies in a stony landscape below and to the east of the Schesaplana. Owned by the Vorarlberg section of the ÖAV, it is manned from the end of May to mid-October, and has 85 dormitory places (tel 0664 2400260 www.totalp.at).

Location	In the Vorarlberg, Austria’s westernmost province. The Rätikon group forms the southwest wall of the Montafon valley and spreads across the borders of both Liechtenstein and Switzerland.
Maps	Kompass Wanderkarte 032 Alpenpark Montafon 1:35,000; Freytag & Berndt WK371 Bludenz-Klostertal-Brandnertal-Montafon 1:50,000
Bases	Brand, Schruns, Tschagguns, Gargellen
Information	Vorarlberg Tourismus, Postfach 302, 6901 Bregenz (e-mail: info@vorarlberg.travel; website: www.vorarlberg.travel); Bludenz Tourismus (website: www.bludenz.at); Brand Tourismus, 6708 Brand (e-mail: tourismus@brandnertal.at; website: www.brandnertal.at); Montafon Tourismus, 6780 Schruns (e-mail: info@montafon.at; website: www.montafon.at); Schruns-Tschagguns Tourismus, 6780 Schruns (e-mail: schruns-tschagguns.at; website: www.schruns-tschagguns.at); Gargellen Tourismus, 6787 Gargellen (e-mail: info@gargellen.at; website: www.gargellen.at)
Access	By mainline train to Bludenz and the narrow-gauge Montafonerbahn to Schruns and Tschagguns. There are bus services from Bludenz to Brand and throughout the Montafon valley from Schruns to the Bielerhöhe.