Großes Walsertal – biosphere reserve & Propstei St. Gerold

The Großes Walsertal is a steep side valley of the Ill, about 25 km long, settled by Walser people in the 14th century and still without through traffic today. Its six municipalities – Thüringerberg, St. Gerold, Blons, Sonntag, Fontanella and Raggal – with around 3,400 inhabitants in total have formed Vorarlberg's first UNESCO biosphere reserve since November 2000: 192 km² between 580 and 2,704 m, some 180 mountain farms, over 40 per cent of them organic, and species-rich flower meadows. In Sonntag the biosphere reserve centre (daily 2–6 pm, free admission) shows the exhibition 'Walser auf dem Weg', and in the same building the dairy makes Walserstolz mountain cheese from hay milk between September and May. From Sonntag the little Sonntag-Stein aerial tramway (since 1990, 22 May–1 Nov 2026, included with the WildPass) glides up to 1,300 m and easy circular walks.

The cultural heart is the Propstei St. Gerold: founded in 960 and owned for over 1,000 years by the Swiss monastery of Einsiedeln, it was a monastery until 1958 and has since been a venue for seminars, concerts and exhibitions – recordings by Arvo Pärt and the Hilliard Ensemble were made here. Church, crypt and gardens with the 'Path of the Senses' are freely accessible, and the monastery inn cooks regional food (reservation required). In Blons a documentation centre recalls the avalanche winter of 1954, which killed 57 people in the village. From our house it is 38 km / about 1 hour to St. Gerold; continuing over the Faschinajoch to Damüls makes a natural extension. Public transport: train to Thüringen or Ludesch, Landbus 570/575 into the valley.

Last updated: 17 Sep 2026