Silvretta Hochalpenstraße (High Alpine Road)

The route, which is a little over 22 kilometers long, runs over the Bielerhöhe at an altitude of 2,032 meters and inspires visitors with and without vehicles alike.

The popular excursion road with its dreamlike mountain scenery and the two picturesque reservoirs Vermunt and Silvretta is actually a work of art. It was originally created for the commercial traffic of the Vorarlberger Illwerke AG. However, within a very short time, more and more tourists discovered the unique stretch of road, and soon the present toll "Silvretta Hochalpenstraße" was established. While motorcyclists have to pay 12 € for a day pass, it is already 15 € for cars and even 21.50 € for trucks and campers. (As of 2014)

If you overcome more than 700 meters in altitude over the 9 km long west ramp with 25 hairpin bends, the east ramp runs comparatively straight down to Galtür. The route has a maximum gradient of 14% and offers an incomparable view of the Piz Buin, which at 3,312 m is the highest mountain in Vorarlberg. The summit of the alpine road is actually located above the actual summit, where one of the reservoirs is also located.

Depending on the weather, the Silvretta Hochalpenstraße is open from Pentecost to October, with the catering establishments along the panoramic route following the respective opening times. For example, the Silvretta-Haus, incidentally the only 3-star hotel on the Bielerhöhe.

The present high alpine road was completed in several stages as a necessary traffic route during the construction of the Illwerke power plants. The region from Partenen to Bielerhöhe was developed with material cable cars from 1925 to 1930. The first proper section of the alpine connection was not built until 1938 as part of the construction of the Obervermuntwerk and Silvretta reservoir, as a transport route between Lake Vermunt and Bielerhöhe. From 1947, the expansion on the Upper Ill was continued.

To enable the extreme construction site transports, the historic cattle drive from Bielerhöhe to Galtür had to be widened to a service road - this laid the foundation for the east ramp to Tyrol. However, a nearly 7 km long, and by far the most difficult, section of the route (between Partenen and Vermunt) was still missing: the route could finally be dug with excavators from the dam construction through the steep terrain. In 1954, the now continuous road from Partenen to Galtür was finally opened to public traffic and expanded to two lanes in the following years.

Between Montafon and Paznauntal, you can enjoy spectacular views of the surrounding high mountain landscape as well as the embedded Silvretta Lake. The Bielerhöhe at the summit of the pass road is an ideal starting point for numerous hikes and excursions of all kinds.

A highlight is certainly the "Silvretta-Bike-Safari", where you can conquer the Bielerhöhe at over 2,000 m above sea level with a mountain bike via the Silvretta Hochalpenstraße. The so-called "Dream Road of the Alps" can also be traveled in a more leisurely manner. Namely, as part of the "Silvretta Classic Rally", where the most beautiful examples of automotive history are represented. Since 1998, the rally has been attracting countless vintage car fans to Montafon every year, and the number is increasing year by year.