Masescha is a ''Weiler'' (

hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...

) of

Liechtenstein Liechtenstein (, ; ; ), officially the Principality of Liechtenstein ( ), is a Landlocked country#Doubly landlocked, doubly landlocked Swiss Standard German, German-speaking microstate in the Central European Alps, between Austria in the east ...

, located in the

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

Triesenberg Triesenberg () is a Municipalities of Liechtenstein, municipality in Liechtenstein with a population of 2,636. Its area of makes it the largest municipality in Liechtenstein. The center of the municipality rests at an elevation of . History Tri ...

. It is situated at approximately 1,230 metres above sea level on a glacial

moraine A moraine is any accumulation of unconsolidated debris (regolith and Rock (geology), rock), sometimes referred to as glacial till, that occurs in both currently and formerly glaciated regions, and that has been previously carried along by a gla ...

plain.

Geography and landscape

Masescha is situated on a

plain In geography, a plain, commonly known as flatland, is a flat expanse of land that generally does not change much in elevation, and is primarily treeless. Plains occur as lowlands along valleys or at the base of mountains, as coastal plains, and ...

shaped by the

Rhine Glacier The Rhine Glacier was a glacier during the last glacial period and was responsible for the formation of the Lake Constance Lake Constance (, ) refers to three bodies of water on the Rhine at the northern foot of the Alps: Upper Lake Constan ...

. The landscape is characterised by rounded, gently sloping terrain forms with distinctive spatial enclosure created by surrounding forests and rock bands. The area forms part of a broader

transitional zone Transition zone may refer to: * Transition zone (Earth), a part of the Earth’s mantle located between the lower mantle and the upper mantle * Transition zone, the region between the near and far fields of a transmitting antenna * Transition zo ...

between the main

settlement and the higher alpine regions. The

contains what are believed to be some of Liechtenstein's highest-elevation

orchard An orchard is an intentional plantation of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit tree, fruit- or nut (fruit), nut-producing trees that are generally grown for commercial production. Orchards are also so ...

s, with fruit trees cultivated at roughly 1,230 metres above sea level. These orchards, though diminished in recent decades, are a part of the cultural and ecological element of the settlement landscape.

History

Masescha played a significant role in the early settlement of the Triesenberg area. Historical maps from 1721 show a

chapel A chapel (from , a diminutive of ''cappa'', meaning "little cape") is a Christianity, Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. First, smaller spaces inside a church that have their o ...

in Masescha, indicating its importance as a central location for the Walser settlements that were established in the region from the 13th century onwards. Over time, the settlement centre gradually shifted downhill from Masescha to what is now the main Triesenberg village centre (Jonaboden). In 1890,

tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the Commerce, commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. World Tourism Organization, UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as ...

development began in Masescha with the construction of a mountain and spa house, part of the first wave of tourism infrastructure in the Triesenberg highlands alongside similar establishments in

Sücka Sücka (dialectal: ''Sügga'') is an (alpine pasture) of Liechtenstein, located in the municipality of Triesenberg. Traditionally a cow pasture, it is situated in the and contains a mountain inn. Triesenberg purchased Sücka from Johann II, Prin ...

(1887) and

Gaflei Gaflei is a village of Liechtenstein, located in Triesenberg, the highest and largest municipality (by area) in the Oberland constituency of the country. It stands at approximately 1500 m above sea level. Gaflei developed from settlements of the Wa ...

(1872).

Present day

The modern settlement of Masescha is sparsely built but forms what land planning documents describe as an "amorphous settlement field" against the mountainside. The area maintains some of its traditional landscape features, with flowing transitions between open land and forest created by wooded pastures. From certain vantage points in Masescha, panoramic views stretch over the Rhine Valley below. Local and regional planning authorities have identified Masescha and its surroundings as an area of landscape significance, with portions designated for landscape protection due to their cultural, historical, and natural values.

References

External links

{{Authority control Triesenberg Villages in Liechtenstein