Bludenz, chief town of a district (Bezirk) in Vorarlberg, lies on the road from the Arlberg and Montafon, at the intersection of the five valleys - Montafon, Brandner Tal, Klostertal, Walgau and Grosses Walsertal. To the north of the town rises the Muttersberg (affectionately known as the Sonnenbalkon or Sun Balcony; 1,412m/4,633ft; cableway)
On the first Sunday in Lent (known as Funkensonntag) a carnival procession is held in Bludenz.
The old town of Bludenz, surrounded by pleasant orchards, lies in the geographical heart of the province and is a good base from which to explore the beauties of the surrounding area - the Grosswalsertal or the Arlberg and the Flexenstrasse, the Rätikon with its beautifully shaped peaks or the attractive Montafon valley and the Silvretta group on the Swiss frontier.