The Kleinwalsertal (Little Walser Valley) lies to the southeast of Oberstdorf near the Austro- German border, and is to be distinguished from the Grosswalsertal (Great Walser Valley) north of Bludenz and south of the Bregenzer Wald. The Kleinwalsertal forms part of the Vorarlberg province but has no road connections with the rest of the province, being cut off by the surrounding mountains. It thus lies within the German customs and economic area and uses German currency. The people of the valley came here about 1300 from the Swiss canton of Valais and have preserved many distinctive characteristics down to the present day.
The wide valley, watered by the Breitach, with rugged limestone peaks rearing above the valley sides with their covering of forest, is one of the best known and most attractive of Austria's mountain valleys, and its widely scattered villages attract many visitors, who come in summer for the healthy mountain air and in winter for the snow which can always be relied upon here. The commune, made up of four separate parts (Riezlern, Hirschegg, Mittelberg and Baad), has a population of some 5,000.
The starting point of a visit to the Kleinwalsetal is Oberstdorf, in the Allgäu Alps. 6km/4mi up the valley, at the Walser Schanz Inn, lies the German-Austrian frontier. Beyond this there are fine views of the Hoher Ifen and the Gottesackerwände, with the Widderstein (2,533m/7,720ft) in the background. The first place of any size is Riezlern, followed by the resorts of Hirschegg and Mittelberg. At the head of the valley, 14km/8-1/2mi beyond the frontier, lies Baad.
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