The Montafon is a Vorarlberg alpine valley running south from Bludenz to the Silvretta mountains, most famous outside Austria as the place where Hemingway spent winters in the 1920s writing in Schruns, the valley’s main town. He described the experience in A Moveable Feast. Today the valley centers on Silvretta Montafon, a connected ski area combining multiple villages with extensive terrain. In summer the main draw is the Silvretta High Alpine Road (Silvretta-Hochalpenstrasse), a toll mountain road reaching 2,034 meters above Gaschurn with dramatic switchbacks and views of glaciated peaks above the Silvretta Stausee reservoir. Reach the valley by the Montafonerbahn railway from Bludenz in 20 minutes. Hotels in Schruns and Gaschurn range from traditional guesthouses to wellness properties. Vorarlberg’s Alemannic character makes the valley feel distinct from the rest of Austria.
region
Montafon
Ernest Hemingway spent the winters of 1925-26 in Schruns, the main town of the Montafon valley, writing and skiing and finishing A Farewell to Arms. He documented the experience in A Moveable Feast.