The Lechquellen Mountains (german: Lechquellengebirge) or Lechquellen range is a small mountain group within the
Northern Limestone Alps
The Northern Limestone Alps (german: Nördliche Kalkalpen), also called the Northern Calcareous Alps, are the ranges of the Eastern Alps north of the Central Eastern Alps located in Austria and the adjacent Bavarian lands of southeastern Germany. ...
of the
Eastern Alps
Eastern Alps is the name given to the eastern half of the Alps, usually defined as the area east of a line from Lake Constance and the Alpine Rhine valley up to the Splügen Pass at the Alpine divide and down the Liro River to Lake Como in the ...
. It lies entirely within the
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
n state of
Vorarlberg
Vorarlberg ( , ; gsw, label=Vorarlbergisch, Vorarlbearg, , or ) is the westernmost States of Austria, state () of Austria. It has the second-smallest geographical area after Vienna and, although it also has the second-smallest population, it is ...
and includes the upper reaches of the river
Lech
Lech may refer to:
People
* Lech (name), a name of Polish origin
* Lech, the legendary founder of Poland
* Lech (Bohemian prince)
Products and organizations
* Lech (beer), Polish beer produced by Kompania Piwowarska, in Poznań
* Lech Poznań, ...
with its headstreams in a horseshoe shape as well as the Upper
Großwalsertal valley.
Origin of the name
The name ''Lechquellengebirge'' (literally "Lech source mountains") is certainly accurate, for the greater part of the mountain range surrounds the upper reaches of the Lech with its two spring-fed streams, the
Formarinbach and the
Spullerbach. Nevertheless, it is in fact an artificial name made up by Walther Flaig at a time when the development of mountaineering in the Alps had been largely completed. Previously, the mountain range had been called either the Klostertal Alps or counted as part of the Lechtal Alps east of the Flexen Pass.
Artificial names often find it hard to establish themselves in everyday language. By contrast, there are Alpine groups named after placenames that go back centuries or even millennia, such as the
Raetikon or the neighbouring
Verwall. Others are named after valleys that have been referred to by the same name from time immemorial, such as the
Ötztal Alps
The Ötztal Alps ( it, Alpi Venoste, german: Ötztaler Alpen) are a mountain range in the Central Eastern Alps, in the State of Tyrol in western Austria and the Province of South Tyrol in northern Italy.
Geography
The Ötztal Alps are arrayed at ...
. It will take decades to determine whether the name of the Lechquellen Mountains has prevailed as naturally as the name of other Alpine groups. It is also unclear whether the
UIAA
The International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation, commonly known by its French name Union Internationale des Associations d'Alpinisme (UIAA, lit. ''International Union of Alpine Clubs''), was founded in August 1932 in Chamonix, France ...
or even the
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...
will work out and lay down an internationally recognized classification of the Alps. If they do, then the Lechquellen Mountains will either be officially recognised or absorbed into other groups.
Extent
The southern boundary of Lechquellen Mountains runs from the alpine town of
Bludenz
Bludenz (; Alemannic: ''Bludaz'') is a town in the westernmost Austrian state of Vorarlberg. It is the administrative seat of the Bludenz District, which encompasses about half of the Vorarlberg's territory.
Geography
The town is located on the Il ...
along the
Klostertal
The Klostertal is an alpine valley in Vorarlberg, in Austria. It branches off at Bludenz and extends about 30 kilometers to the east to the Arlberg and the border with Tyrol. It consists of the three communities of Klösterle am Arlberg, Dalaas a ...
to the
Flexen Pass
Flexen Pass is a high mountain pass in the Austrian Alps in the '' Bundesland'' of Vorarlberg. It is at an elevation of .
It connects the upper Lech valley between Warth, Lech, and Zürs with the Klostertal near Stuben.
The pass road was buil ...
. From there, it continues in the east via
Zürs
Zürs (1717 meters above sea level) is one of the most renowned winter sports resorts in the Alps. Located in the westernmost Austrian state of Vorarlberg, almost directly on the border to North Tyrol, near the Flexenpass, Zürs is part of the A ...
and
Lech
Lech may refer to:
People
* Lech (name), a name of Polish origin
* Lech, the legendary founder of Poland
* Lech (Bohemian prince)
Products and organizations
* Lech (beer), Polish beer produced by Kompania Piwowarska, in Poznań
* Lech Poznań, ...
and along the Lech to its confluence with the Krumbach. The Krumbach forms the boundary of the range in the north up to the
Hochtann Mountain Pass
Hochtann Mountain Pass (german: Hochtannbergpass, ) is a mountain pass in the Austrian Alps in the '' Bundesland'' of Vorarlberg.
It connects Warth in the Lech Valley to the east with the valley of the Bregenzer Ach near Schoppernau to the west ...
. From there, it runs along the Seebach via the village of
Schröcken
Schröcken is a municipality in the district of Bregenz, in the westernmost Austrian state of Vorarlberg.
Geography
Schröcken is in the Austrian Alps, at an altitude of 1,269 meters. 12.4% of the area are forested, 39.4% Alpine area.
History
...
and continues along the
Bregenzer Ach
The Bregenzer Ach (also: ''Bregenzer Ache'') is the main river of the Bregenz Forest (Bregenzerwald), in the Austrian state of Vorarlberg. It is a tributary to Lake Constance, which is drained by the Rhine. The river is 67 kilometers long and drai ...
stream up to
Au and its confluence with the Argenbach. Then it goes up the Argenbach until just before
Damuels and continues along the Faschinabach in the west to the
Faschinajoch saddle. From there it descends into the Große Walsertal and along the Lutz to its confluence with the Ill. It then follows the Ill back to Bluden
The Flexen Pass connects the Lechquellen Mountains with the
Lechtal Alps
The Lechtal Alps (german: Lechtaler Alpen) are a mountain-range in western Austria, and part of the greater Northern Limestone Alps range. Named for the river Lech which drains them north-ward into Germany, the Lechtal Alps occupy the Austrian stat ...
. The Hochtannberg Pass forms the link to the
Allgäu Alps
The Allgäu Alps (german: Allgäuer Alpen) are a mountain range in the Northern Limestone Alps, located in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg in Germany and Tyrol and Vorarlberg in Austria. The range lies directly east of Lake Constance.
Character ...
. The Faschinajoch is the connexion with the
Bregenz Forest Mountains
The Bregenz Forest Mountains, also the Bregenzerwald Mountains (german: Bregenzerwaldgebirge), are a range of the Northern Limestone Alps and Eastern Alps, named after the town of Bregenz. The Bregenz Forest Mountains are located entirely in the A ...
.
Walther Flaig, a well-known alpine guide and author from Vorarlberg, had a significant influence on the definition and extent of the Lechquellen Mountains. The name he gave to the mountains and his definition of their extent was included in the
Alpine Club classification of the Eastern Alps
The Alpine Club classification of the Eastern Alps (german: Alpenvereinseinteilung der Ostalpen, AVE) is a common division of the Eastern Alps into 75 mountain ranges, based on the Moriggl Classification (ME) first published in 1924 by the German a ...
(AVE).
Passes and crossings
In addition to the named passes, there are no other passes or crossings that are accessible by car.
Other relevant touristic crossings are:
* Rauhes Joch (Location of the "Freiburger Hut", 1.918 m (AA), accessible from the east by road, the crossing is also accessible by mountain bikes)
* Spullersee (, crossing from
Lechtal to
Klostertal
The Klostertal is an alpine valley in Vorarlberg, in Austria. It branches off at Bludenz and extends about 30 kilometers to the east to the Arlberg and the border with Tyrol. It consists of the three communities of Klösterle am Arlberg, Dalaas a ...
)
* Stierlochjoch (, Access from
Lechtal to the
Ravensburger Hut
The Ravensburger Hut (german: Ravensburger Hütte) is an Alpine Club hut belonging to the Ravensburg branch of the German Alpine Club (DAV).
It lies in the Lechquellen Mountains at the foot of the Spuller Schafberg (near the Arlberg Pass).
His ...
)
* Gamsboden (Location of the
Göppinger Hut, , crossing from
Lechtal to
Große Walsertal)
Neighbouring ranges
The Lechquellen Mountains border on the following other groups in the Alps:
*
Bregenz Forest Mountains
The Bregenz Forest Mountains, also the Bregenzerwald Mountains (german: Bregenzerwaldgebirge), are a range of the Northern Limestone Alps and Eastern Alps, named after the town of Bregenz. The Bregenz Forest Mountains are located entirely in the A ...
(to the north)
*
Allgäu Alps
The Allgäu Alps (german: Allgäuer Alpen) are a mountain range in the Northern Limestone Alps, located in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg in Germany and Tyrol and Vorarlberg in Austria. The range lies directly east of Lake Constance.
Character ...
(to the northeast)
*
Lechtal Alps
The Lechtal Alps (german: Lechtaler Alpen) are a mountain-range in western Austria, and part of the greater Northern Limestone Alps range. Named for the river Lech which drains them north-ward into Germany, the Lechtal Alps occupy the Austrian stat ...
(to the east)
*
Verwall Alps
The Verwall Alps or Verwall Group Reynolds, Kev (2005). ''Walking in the Alps'', 2nd ed., Cicerone, Singapore, pp. 321-326. . are a mountain range of the Central Eastern Alps at the border of the Austrian states of Tyrol and Vorarlberg.
It inclu ...
(to the south)
*
Rätikon
The Rätikon is a mountain range of the Central Eastern Alps, located at the border between Vorarlberg, Liechtenstein and Graubünden. It is the geological border between the Eastern and Western Alps and stretches from the Montafon as far as t ...
(to the southwest)
Summits
The 10 highest peaks in the Lechquellen Mountains are the:
*
Untere Wildgrubenspitze,
*
Rote Wand
The Rote Wand ("Red Wall") is a mountain in the Lechquellen Mountains range of Vorarlberg, in western Austria.
The second highest mountain at in the range, behind the lower pit Wildgrubenspitze () in the mountains of Lech sources, it rises from ...
,
*
Großer Grätlisgrat,
* Mittlere Wildgrubenspitze, east top,
* Mittlere Wildgrubenspitze, centre top,
* Rote Wand, Ostgipfel,
* Nadel,
*
Spuller Schafberg, Hauptgipfel,
*
Roggalspitze,
*
Wasenspitze,
Other well known peaks in the Lechquellen, in order of height are the:
*
Braunarlspitze,
*
Hochlicht,
*
Mohnenfluh,
*
Karhorn,
*
Zitterklapfen,
*
Hochkünzelspitze,
*
Roggelskopf,
*
Feuerstein,
*
Warther Horn,
*
Gamsfreiheit,
*
Hoher Fraßen,
Tourism
The use of high-altitude roads (tolls) allows the motor vehicle to penetrate the interior of the mountains to a height of almost 2000 meters. But there are also larger areas with marked seclusion.
The valleys were populated by the so-called
Walser
The Walser people are the speakers of the Walser German dialects, a variety of Highest Alemannic.
They inhabit the region of the Alps of Switzerland and Liechtenstein, as well as the fringes of Italy and Austria.
The Walser people are named af ...
s - a name which is found in many Tyrolean family names. Historically, alpine farming dominates and is known today under the term
alpine transhumance
Alpine transhumance is transhumance as practiced in the Alps, that is, a seasonal droving of grazing livestock between the valleys in winter and the high mountain pastures in summer (German ' from the term for "seasonal mountain pasture", '). T ...
, a 3-phase lifestyle that highly influenced culture, traditions and architecture.
Today tourism, especially
ski
A ski is a narrow strip of semi-rigid material worn underfoot to glide over snow. Substantially longer than wide and characteristically employed in pairs, skis are attached to ski boots with ski bindings, with either a free, lockable, or partial ...
tourism in
Lech
Lech may refer to:
People
* Lech (name), a name of Polish origin
* Lech, the legendary founder of Poland
* Lech (Bohemian prince)
Products and organizations
* Lech (beer), Polish beer produced by Kompania Piwowarska, in Poznań
* Lech Poznań, ...
and the smaller villages of
Zürs
Zürs (1717 meters above sea level) is one of the most renowned winter sports resorts in the Alps. Located in the westernmost Austrian state of Vorarlberg, almost directly on the border to North Tyrol, near the Flexenpass, Zürs is part of the A ...
, Stuben and
Damüls
Damüls is a village community and popular tourist resort in the district of Bregenz in the westernmost Austrian state of Vorarlberg.
Damüls is known for its abundance of snow. In 2006, Damüls was awarded the honorary title "the snowiest villag ...
, as well as
hiking
Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...
is important.
Development of local public infrastructure
The Lechquellen mountains was made accessible in the second half of the 19th century. The small mountain group includes the upper part of the river
Lech
Lech may refer to:
People
* Lech (name), a name of Polish origin
* Lech, the legendary founder of Poland
* Lech (Bohemian prince)
Products and organizations
* Lech (beer), Polish beer produced by Kompania Piwowarska, in Poznań
* Lech Poznań, ...
with it spring streams as well as the upper
Großwalsertal
The Großes Walsertal (german: Großes Walsertal, Großwalsertal) is a valley located in the Austrian state of Vorarlberg. It is a side valley of the Walgau and stretches from there north to the mountainous center of the country. The end of the ...
. The first hut was opened in 1894 by the
Freiburg
Freiburg im Breisgau (; abbreviated as Freiburg i. Br. or Freiburg i. B.; Low Alemannic: ''Friburg im Brisgau''), commonly referred to as Freiburg, is an independent city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. With a population of about 230,000 (as o ...
section of the German and
Austrian Alpine Club
The Austrian Alpine Club (german: Österreichischer Alpenverein) has about 573,000 members in 196 sections and is the largest mountaineering organisation in Austria. It is responsible for the upkeep of over 234 alpine huts in Austria and neighbour ...
at lake
Formarinsee. Because of the great popularity another hut named Freiburger hut was opened in 1912 on the ''Rauhen Joch'', as well as the
Ravensburger hut
The Ravensburger Hut (german: Ravensburger Hütte) is an Alpine Club hut belonging to the Ravensburg branch of the German Alpine Club (DAV).
It lies in the Lechquellen Mountains at the foot of the Spuller Schafberg (near the Arlberg Pass).
His ...
near the Spullersee in the same year.
The Lechquellen mountains are little developed, apart from the large
ski resort
A ski resort is a resort developed for skiing, snowboarding, and other winter sports. In Europe, most ski resorts are towns or villages in or adjacent to a ski area – a mountainous area with pistes (ski trails) and a ski lift system. In North ...
s and
railways
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...
at
Lech
Lech may refer to:
People
* Lech (name), a name of Polish origin
* Lech, the legendary founder of Poland
* Lech (Bohemian prince)
Products and organizations
* Lech (beer), Polish beer produced by Kompania Piwowarska, in Poznań
* Lech Poznań, ...
and
Zürs
Zürs (1717 meters above sea level) is one of the most renowned winter sports resorts in the Alps. Located in the westernmost Austrian state of Vorarlberg, almost directly on the border to North Tyrol, near the Flexenpass, Zürs is part of the A ...
. Narrow toll roads lead to the valleys, and a shuttle bus from Lech leads to the Lechquellen in summer. On the other hand, it is ideal for
hikers
Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...
and there is a system of
mountain hut
A mountain hut is a building located high in the mountains, generally accessible only by foot, intended to provide food and shelter to mountaineers, climbers and hikers. Mountain huts are usually operated by an Alpine Club or some organization d ...
s connected by a
mountain path
Ridgeways are a particular type of ancient road that exploits the hard surface of hilltop ridges for use as unpaved, zero-maintenance roads, though they often have the disadvantage of steeper gradients along their courses, and sometimes quite narr ...
which follows the entire "horseshoe" of the peaks, but requires some alpine experience - at least until the middle of the summer.
The western ramp of the
Arlberg railway
The Arlberg Railway (german: Arlbergbahn), which connects the Austrian cities Innsbruck and Bludenz, is Austria's only ''east-west'' mountain railway. It is one of the highest standard gauge railways in Europe and the second highest in Austria, a ...
follows the southern edge of the Lechquellen mountains. Its power is supplied by hydroelectricity from the overflow of the Spullersee, which lies at a height of 700 metres above the Klostertal valley in the southern part of the Lechquellen mountains.
Alpine Club huts
There are five
Alpine Club hut
Alpine club huts (german: Alpenvereinshütten) or simply club huts (''Clubhütten'') form the majority of the over 1,300 mountain huts in the Alps and are maintained by branches, or sections, of the various Alpine clubs. Although the usual English ...
s in the mountains:
*
Biberacher Hut
*
Frassen Hut
*
Freiburger Hut
*
Göppinger Hut
*
Ravensburger Hut
The Ravensburger Hut (german: Ravensburger Hütte) is an Alpine Club hut belonging to the Ravensburg branch of the German Alpine Club (DAV).
It lies in the Lechquellen Mountains at the foot of the Spuller Schafberg (near the Arlberg Pass).
His ...
These huts, with the exception of the Frassen Hut, are part of the
Lechquellenrunde.
Long-distance paths
North Alpine long-distance path 01, the Limestone Alps Way (''Kalkalpenweg''), crosses the Lechquellen as follows:
* ''Section 17'' runs from Zürs to Damüls via the Madlochjoch, the Ravensburger Hut, the Freiburger Hut, the Göppinger Hut and the Biberacher Hut. The last section from the Faschinajoch to Damüls runs through the
Bregenz Forest Mountains
The Bregenz Forest Mountains, also the Bregenzerwald Mountains (german: Bregenzerwaldgebirge), are a range of the Northern Limestone Alps and Eastern Alps, named after the town of Bregenz. The Bregenz Forest Mountains are located entirely in the A ...
.
The ''
Via Alpina
The Via Alpina is a network of five long-distance hiking trails across the alpine regions of Slovenia, Austria, Germany, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Italy, France, and Monaco. The longest of trails is the red trail, whose termini are in Trieste a ...
'', a cross-border long-distance path with five sections through the whole Alps, also runs through the Lechquellen Mountains.
The Red Trail of the Via Alpina (''Rote Weg der Via Alpina'')
''The Red Trail''
at www.via-alpina.org. Retrieved on 17 Oct 2014. has 3 stages running through the Lechquellen as follows:
* Stage R52 runs from the Mindelheimer Hut to Schröcken. This stage is mainly in the Allgäu Alps
The Allgäu Alps (german: Allgäuer Alpen) are a mountain range in the Northern Limestone Alps, located in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg in Germany and Tyrol and Vorarlberg in Austria. The range lies directly east of Lake Constance.
Character ...
. Making its way between the Hochtannberg Pass and Schröcken past the Kälbelesee and Körbersee it also enters the Lechquellen.
* Stage R53 runs from Schröcken to Buchboden over the Schadona Pass (Biberacher Hut).
* Stage R54 runs from Buchboden to St. Gerold. The second part of this stage is located in the Bregenz Forest Mountains.
The '' Lechweg'' runs 125 km from lake Formarinsee to the Lechfall in Füssen
Füssen is a town in Bavaria, Germany, in the district of Ostallgäu, situated one kilometre from the Austrian border. The town is known for violin manufacturing and as the closest transportation hub for the Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau cast ...
(Germany).
Fixed rope routes
* Fixed rope route (DE: ''Klettersteig)'' on the Karhorn (2416 m)
* Panorama Klettersteig
* Francesco Tarmann Klettersteig (Ludesch
Ludesch is a municipality in the district of Bludenz (district), Bludenz in the Austrian state of Vorarlberg.
Population
References
Cities and towns in Bludenz District
{{Vorarlberg-geo-stub ...
)
Nature protection
The biosphere
The biosphere (from Greek βίος ''bíos'' "life" and σφαῖρα ''sphaira'' "sphere"), also known as the ecosphere (from Greek οἶκος ''oîkos'' "environment" and σφαῖρα), is the worldwide sum of all ecosystems. It can also be ...
reserve Großwalsertal
The Großes Walsertal (german: Großes Walsertal, Großwalsertal) is a valley located in the Austrian state of Vorarlberg. It is a side valley of the Walgau and stretches from there north to the mountainous center of the country. The end of the ...
also covers parts of the Lechquellen Mountains. Particularly interesting are the core zones, which, according to UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
, must be part of every biosphere reserve. In the Lechquellen mountains there are two larger core zones, the ''Gadental'' and the area ''Faludriga Nova''. The mountain forests in these core zones have not been used for a number of years in forestry
Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests, woodlands, and associated resources for human and environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands. Th ...
. As a result, these core zones already present today the image of natural mountainous (virgin) forests with trees of different age classes and a high proportion of dead-wood in the Northern Limestone Alps
The Northern Limestone Alps (german: Nördliche Kalkalpen), also called the Northern Calcareous Alps, are the ranges of the Eastern Alps north of the Central Eastern Alps located in Austria and the adjacent Bavarian lands of southeastern Germany. ...
.
There are the following nature reserve
A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...
s:
* Gadental, established 1987, size 1.336 ha
* Gipslöcher Oberlech, established 1988, size 21 ha
* Bödener Magerwiesen, established 1991, size 16,5 ha
* Faludriga Nova, established 2003
Plant protection area:
* Körbersee, established 1958, size 451 ha
Natura-2000-areas:
* Bergwälder Klostertal
* Gadental, established 1995, size 1.543,77 ha
References
External links
{{Authority control
Mountain ranges of the Alps
Northern Limestone Alps
Mountain ranges of Vorarlberg
Mountains of Vorarlberg
Natura 2000 in Austria