Feldkirch, the old district capital in Vorarlberg, the most westerly town in Austria, lies some 35km/22mi south of Bregenz, where the Ill carves its way through a rocky gorge from the Wallgau into the Rhine valley. Divided into the districts of Tisis, Tosters and Nofels, it adjoins the Principality of Liechtenstein. Feldkirch is an international rail and road junction on the route via the Arlberg to Innsbruck and to the tourist centers near the Arlberg and in the Grosses Walsertal. Now that the Bregenz-Arlberg-Innsbruck motorway bypasses Feldkirch through the Arlberg Tunnel the town is less disturbed by traffic.
The Feldkirch region was inhabited during the Bronze Age. About 1190 Count Hugo I of Montfort built the Schattenburg (see below) and founded a settlement at its foot. In 1376 Count Rudolf of Montfort granted the town its "Great Letter of Freedom" and one year later sold it to the Habsburgs. Since then, apart from the period 1806-14 when the whole of Vorarlberg formed part of the Kingdom of Bavaria, Feldkirch has been Austrian. In 1884 the Arlberg Railway was opened; the line from Bregenz to Bludenz had been in operation since 1872. Feldkirch was the birthplace of the doctor and geographer Hieronymus Münzer (1437-1508), of the painter Wolf Huber (after 1480-1539), an important member of the "Danube School", and of the humanist, mathematician and astronomer Georg Joachim Rheticus (1514-76), who disseminated the new map of the world drawn up by his teacher Copernicus.
One hour's walk north of Latern brings you to the Alpe Furx (1,100m/3,610ft), a popular health resort and winter sports area. From here it a three hours' climb via the Alpwegkopf (1,430m/4,692ft) and the Saluveralm (1,609m/5,279ft) to the Freschenhaus (1,846m/6,057ft), with the St Bernard chapel (1952) and an Alpine garden. It is a further 30 minutes from there to the summit of the Hoher Freschen (2,006m/6,582ft), with fine panoramic views.
The Ardetzenberg (629m/2,064ft; 20 minutes from the town of Feldkirch) has vines growing on its slopes, a path for walkers and a wildlife park, laid out in 1963, with 24 different species of native wild animals.
Proceeding south from the Feldkirch police headquarters and past the Bishop's Palace, we come to the "Katzenturm" (Cannon Tower), probably the most impressive remains of the old town fortifications. Today its upper floor houses a bell weighing 7.5 tons.
To the north of Feldkirch, just outside the town walls, stands the Capuchin Monastery (1605), with the relics and cell of the town's patron saint, St Fidelis, who was murdered in 1622 and canonized in 1746.
Following several conflagrations, the Late Gothic Cathedral of St Nicholas in the Feldkirch Domplatz was finally completed in 1478. It is a twin-naved hall-church with magnificent modern stained-glass windows (1966) by the artist Martin Häusle. and a fine interior; on the right-hand altar is a "Lamentation" and in the predella of the altar "Veronica's Veil", both paintings by Wolf Huber. There is also a charming wrought-iron tabernacle converted into a pulpit (1540). The district police headquarters adjoins the cathedral.
On the eastern side of the Feldkirch Marktplatz square stands the church of St John (St Johanniskirche; excavations being made at present), founded in 1218 by Count Hugo of Montfort for the Order of St John of Jerusalem.
A short way south of the Feldkirch Katzenturm, along the Hirschgraben, stands the Churertor, or Salt Gate, the six-story tower of which was renewed towards the end of the 14th C.
At the end of Montfortgasse in Feldkirch is the Franz-Josefs-Brücke (bridge). Here from 1900 stood the Finance Department and the Provincial Law Courts. As, in the Middle Ages, it was easy to cross the River Ill at this point, the massive Water Tower (on the east) and the Thieves' Tower (on the west), which were already mentioned in 1482, were incorporated into the defensive structure.
In the Levis district, 1.5km/1mi north of the Feldkirch town center, places to see include the infirmary (Siechenhaus), a beautiful 13th C. half-timbered building (now a youth hostel) and the Magdalenenkirche (church of Mary Magdalene) with 14th C. frescos both outside and in and wooden sculptures of Erasmus Kern from Feldkirch. Above the town lies Schloss Amberg, built in 1502 and tastefully restored in 1928 (now a bed and breakfast hotel).
From the west Kreuzgasse, in Feldkirch, with its Late Gothic houses, leads past a five-storied half-timbered building, the old Liechtenstein Amtshaus (1697). Beautiful old pergolas also surround the nearby Platz Neustadt.
The little old-world town of Feldkirch still preserves some of its ancient walls, with two gates and four towers. The business center of the old town is the Marktplatz (market place) with its beautiful old arbors and patrician houses.
On the left bank of the Ill in Feldkirch the Graf Rudolf Wehrgang leads to the Pulverturm (Powder Tower), the Mühltor (Mill Tower) and the Altes Rathaus (Old Town Hall). A little further south lie the "Illpark", the Stadthalle and a business center.
The Feldkirch Schubertiade is an annual music festival that runs from early May to late September. The town plays hosts to numerous concerts by internationally-acclaimed orchestras, chamber groups and soloists. Although the music of Schubert is the main focus of the festival, other composers, especially Beethoven, are also featured.
Address: Schubertiade Feldkirch, Schubertplatz 1, Postfach 625, A-6803 Feldkirch, Austria
In Feldkirch's Tisis quarter will be found an attractive parish church (15th C.) the pilgrimage chapel of St Cornelis and the ruined Burg Tosters (13th C.) with a preserved keep.
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Feldkirch
