Reutte Tourist Attractions
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Reutte, in a wide basin in the valley of the Lech, is the chief town of the Ausserfern district, to the north of the Fernpass, and an important traffic junction between Füssen and Pfronten in Germany, the Fernpass, the upper Lech valley (Hochtannberg Pass and Flexen Road) and the Tannheimer Tal (Oberjoch and Gaicht Pass).Reutte possesses some handsome 18th C. burghers' houses with painted facades, gables and oriel windows (e.g. the Zeillerhaus in the Untermarkt). The 17th C. parish church in the Breitenwang district has some beautiful ceiling painting and Baroque relief medallions of the Dance of Death in the mortuary chapel. The local museum is also of interest.
Bichlbach, Austria
The road from Reutte to Lermoos (see under entry for Zugspitze) and the Fernpass traverses a narrow defile, the Ehrenberger Klause (946m/3,104ft), which was the scene of bitter fighting in the 16th and 17th C., and after passing through Heiterwang comes in 12km/7.5mi to Bichlbach (1,075m/3,527ft), in a wider part of the valley (chairlift to the Heiterwanger Alm, 1,622m/5,322ft).
Berwang
From Bichlbach a side road leads to Berwang (1,336m/4,383ft; pop. 500), a favorite winter sports resort on a mountain saddle, with chairlifts to the Hochalm (1,626m/5,335ft), the Hochbichl (1,392m/4,567ft) and the Rastkopf (1,640m/5,381ft). From Bichlbach it is another 10km/6mi to Lermoos.
Lech Valley - Surrounding Reutte
The Lech valley and its side valleys coming down from the Lechtal Alps are popular walking and winter sports areas. An additional attraction is provided by a series of beautiful lakes; the Urisee (2km/1.25mi to the northeast) and the Frauensee (3km/2mi to the northwest) are popular for bathing and boating.
Grosse Schlicke
Climbs from Reutte include the following: 3.5 hours to the double peak of the Tauern (1,814m/5,952ft and 1,864m/6,116ft); four hours to the northwest by way of the Frauensee to the Füssener Alm (1,520m/4,987ft), with the Musauer Alm and the Otto-Mayr-Hütte (inn), from which it is another 1.5 hours to the Grosse Schlicke (2,060m/6,759ft), a favorite viewing point. A cableway runs up from Höfen to the Höfener Alm (1,742m/5,716ft), on the slopes of the Hahnenkamm (1,940m/6,365ft).
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Reutte through the Lech Valley to Warth
The Lech valley winds southwestward from Reutte towards the Arlberg between the Allgäu Alps in the north and the Lechtal Alps in the south. In the meadowland on the floor of the valley are dotted many villages popular with summer visitors and winter sports enthusiasts alike. A number of lateral valleys, mostly narrow and gorge-like, lead to quiet little mountain villages which are good bases for climbers and mountain walkers.
Hochvogel
A road leads southwest from Stanzach to Vorderhornbach (973m/3,192ft) and Hinterhornbach (1,101m/3,612ft), from which the Hochvogel (2,593m/8,508ft) rearing up to the north can be climbed in six hours.
Elbigenalp
6km/4mi beyond Häselgehr in the Lech valley lies Elbigenalp (1,040m/3,412ft; pop. 750), a beautifully situated little vacation spot with the oldest parish church in the Lech valley (St Nicholas, originally 12th century, rebuilt in 17th century). The cemetery chapel of St Martin (11th-12th century) above the village contains a Dance of Death by Anton Falger.To the west rises the Bernhardseck (1,802m/5,912ft; accommodation; two hours' walk); this is good walking and skiing country, with far ranging views. Three hours' climb to the northwest of Elbigenalp is the Hermann-von-Barth-Hütte (2,131m/6,992ft; accommodation), a good base for climbers.
Woodcarving Museum
The local museum in Elbigenalp houses mementos of the painter and lithographer Anton Falger (1791-1876), a native of the village. A visit to the school of woodcarving is also recommended.
Bschlaber Tal
To the southeast of Elmen stretches the Bschlaber Tal, with a road running via Bschlabs (1,314m/4,311ft) to Boden (1,357m/4,452ft). 2.5 hours south of Boden lies the Hanauer Hütte (1,918m/6,293ft; accommodation), a good base for climbs in the Parzinn group. The road then continues from Boden over the Hahntennjoch (1,884m/6,181ft) to Imst in the Inn valley.
Namloser Tal
From Stanzach a mountain road 9km/5.5mi long climbs the wooded Namloser Tal to Namlos (1,263m/4,144ft), a skiing village between the Knittelkarspitze (2,738m/7,802ft) to the north and the Namloser Wetterspitze (2,551m/8,370ft; five hours' climb, extensive views) to the south.
Stanzach
The road from Reutte first passes through Höfen (cableway to the Höfener Alm) to Weissenbach, from which a side road runs northwestward into the Tannheimer Tal. 10km/6mi farther up the Lech valley lies the summer resort of Stanzach (940m/3,084ft; carpet weaving).
Steeg
From Steeg (1,122m/3,681ft), in the Lech valley, a steep road runs 4km/2.5mi to the south above the Kaisertal to Kaisers (1,522m/4,994ft), with the beautifully situated Edelweisshütte, in a good skiing area. North of Steeg lies the hamlet of Ellenbogen, from which the Hohes Licht (2,651m/8,698ft) can be climbed.
Warth am Arlberg
Beyond Lechleiten lies Warth am Arlberg (1,500m/4,920ft), a summer and winter sports resort on an open plateau of Alpine meadows. There is a chairlift to the Steffialpe (1,950m/6,398ft) and several ski lifts. From here the road leads southward to the Arlberg and northwestward to the Hochtannberg pass.
Bach
Bach (1,060m/3,478ft; painted house facades) lies at the mouth of the gorge-like Madau valley. To the south of Madau (1,310m/4,298ft) the Memminger Hütte (2,242m/7,356ft) can be reached in about five hours.
Elmen
Farther up the valley from Hochvogel is Elmen (978m/3,209ft), below the eastern side of the Klimmspitze (2,465m/8,088ft; 4.5-5 hours' climb). To the northeast rises the Elmer Kreuzspitze (2,482m/8,143ft; four hours).
Lechleiten
The road continues from Steeg up the wooded Lech valley, which becomes steadily narrower. After 11km/7mi the village of Lechleiten (1,540m/5,053ft) comes into view on the right.
Haselgehr
At Häselgehr (1,003m/3,291ft; pop. 700) the Gramaiser Tal enters the Lech valley on the south, in which a road 8km/5mi long leads to Gramais (1,328m/4,357ft).
Holzgau
Farther up the Lech valley beyond Bach lies Holzgau, and to its north is the Höhenbachschlucht (gorge) with a waterfall (half an hour's walk).
