The Silvretta Alps are a

mountain range A mountain range or hill range is a series of mountains or hills arranged in a line and connected by high ground. A mountain system or mountain belt is a group of mountain ranges with similarity in form, structure, and alignment that have aris ...

of the

Central Eastern Alps The Central Eastern Alps (), also referred to as Austrian Central Alps () or just Central Alps, comprise the main chain of the Eastern Alps in Austria and the adjacent regions of Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Italy and Slovenia. South of them is ...

shared by

Tirol 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 ...

Vorarlberg Vorarlberg ( ; ; , , or ) is the westernmost States of Austria, state () of Austria. It has the second-smallest geographical area after Vienna and, although it also has the second-smallest population, it is the state with the second-highest popu ...

(both in

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

) and Graubünden (

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

). The Austrian

states State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country **Nation state, a ...

of Tirol and Vorarlberg are connected by a pass road ( Silvretta Hochalpenstraße at 2032 m). The majority of the peaks are elevated above three thousand metres and are surrounded by

glacier A glacier (; or ) is a persistent body of dense ice, a form of rock, that is constantly moving downhill under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. It acquires ...

s. Thus, the area is also known as the "Blue Silvretta".

Borders

According to the

Alpine Club Alpine clubs are typically large social clubs that revolve around climbing, hiking, and other outdoor activities. Many alpine clubs also take on aspects typically reserved for local sport associations, providing education and training courses, se ...

s, the Silvretta Alps are outlined from other groups by the following borders: St. Gallenkirch - Ill river as far as

Partenen Gaschurn-Partenen is a municipality in the district of Bludenz in the westernmost Austrian state of Vorarlberg. The two largest villages are Gaschurn Dorf (population 1083 as of 1.1.2020) and Partenen (population 376 as of 1.1.2020). Geography T ...

- Zeinisjoch - Zeinisbach -

Paznaun The Paznaun () is a valley in Tyrol, Austria, leading south-west from Pians (856 m) to the Bielerhöhe (2071 m), a mountain pass at the border of Vorarlberg and Tyrol. The Paznaun is watered by the Trisanna and surrounded by the C ...

tal as far as

Ischgl Ischgl () is a town in the Paznaun valley in the Austrian state of Tyrol. Its ski resort is connected with that of Samnaun across the border in Switzerland to form one of the largest in the Alps. Ischgl was a major hotspot in 2020 of the COVID-19 ...

- Fimbertal - Fimber Pass -

Val Chöglias Val may refer to: Military equipment * Aichi D3A, a Japanese World War II dive bomber codenamed "Val" by the Allies * AS Val, a Soviet assault rifle Music *''Val'', album by Val Doonican * VAL (band), Belarusian pop duo People * Val (gi ...

Val Sinestra The Val Sinestra (Romansh language, Romansh lit.: "left valley") is a valley of the Swiss Alps, located in the Engadin between the Silvretta Alps, Silvretta and the Samnaun Alps, Samnaun ranges. The valley is drained by ''La Brancla'', a tributary ...

Inn River The Inn (; ; ) is a river in Switzerland, Austria and Germany. The long river is a right tributary of the Danube, being the third largest tributary of the Danube by discharge. The highest point of its drainage basin is the summit of Piz Berni ...

from the mouth of the Branclabach to the mouth of the Susasca -

Val Susasca Val may refer to: Military equipment * Aichi D3A, a Japanese World War II dive bomber codenamed "Val" by the Allies * AS Val, a Soviet assault rifle Music *''Val'', album by Val Doonican * VAL (band), Belarusian pop duo People * Val (give ...

Flüela Pass The Flüela Pass (, , elevation ) is a high mountain pass of the Swiss Alps in Graubünden. Traditionally considered the boundary between the Albula and Silvretta Alps, the pass crosses the watershed / drainage divide between the basins of t ...

Davos Davos (, ; or ; ; Old ) is an Alpine resort town and municipality in the Prättigau/Davos Region in the canton of Graubünden, Switzerland. It has a permanent population of (). Davos is located on the river Landwasser, in the Rhaetian ...

- Wolfgang - Laretbach -

Klosters Klosters is a Switzerland, Swiss village in the Prättigau, politically part of the Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality of Klosters-Serneus, which belongs to the political district Prättigau/Davos Region, Prättigau/Davos in the Cantons o ...

- Schlappinbach - Schlappiner Joch - Valzifensbach - Gargellental - St. Gallenkirch. The Silvretta Alps are surrounded by the

Rätikon The Rätikon is a mountain range of the Central Eastern Alps, located at the border between Vorarlberg, Liechtenstein and Canton of Grisons, Graubünden. It is the geological border between the Eastern Alps, Eastern and Western Alps and stretch ...

, Verwall,

Samnaun Samnaun () is a high Alpine village and a valley at the eastern end of Switzerland and a municipality in the Engiadina Bassa/Val Müstair Region in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. History The valley was first used as a seasonal mountain pa ...

, Sesvenna, Albula and Plessur ranges. The Piz Buin is not the highest, but the most popular peak of the range. It can relatively easily be ascended from north or south through glaciers and stretches of easy climbing. The Silvretta is famous for its skiing especially its many

backcountry skiing Backcountry skiing ( US), also called off-piste (Europe), alpine touring, freeriding or out-of-area, is skiing in the backcountry on unmarked or unpatrolled areas either inside or outside a ski resort's boundaries. This contrasts with alpine s ...

possibilities. In the 1920s

Ernest Hemingway Ernest Miller Hemingway ( ; July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) was an American novelist, short-story writer and journalist. Known for an economical, understated style that influenced later 20th-century writers, he has been romanticized fo ...

was staying in the region for a winter (he lived at

Schruns Schruns is a municipality in the Montafon valley (altitude 690 meters), in the Bludenz district of the westernmost Austrian state of Vorarlberg. To the west is the famous Zimba mountain, often called the "Vorarlberger Matterhorn," which is ve ...

Montafon Montafon ( in local dialect: "''Muntafu''") is a long valley in the westernmost Austrian federal state of Vorarlberg. It is traversed by the river Ill (Vorarlberg) and extends from the city of Bludenz and the Verwall Alps in the north, to th ...

). Later, he wrote a couple of short stories about his skiing experiences in the Silvretta. Some of these short stories are to be found in ''A moveable feast''.

Adjacent valleys

Engadin The Engadin or Engadine (;This is the name in the two Romansh idioms that are spoken in the Engadin, Vallader and Puter, as well as in Sursilvan and Rumantsch Grischun. In Surmiran, the name is ''Nagiadegna'', and in Sutsilvan, it is ''Gidegna'' ...

Peaks

Mountain huts

* Berghaus-Verein, private * Bodenalpenhaus, private * Chamanna Dal Linard, Swiss Alpine Club (SAC) * Fergen Hut, SAC * Heidelberger Hut, German Alpine Club (DAV), Heidelberg Section * Jamtal Hut DAV, Schwaben Section * Klostertaler Umwelt Hut, DAV * Madlenerhaus, DAV Wiesbaden Section * Saarbrücken Hut, DAV, Alpenverein u. Skiclub Silvretta * Seetal Hut, SAC * Silvretta Hut, SAC * Tuoi Hut, SAC * Tübingen Hut, DAV, Tübingen Section * Wiesbaden Hut, DAV Wiesbaden Section

Ski areas in the Silvretta Alps

* Silvretta Montafon –

, Austria – largest ski area offering 113 km of slopes * Silvretta Bielerhöhe – Partenen –

, Austria * Gargellen –

, Austria *

Galtür Galtür is a village and ski resort in the upper Paznaun valley in Austrian state of Tyrol located in the Central Eastern Alps 35 km southwest of Landeck near the border of Vorarlberg and Switzerland. History Galtür was settled by th ...

– Silvapark –

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 ...

, Austria *

Scuol Scuol () is a municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the Engiadina Bassa/Val Müstair Region in the Switzerland, Swiss Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Grisons. The official language in Scuol is Romansh language, Romansh. On 1 January 2 ...

(Motta Naluns) – Graubünden, Switzerland * Parsenn (Davos Klosters) – Graubünden, Switzerland – highest ski area which extends up to an altitude of 2,844m *

Madrisa The Madrisa (or ''Madrisahorn'') is a mountain in the Rätikon mountain range, overlooking Klosters in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. Its summit (2,826 metres) is located near the Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is ...

(Davos Klosters) – Graubünden, Switzerland * Pischa (Davos Klosters) – Graubünden, Switzerland * Selfranga – Klosters – Graubünden, Switzerland *

Ardez Ardez () is a former Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the district of Inn District, Switzerland, Inn in the Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Graubünden in eastern Switzerland. The village is located in the Lower Engadin valley. On ...

– Graubünden, Switzerland *

Guarda Guarda may refer to: * Guarda, Portugal, city in Portugal * Guarda District, the district containing that city * Roman Catholic Diocese of Guarda, Portugal, the diocese containing that city * Guarda, Switzerland, municipality in Grisons, Switzerlan ...

– Graubünden, Switzerland

References