Bartholomäberg: sunny balcony, baroque church & historic mine

Bartholomäberg lies at 1,087 m on the south-facing slope high above Schruns – the sunniest spot in the valley, hence 'sunny balcony'. It is also the cradle of the Montafon: in the Friaga forest, traces of Bronze Age settlement from around 1800 BC have been found, and the valley's first parish was established here. From the 11th to the 16th century silver, copper and iron were mined on the mountain, and the old spoil heaps still shape the meadows. The parish church of St Bartholomäus (1729–1743) is the most important Baroque church in the Montafon; inside are a Romanesque processional cross from Limoges (around 1150), the Gothic miners' altar of 1525 and the organ built by Johann Michael Graß in 1792, considered one of the finest-sounding single-manual organs in Austria.

Right next to the church, the museum in the Frühmesshaus (1657) covers the Bronze Age, mining and the Baroque; a good hour's walk away is the historic mine, where a half-hour guided tour takes you about 115 m into the St Anna gallery (helmet and jacket provided, 8 °C inside; season mid-June to mid-October, otherwise by arrangement). Children love the Gaglaweg, a 5 km puzzle trail. From our house it is 15.6 km / 25 minutes; by bus 650 to Schruns and Landbus 640 to Bartholomäberg Kirche. Combines well with the Kristberg, which bus 680 reaches via Bartholomäberg.

Last updated: 13 Sep 2026