The Klostertal, , is an alpine valley in Vorarlberg, in Austria. It branches off at
Bludenz and extends about to the east to the
Arlberg
The Arlberg (, also: ''Arlberg Pass'') is a mountain pass between states of Tyrol and Vorarlberg in Austria. Ski resorts at the Arlberg include Lech, Zürs, Stuben, St. Christoph, St. Anton, Oberlech, Stubenbach, Zug, and Warth. It is the m ...
and the border with
Tyrol
Tyrol ( ; historically the Tyrole; ; ) is a historical region in the Alps of Northern Italy and western Austria. The area was historically the core of the County of Tyrol, part of the Holy Roman Empire, Austrian Empire and Austria-Hungary, f ...
. It consists of the three communities of
Klösterle am Arlberg,
Dalaas and
Innerbraz and the three Bludenz towns Bings, Radin and
Außerbraz with an area of and about 4,700 inhabitants (as of 2017).
The valley opens to the east of the district capital
Bludenz and is characterized by the south and north steeply towering mountain ranges of the
Lechquellen Mountains and the
Verwalls mountain range. The
Alfenz flows through the Klostertal from
Stuben am Arlberg (district of Klösterle/Arlberg) to the
Ill at Bludenz. The bottom of the valley is rising steadily, which is reflected by the fact that the sea level of the settlement areas ranges between in the west and in the east.
History
The name Klostertal can be explained historically with the transfer of the chapel in St. Marienthal by Count
Hugo I. von Montfort in 1218 to the Johanniterhaus in
Feldkirch. In return for the foundation received, the Order of St. John had to give at least shelter, fire and water to the passing poor people. For this purpose, a
hospice was built, which was called
Klösterle, just like the evolving town around the hospice. Later the whole valley was called Klostertal, which replaced the former name St. Marienthal.
The shortest connection between Tyrol and Vorarlberg leads over the high
Arlberg Pass. Over the centuries, this connection has been used by business, military and other travelers. The weather determined the length of this crossing and so along the route a number of utilities such as guest houses and accommodations were built.
In 1884, the
Arlberg railway line opened, which runs through the valley between and the
Arlberg Tunnel, continuing eastwards to
Innsbruck
Innsbruck (; ) is the capital of Tyrol (federal state), Tyrol and the List of cities and towns in Austria, fifth-largest city in Austria. On the Inn (river), River Inn, at its junction with the Wipptal, Wipp Valley, which provides access to the ...
. The line was used, most prominently, by the
Orient Express, and is currently used by long-distance trains (e.g.
RailJet,
EuroCity
EuroCity (EC) is an international Train categories in Europe, train category and brand for European inter-city rail, inter-city trains that cross international borders and meet criteria covering comfort, speed, food service, and cleanliness. E ...
). is the only railway station between Bludenz and the Arlberg Tunnel that is served by passenger trains. All other stations (, , , , ) are now defunct.
References
External links
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{{Authority control
Valleys of Vorarlberg
Valleys of the Alps
Vorarlberg