Montafon ( in local dialect: "Muntafu") is a 39 km long valley in the westernmost Austrian federal state of Vorarlberg.
It is traversed by the river Ill (Vorarlberg) and extends from the city of Bludenz and the Verwall Alps in the north, to the Silvretta and Rätikon mountain range in the south. Piz Buin, at 3,312 meters, is the highest peak within the Silvretta mountain range and the highest peak in Vorarlberg. The Montafon region has a population of 16,421(2021).
Geography
The Montafon is an association of ten communities ("Stand Montafon"), all of which belong to the Bludenz district. The main town is Schruns. Regional tourism is marketed by the Tourist Association Montafon, run by the municipalities, the Vorarlberger Illwerke and the regional mountain cableways.
The municipalities: Bartholomäberg (1,100 m) Gaschurn (1,000m) Lorüns (583 m) St. Anton im Montafon (650 m) Sankt Gallenkirch (900m) Schruns (700 m) Silbertal (890 m) Stallehr (600 m) Tschagguns (700 m) Vandans (660 m) The route from Bludenz into the valley: The state road B188 leads past an old cement plant and through the town of Lorüns. Then one drives through the Alma woods and past the Tränabächle (Brook of Tears). The valley unfolds its full splendor beginning at St. Anton (in the local dialect: "Santatöni") on the left, with Vens and Vandans on the right. St. Anton should not be confused with the more well-known ski resort of St. Anton am Arlberg.
Passing on to Rodund the main electrohydric plant of the Vorarlberger Illwerke comes into view. Continue on through Gantschier and Kaltenbrunnen to Schruns and Tschagguns (in the local dialect: "Schru und Tschaggu"). Above Schruns is the mountain town of Bartholomäberg, with its outlying areas Jetzmunt and Lutt overlooking St. Anton, and its southeastern precincts Kristberg and Innerberg overlooking the Silbertal Valley. This valley stretches southeast from Schruns towards the Arlberg mountain range, passing the outpost of the Fellamendli. The hamlet of Latschau, with its hydroelectric power station and the main base of the Golm ski resort, projecting up over Tschagguns, and opposite Bartholomäberg.
From Schruns and Tschagguns form the midpoint of the Montafon; this divides the outer valley ("Außerfratte") from the inner valley ("Innerfratte"). Continuing up to St. Gallenkirch, the road branches off at Galgenul towards Gargellen, another rugged branch valley that ends at the ski resort of Gargellen. Continuing up the main Montafon valley, the road passes through Gortipohl and on to Gaschurn (in the local dialect: "Gaschorra"), then to Partenen. Here the road snakes up to the Silvretta mountain pass.
Economy
The economy in the Montafon is dominated by a mixture of traditional rural activities like forestry, hydroelectric energy production, agricultural products, as well as tourism-related services and products.
Agriculture and Farming
Farming and agriculture are part of traditional Alpine transhumance. This is a three-phase seasonal droving of grazing livestock between the valleys in winter and the high mountain pastures in summer, ensuring a sufficient food supply for the cattle throughout the year. While tourism and other industries contribute more to the economy, seasonal migration to high pastures is still an important economic factor for parts of the population. In the autumn, if no animals have died and there have not been any accidents up in the mountains, the farmers decorate the cattle and bring them down from the mountain pastures in a festive parade, a highlight of regional culture.
Tourism
Sports
Tourism plays a vital role and the Montafon is well-known for its skiing, hiking, and mountain biking. The Silvretta high alpine road (German: Hochalpenstraße) gives access to remote ski areas that are located altitudes of 650 to 1,430 meters. The construction of the Montafon Railway in 1905 also helped develop the seasonal tourist industries.
There are five ski regions: Silvretta Montafon, Golm, Gargellen, Silbertal-Kristberg and Silvretta-Bielerhöhe, with a total of 60 ski lifts and 225 kilometers of ski slopes in the region. Freeriding is a popular sport and there are various fun parks with half-pipes. For cross-country skiing there are 121 kilometers of classic routes, as well as 33 kilometers of skating-routes.
Ski mountaineering has become more and more popular and can be pursued on every mountain in the Montafon.