Vacation in Elbigenalp

The small village named Elbigenalp is located at 1040 meters above sea level in the Tyrolean Lechtal. The municipality has about 850 inhabitants on 33.09 km² and is considered the oldest known settlement in the valley. Historians believe that the first people settled here as early as the 9th century. However, official records only exist since 1488 - when Elbigenalp was mentioned for the first time in a document.

The name not only refers to the altitude of the village, but also to its flora. Where the mountain village is now located, there used to be a lot of elm trees. "Eelbigen Alp" therefore meant something like an alp covered with elms. Today the village is simply called "Elbigenalp" and is a true insider tip for nature lovers. In the immediate vicinity, both the Lechtal Alps and the Allgäu Alps present themselves in their most beautiful splendor. Here you really have the feeling that the mountains are close enough to touch.

Active holidaymakers get their money's worth here - the leisure activities are diverse. Whether skiing, cross-country skiing or snowshoe hiking in winter, or rafting, climbing or hiking in summer.

However, the oldest town in the Lech Valley also looks back on a eventful history. Since many families could no longer make a living from agriculture alone, in the 17th century men, women and children (the so-called "Swabian children") moved to Swabia. There, they hoped for work and accommodation. The migrations to Upper Swabia were not without danger at that time. Especially the poor equipment and the snow-covered mountains were responsible for many tragic fates.

The founding of a drawing school in the 19th century ensured that the small village could revive. The former drawing school is now a wood carving school, which was founded in 1951 and is still the only wood carving school in all of Austria. In Elbigenalp, you can still find living craftsmanship, and this knowledge is passed on to interested young people. Visitors also have the opportunity to learn more about the art of wood carving, as special courses are offered in cooperation with the wood carving school.

A resident of Elbigenalp is probably familiar to all of us: the Geierwally. She was born in 1841 as the niece of the painter Joseph Anton Koch in the small mountain village and made a special impression in her early years. Anna Stainer-Knittel, her real name, rappelled down a steep rock face twice in a row to plunder an eagle's nest. At that time, a more than unusual action for a young woman.

This story inspired Wilhelmine von Hillern in 1880 to her famous novel "The Geierwally". The material of the novel later served as the basis for films and musicals. The Geierwally stage still reminds us of the courageous young heroine today. The open-air plays were founded in 1993 and every year, exciting performances, music events, and special cultural events take place here, right in the middle of nature. An impressive backdrop is provided by an almost 100-meter-high rock face.