!!!Großes Walsertal

Grosses Walsertal Valley, Vorarlberg, north-eastern side valley of the 
Illtal valley, from the Schadona Pass (leading to the Bregenzer Wald 
and Hochtannberg mountains) to just before Bludenz, where the Grosses 
Walsertal Valley meets the Walgau Valley between the villages of 
Thueringen and Ludesch. The Grosses Walsertal Valley, a narrow, 
gorge-like valley without a distinct valley floor, is one of the most 
naturally intact regions in Vorarlberg. It is drained by the River 
Lutz. The valley is named after people who immigrated from the Swiss 
Vallais or Wallis region in the 13%%sup th/%  and 14%%sup th/%  
centuries and is the largest contiguous settlement area of the 
Wal(li)ser people. Previous to their arrival, the outer part of the 
valley had already been explored by Rhaeto-Romanic hunters and 
farmers. The northern side (sunny side) is dominated by the 
Zitterklapfengruppe mountains (2,403 m) and the Hochkuenzelspitze 
peak (2,397 m, late Flysch Zone). Settlements in the Grosses 
Walsertal Valley are almost exclusively limited to the northern side. 
The steeper southern side (shady side) includes several massifs of the 
Lechtal Alps; like the end of the valley, it is made up of eastern 
alpine limestone layers, and is densely wooded. The intense clearing 
of the woods on the northern side brought about a considerable risk of 
landslides and avalanches, and by the beginning of the 19%%sup th/%  
century the church of the main town of Sonntag (alt. 888 m) had in 
fact been buried by an avalanche. The Grosses Walsertal Valley (mainly 
Blons) was also hit by an avalanche disaster in 1954. On the northern 
side there are the villages of St. Gerold (alt. 848 m), Blons 
(alt. 903 m) and Fontanella (alt. 1,145 m), on the southern 
side Raggal (alt. 1,015 m) with Marul (976 m). Tourism 
(low-impact tourism without large hotels) has already substituted 
agriculture (cattle breeding and dairy farming, particularly mountain 
cheese) as the main source of income. A major road connection (in 
west-east direction) exists only between Unterfeld-Thueringen and 
Sonntag-Fontanella.

!Literature
H. Held, Vorarlberg und Liechtenstein, 1988.


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