Out of the valley
Take a trip with us (in your mind) from the Arlberg Pass to Bludenz- by car or by train:
A ride through the Klostertal - out of the valley
By car
We have acompletely different landscape in front of us as we move out of the valley. We start from the Alpe Rauz.
During the leisurely descent to the west, the first thing that catches the eye are the heavy obstructions at the „Stubner Bergen„(Grubenjochspitze 2659 m, Wasenspitze 2665 m, Blisadonaspitze 2508 m).
Since they are located west of the Flexen Pass, they already belong to the Lechquellen Mountains. In the distance, the Zimba (2643 m) in the Montafon (Rätikon) and the Schesaplana are visible.
These five hairpin bends between Rauz and Stuben are among the most beautiful parts of the Arlberg road. From here you have a wonderful view to the west into the lowlands.
From Stuben we descend along the debris cones to Langen, where we can see the Burtschakopf (2244 m) to the left in the south.
From Langen you can see from the right the Alp-Mähra (Allhöhe 2026 m) with a conspicuously flat surface falling to the east and on the left the Davenna-Stock with the peaks Itonskopf (2089 m) and Zwölferkopf (1843 m).
In Innerwald we pass the imposing structure of the Spullerseekraftwerk.
When driving from Dalaas to Innerbraz, it is visible in which delicate slope the railroad line is situated on the upper right. From Innerbraz, the layered dolomite walls of the Klostertal Alps to the north and the massive limestone-dolomite massif of the Davennastock to the south dominate on the right.
At Bings we reach the valley floor again.
By train
The Klostertal is a railroad valley.
A train ride through the Klostertal valley is a travel delight where you can enjoy the landscape to the fullest. The railroad line is located on the northern very steep valley flank of the southern Lechquellengebirge or Klostertal Alps on the sunny side.
Mountain view and valley view have completely different perspectives. The following descriptions are made from a valley side seat.
The best view over this alpine long valley is either from the dining car or from a seat on the side of the valley.
The view from the mountain side is very limited, so only a fraction of the protective structures can be seen. Here you can only guess in places what tasks the backrest section and the rock scraper have to cope with.
The valley view is from a different angle, but from the view to the north we always recognize the alpine dimension of our Alps. With each new ride, of course, you see more, little things stand out, so this description can be supplemented at will.
No matter in which direction you travel the route. You feel the challenge, the struggle against the unpredictable nature of mudslides, avalanches, rockfall and rockslides.
The elementary events at the railroad are also a part of the valley history, the railroad history is also the history of the monastery valley.
We have left the 11 km long Arlberg railroad tunnel behind us, and now in Langen am Arlberg , altitude: 1218.843 m, KM 110/7, the valley opens from south over west to north.
To the right of us is the steep mountain backdrop of Triassic rocks of the Langener Berge with the obstructions of the ÖBB. To the left of the station, the fan tower is visible at the west portal of the 14 km long Arlberg road tunnel (between St. Jakob and Langen am Arlberg).
Before entering the next tunnel, we can see the first conspicuous peak on the left, the Burtschakopf (2244 m), in front of us we can see the Itonskopf( 2089 m), in the distance in the west the Zimba (2643 m), and on the right the Mährenalpe with Allhöhe 2026 m.
After the tunnel, the Burtschakopf shows its full length and also with the obstructions.
The west portal of the Langen Tunnel with the two tunnel tubes is clearly visible. It is easy to see that the Wilden slope bridge was adapted to the slope shapes and that a very favorable angle to the slope was also granted for the Langen tunnel.
Parts of the Sonnenkopf lifts make their presence felt above the forest line. The Wald am Arlberg station building on our left, made of natural stone, limestone and red sandstone, is a listed building. Here a bridge leads over the pipelines of the Spullersee power plant.
The Mährenalpe and Allhöhe are still ahead of us. Beautiful view to Wald am Arlberg. We pass by the church of St. Anna in Außerwald.
The Mittagstein in the south, a popular attraction for hikers, does not escape our gaze. Dalaas lies deep below us. With a trained eye, one can make out the outline of the Paluda slide slope in Dalaas, a little easier the Gasthof Post, and the St. Oswald church in Dalaas. Immediately before Dalaas we pass through a shell limestone cut.
After the Dalaas train station, the imposing backdrop of the Davenna and the Fallbachwand mountains is visible on the left. Here, in cold winters, a continuous thick ice wall is formed with a very demanding ice climbing.
With a little luck we can see the torrent character of some ravines under the railroad. However, it should not escape our eyes how exposed the railroad line is with the many artificial structures.
At the bottom left we see the buildings of the Braz power plant.
Now follows the former stop Hintergasse. During the construction of the railroad, this place was an important junction. We have left the narrow part of the valley.
From here the view becomes wider, we see Innerbraz, Außerbraz, the Davenna, Bürserberg, Tschengla Rätikon. We pass the peaks rising to the north, Roggelskopf (2284 m) and Gamsfreiheit (2211 m). The train passes over the large and flat Mutschutt alluvial cones of Innerbraz and Außerbraz. The station Braz is already close to the valley floor.
Before we reach Bludenz, it is noticeable that we have lost altitude and are approaching the valley floor.
The Lorüns quarry with its Triassic rocks does not escape our observation and we recognize the Tschagunser Mittagsspitze (2168 m) in the distance on the left in the Montafon.
Now we have reached Bludenz station, KM 136/3 altitude 559m.
