Bludenz, Austria

Bludenz is a city in the Austrian state of Vorarlberg. The city is the seat of the District Commission Bludenz and as of June 30, 2018, with 14577 (main residences) plus 1098 (other residences) inhabitants, the sixth largest municipality in Vorarlberg.

The city center of Bludenz is located at an altitude of about 570 meters at the south-western foot of the Lechquellen Mountains, terraced above the valley floor of the Ill and laid out on part of the debris fan of the Galgentobelbach. The official altitude for Bludenz is 588 m. This refers to the location of the Laurentiuskirche, which stands a little higher above the town center. The highest point of the municipality is formed by the summit of the Weißen Rössle, 2214 m, northwest of Ausserbraz. A small part of the municipal area east of Stallehr even extends over the Alfenz into Verwall. This is the Garnilawald, which grows on the northern slopes of Davennakopf, Davenna and Zwölferkopf above the reservoir of the Alfenzwerk. Parts of the mountain forests in the north of Bludenz belong to the "Natura 2000" European protection area "Klostertaler Bergwälder", which extends from the Galgentobel to Klösterle.

The city lies at the intersection of the Walgau, Brandnertal (Rätikon), Montafon (Silvretta) and Klostertal (Arlberg) valleys. Bludenz likes to market itself as the “five valleys town”, but the fifth valley, the Große Walsertal, only joins the Walgau near Ludesch, a few kilometers west of Bludenz. 48.5 percent of the community area is forested. Neighboring communities of Bludenz are Nüziders, Raggal, Innerbraz, Bartholomäberg, St. Anton im Montafon, Lorüns, Stallehr and Bürs.

The drinking water for Bludenz is drawn from several hundred meters above the city, at the foot of the western flanks of the Breithorn and Elsalptürmen, as well as springs located on the southern flank of Katzenköpf. The city partially uses the gradient to generate electricity and operates a small drinking water power plant in Hinterplärsch with a maximum output of 125 kW.

Bludenz has a climate that is significantly influenced by the Atlantic Ocean. The average annual precipitation recorded from 1971 to 2000 by the nearby Bürs measuring station is 1341 mm, the average annual temperature 7.9 ° C. However, the official records for most of the populated area of ​​Bludenz already show an average annual rainfall of between 1500 and 1800 mm. The north-eastern areas on the slopes, e.g. B. Rungelin, even get 1800 to 2100 mm / a. On the summit areas of Hohem Fraßen and Breithorn, which are drained south and west by the Galgentobelbach, an average of 2400 to 2700 mm fell, on that of Gams Freiheit and Weißer Rössle even enormous 2700 to 3000 mm of precipitation per year by Central European standards.

Bludenz is often one of the places with the highest daytime temperatures in Vorarlberg, also due to its proximity to the Brandner Valley, which is known as a pronounced foehn line. The mountains from Hohen Fraßen to Elsspitze and Gamsfreiheit, which tower over the city by around 1400 meters, protect Bludenz from cold winds from north to northeast.

In the city cemetery there is an automatic weather station from the Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics (ZAMG), the current measured values ​​of which are permanently presented on the Internet.

 

Culture and sights

Sights include the originally preserved Upper and Lower City Gates, the Nepomuk Fountain and Werdenbergerstrasse with the arcades.

 

Churches and monasteries

Lawrence Church
City parish church of the Holy Cross
South Tyrolean settlement parish church
Bings parish church
Former hospital church in Kirchgasse
Dominican convent of Saint Peter
Franciscan monastery (formerly Capuchin monastery) and monastery church
Antonius Church in Rungelin
Evang. Parish Church of the Good Shepherd

 


City fortifications

Parts of the former Bludenz city fortifications are still preserved today. The city's approximately 100 houses were surrounded and fenced in with a double curtain wall, seven towers and three gates. The city gate in the east of the city (“Montafonertor” or “Kapuzinertor”) was demolished in 1846.

Lower gate
Built at the end of the 15th century, this gate was subsequently rebuilt several times. It is also called Mühletor or Bürsertor.

Upper gate
Built at the end of the 15th century, rebuilt in 1774 and 1920, it is also called Herzog-Friedrich-Tor or Feldkircher Tor. In 1416, Duke Friedrich IV (with an empty pocket) fled from Constance through the Upper Gate into the city; He was taken in in Bludenz and brought safely over the Arlberg by the town's citizens.
The Bludenz City Museum is located in the Upper Gate. A few meters away, a covered church staircase built in the 17th century, one of the five castle staircases, leads up to the hill to St. Laurentius Church and Gayenhofen Castle.

Powder tower
in the southwest of the city, was built at the end of the 15th century.

 

Castles and secular buildings

Gayenhofen Castle
The castle is located in the architectural ensemble with the parish church dominating the town and today serves as the official building of the Bludenz district administration.
Cotton spinning mill of the Getzner factory (1883–1886)
The spinning mill in Klarenbrunn is a special example of Vorarlberg industrial construction, as it came to the country from English sources via Swiss companies.
The balanced, elongated two-storey brick building was designed by Manchester engineering firm John Felber and has a significant pillar and iron structure. A synthesis was created here between the old multi-storey hall buildings with wooden construction and the old “industrial sheds”.
In terms of its structural and functional concept, the building is a striking example of industrial construction from the late 19th century.
District Court (1927–1929)
Construction by Willibald Braun
Arcades on Werdenbergerstrasse
This street is named after the Counts of Werdenberg-Montfort, the former lords of Bludenz. On the right and left it is framed by town and patrician houses that were built after the city fire in 1638. Their magnificent facades, gables and gates are worth seeing. The arcades, which almost turn the pedestrian zone into a covered city center, have a southern-looking appearance. Two of the houses on Werdenbergerstrasse that were built after the city fire in 1638, the “Getzner” house (restaurant and offices) and the Tschofenhaus (restaurant and hotel; facade design by Konrad Honold, 1964), were converted into listed buildings as part of the inner city renewal process in 2017/18.
Dörflingerhaus: This house in Rathausgasse was mentioned as early as 1365 and houses a café.
Villa Obdorfweg 1
Nepomuk Fountain (1730)
The fountain designed by Johann Ladner represents St. Nepomuk, who is considered the patron saint against slander and suspicion.
Riedmiller monument
This monument to Bernhard Riedmiller, a captain of the Bludenzer Riflemen in the Napoleonic Wars (1796–1799), was designed by Georg Matt in 1905. The Neyer brothers appear to be the donors of the monument. The Neyer family went by the name “Deli Neyers” or “Tille Neyers”, named after Franz Fidel Neyer. An ancestor named Fidel Neyer fought honorably with his brothers in Riedmiller's company in 1799. An Andreas Neyer is mentioned in a document as an ensign in 1796. At least five Neyers - more people than any other Bludenz citizen family - took part in the defensive battles against the French. The Neyer brothers, who came from a very old Bludenzer family that was mentioned in documents as early as 1472, were wealthy and thus also set a monument to their family. With the sum of 16,000 crowns spent on this monument, a small house in the old town of Bludenz was purchased. Of the four monument donors, only the innkeeper and economist Lorenz Neyer witnessed the monument's unveiling.

 

Museums

In Bludenz there is the Bludenz City Museum in the Upper Gate and the Fohrenburg Bludenz Brewery Museum in the old carpentry workshop of the brewery headquarters. The brewery museum shows iconic beer bottles, former advertising motifs and historical beer production utensils.

Cultural Center
A cultural center in Bludenz is the “Remise”, which opened in 1998. The program includes concerts all year round, from early music and world music to jazz, cabaret, theater, readings, film screenings and exhibitions. The ORF Vorarlberg regional studio occasionally recorded and broadcast concerts there. A restaurant is connected to the “Remise”.

 

Events

Since 1988 there has been a festival for new and contemporary music, the Bludenzer Days of Contemporary Music.
The ALPINALE short film festival was founded in Bludenz in 1985 and welcomes around 2,000 visitors every year. Nenzing was the event location from 2003 to 2019. In 2020 the festival returned to Bludenz.
The Jazz & Groove Festival in Bludenz city center and on the Remise forecourt presents top-class jazz, funk and blues musicians over three evenings.
Unikat B is an international sales exhibition for contemporary applied art and design that takes place in the historic rooms of Gayenhofen Castle in Bludenz.

 

Geography

The town center of Bludenz is located at an altitude of around 570 meters at the southwestern foot of the Lechquelle Mountains, terraced over the Ill valley floor and on part of the Galgentobelbach rubble fan. The official height of 588 m for Bludenz refers to the location of the Laurentiuskirche, which is slightly higher above the city center. The highest point in the municipality is the summit of the Weißen Rössle, 2214 m, located northwest of Ausserbraz. A small part of the municipal area east of Stallehr even extends across the Alfenz into the Verwall. This is the Garnila forest, which grows on the northern slopes of Davennakopf, Davenna and Zwölferkopf above the Alfenzwerk reservoir. Parts of the mountain forests in the north of Bludenz belong to the “Natura 2000” European protected area “Klostertaler Bergwälder” that extends from the Galgentobel to Klösterle.

For historical reasons, in addition to its own territory, the city also owns property in forests, agricultural land or wasteland in nine other surrounding communities, totaling around 4000 hectares. B. the Bludenzer Alpe (Albonaalpe) in the Verwall, above Klösterle, or the Gavalinaalpe on the northern slope of the Rätikon.

The city lies at the intersection of the Walgau, Brandnertal (Rätikon), Montafon (Silvretta) and Klostertal (Arlberg) valleys. Bludenz likes to market itself as a “five valley city”, but the fifth valley, the Große Walsertal, only flows into the Walgau near Ludesch, a few kilometers west of Bludenz. 48.5 percent of the municipality's area is forested. Neighboring communities of Bludenz are Nüziders, Raggal, Innerbraz, Bartholomäberg, St. Anton im Montafon, Lorüns, Stallehr and Bürs.

Opposite Bludenz, on the other side of the Ill, in the Rätikon, stands the 2107 m high Bludenzer Mittagsspitze, a rugged elevation in a side ridge of the Vandanser Steinwand from Bludenz's perspective. The mountain is located in the south of the city, where the sun is at midday.

The drinking water for Bludenz comes from several hundred meters above the city, at the foot of the western flanks of the Breithorn and Elsalp towers, as well as from springs located on the southern flank of the Katzenköpfe. The city partially uses the gradient to generate electricity and operates a small drinking water power plant in Hinterplärsch, built in 1998, with a maximum output of 125 kW.

Bludenz has a climate that is significantly influenced by the Atlantic Ocean. The average annual precipitation recorded by the nearby Bürs measuring station from 1971 to 2000 is 1341 mm and the average annual temperature is 7.9 °C. However, the official records for the majority of the populated Bludenz municipal area already show an average annual rainfall of between 1500 and 1800 mm, in the northeastern areas on the slopes, e.g. B. Rungelin, even 1800 to 2100 mm/a. On the summit areas of Hohen Fraßen and Breithorn, which are drained on the south and west sides by the Galgentobelbach, an average of 2400 to 2700 mm of precipitation fell per year, and on the Gamsfreiheit and Weißes Rössle an enormous 2700 to 3000 mm of precipitation per year, even by Central European standards.

Bludenz is often one of the places with the highest daytime temperatures in Vorarlberg, also due to its proximity to the Brandner Valley, which is considered to be a particularly foehn region. The mountains from Hoher Fraßen to Elsspitze, Gamsfreiheit and Weißes Rößle, which tower over the city by around 1,400 meters, protect Bludenz from cold winds from the north to northeast. The average temperature in Bludenz rose by almost three degrees between 1982 and 2022.

There is an automatic weather station from the Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics (ZAMG) in the municipal cemetery, whose current measured values are permanently presented on the Internet.

 

Economy and Infrastructure

The largest private companies in Bludenz are the Getzner Textil company (founded by Christian Getzner), the Fohrenburg brewery as well as the Suchard chocolate factory and the Bertsch power plant manufacturer. Other larger companies include the ÖBB, which operates extensive facilities in Bludenz, as well as the city administration (around 270 employees) and the state hospital.

In 1903, the Swiss watch manufacturer Obrecht & Co settled in the house of the manufacturer “Dörler” on Rathausgasse in Bludenz. In 1906, pocket watch production moved to the new building on Klarenbrunnstrasse, and the watch factory continued as Plangg & Pfluger from 1922 to 1967.

In 1834, Karl Blum founded the first modern paper factory in Vorarlberg on the site of the burnt-down “Brunnental” spinning mill, and the building was later taken over by the Swiss chocolate producer Suchard. The chocolate factory began production in Bludenz in 1888 as a subsidiary of Philipp Suchard's Swiss parent company. Every year, the “Milka Chocolate Festival”, a promotional event aimed specifically at children and families, is held in the city center. 30,000 visitors came to the 25th anniversary in 2008.

The Bludenz retail sector is under severe pressure from the two shopping centers built on the Bludenz city limits in Bürser municipality. There were fierce political disputes over the newly built “Valblu” indoor swimming pool, the hospital and the artificial ice toboggan run, as well as over a shopping center that was built in the old Kronenhaus in the old town of Bludenz.

In 2003 there were 260 commercial businesses in the area with 3,863 employees and 282 apprentices. A total of 6,345 employees subject to payroll tax were counted.

The city's debt was 35.1 million euros in 2008 and 41.5 million euros in 2018. Based on the economic data from 2023, Bludenz would need 49 years to pay off its debt.

 

Protective structures and precautions against debris flows and floods

In particular, the partially vertical, several hundred meter high rock walls of the 2009 m high Breithorn (also called Gaisberg), the Elsspitze (1980 m) and the Elsalp towers in between constantly provide weathering material, which, depending on the water flow, flows from the Galgentobelbach into the city area and, in extreme cases, even into the Ill can be transported. Although huge masses of rock were necessary to fill the 3.6 km² large alluvial fan through the stream, as far as records go back, there were no devastating deposits of rubble there. That's why there were hardly any structural precautions against debris flows.

When heavy rain fell in December 1918 after a cold spell, a mudslide reached the Lindau-Bludenz railway line. As a result, in the side branches of the Galgentobelbach, especially in the Muttersberg and Mittlawaldtobel at the foot of the above-mentioned. Rock walls, the first torrent barriers were built in the 1920s and 1930s.

After the Second World War, the construction of the stream continued. A medium flood in December 1991, which was again caused by heavy rain following a cold wave, deposited around 20,000 m³ of sediment and wild wood in the lower reaches. However, as a result of the construction work, it caused only relatively minor damage.

The Daneubrücke, located at the northeastern end of the South Tyrolean settlement at an altitude of 661 m, continues to pose a significant risk. If it were blocked by driftwood and rubble, the flood-bearing stream would overflow its banks to the left and right of the bridge and, due to the convex shape of the surface of the alluvial fan, would flow through the densely built-up South Tyrolean settlement and through Obdorf. Therefore, in 2004, a large rubble and wildwood retention barrier was built above the bridge, at the northeastern end of the easily accessible part of the Galgentobel. Below this there is a debris collecting basin with a maximum capacity of around 5000 m³ and a slot barrier. Dams were also built in Hinterplärsch. If the basin is full, these are intended to limit the stream from breaking out to the side. Some of the worn out protective structures from the pre-war period had to be replaced.

In March 2007, around 10,000 m³ of rock fell into the Muttersbergtobel. These are now gradually being transported away by the stream and once again show the need for construction measures.

Another bottleneck is the very low passage of the stream under the ÖBB site. In order to reduce the risk of blockages there, another collecting basin for solids and an additional slot barrier were built north of the nearby federal road bridge. The bottom of the culvert under the tracks and the rest of the stream up to the Ill is covered with steel rails so that boulders can be quickly transported away from this critical area by the dragging force of the water.

The assessment basis for the construction work after the 1991 flood was a cloudburst with 70 mm of rain within one hour over the entire catchment area (7.2 km²) of the stream and a continuous rain of 168 mm/d on frozen or water-saturated ground. For the former, depending on the calculation model, an average water flow of 42 to 56 m³/s was calculated; for the latter, a daily water load of the stream was 750,000 m³, which contains 75,000 m³ of debris and wild wood. An average stream flow of 50 m³/s is considered a “HQ 150” (a flood that statistically occurs once in 150 years). Furthermore, it had to be taken into account that debris that penetrated into the Ill had already dammed it several times and/or pushed it to the southwest.

Numerous garden houses in the South Tyrolean settlement and other buildings (see picture above) in the vicinity of the stream were demolished on official orders. These would have either hindered the outflow or, being carried away by the stream, would have provided additional fuel that would promote blockages.

With an HQ 300 of the Ill, major flooding in the urban area is to be expected.

illwerke vkw AG also maintains a typhon warning system that is intended to warn the population of Montafon, Bludenz, Brandnertal and Walgau about tidal waves. If the dam wall of the Silvretta or Kopssee were to break when the water was full, the tidal wave would arrive in Bludenz after around 45 minutes and reach an altitude of around 562 m above sea level. A. put under water. The station area would then be flooded to a depth of around 4 m. In acute emergencies, the fire brigade sirens are also switched on, the church bells are rung (storm bells lasting at least 20 minutes) and radio announcements are made. A test alarm takes place annually in November.

 

Traffic

With its location in Walgau and at the entrance to the three valleys Klostertal, Montafon and Brandnertal, Bludenz is an important transport hub in the south of Vorarlberg. In particular, the west-east connection through Walgau and Klostertal to neighboring Tyrol via railway and expressway is important for the development of Bludenz as a transport hub.

 

Railroad

The Bludenz train station, which opened in 1872, is now a railway junction that links the Lindau–Bludenz railway, the Arlbergbahn and the Bludenz–Schruns railway, which opened in 1905, the latter operated by the private Montafonerbahn. All three routes are electrified. There is a lively dispersal and formation of freight trains in the city's marshalling yard. Bludenz is particularly important as the starting point of the western ramp of the Arlbergbahn. Among other things, passing the Arlberg line often requires shortening the trains and adding additional locomotives. The railway changed life in Bludenz significantly. As a result, the city was long considered a “railway town”.

A Railjet stops in Bludenz every hour during the day in the direction of Innsbruck/Vienna and in the direction of Feldkirch/Bregenz/Zurich, and night trains to and from Vienna/Graz stop every day. At least two regional trains run every hour from Bludenz towards Lindau from early morning until late at night. On the nights before Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays there is a continuous hourly train service between Bludenz and Bregenz. Public transport to Montafon is provided by the Montafonerbahn, which runs every half hour or hour and runs until after midnight. It also serves the “Bludenz-Moos” and “Brunnenfeld-Stallehr” stops in the municipal area.

After the regional train service between Bludenz and Langen am Arlberg was first thinned out and has been completely discontinued since 2010, the bus line to Klostertal, previously numbered 90 and numbered 720 since 2022, took over the sole connection of the towns on the railway line to public transport.

 

Automobile

Bludenz is the end point of the Rheintal-Walgau motorway A 14, which merges here into the Arlberg expressway S 16. There are four motorway junctions in the city's municipal area, namely Bludenz/Nüziders, Brandnertal, Bludenz/Bürs and Bludenz-Ost/Montafon. There are also junctions in the area of the S 16, namely Bings and Braz. The Bludenz/Bürs junction was generously renovated and expanded by almost 30 million euros by 2021.

Parts of the old town are set up as pedestrian zones, including the middle section of Werdenbergerstrasse, through which through traffic used to pass.

 

Noise pollution from road traffic

This is significant simply because of the traffic on the A 14/S 16, which runs very close to the outside of the city limits. In 2017, an average of 28,000 vehicles passed the section between the Brandnertal and Bludenz/Bürs exits every day. In the station area, northwest of the station in a strip that extends to approximately St.-Anna-Straße, in Mokry, in large parts of the Klarenbrunn settlement and in Brunnenfeld, a 24-hour continuous noise exposure averaged over day, evening and night was recorded in 2017 55 to 60 dB(A) was detected. Some houses in Unterbings and Unterradin directly on the S 16 are exposed to sound non-stop with an average of 55 to 70 dB(A) - sometimes even despite the noise barrier.

Another significant source of noise pollution comes from road traffic in Bludenz. The width of the strip along State Road 190, which runs through the city for a length of around 4.3 km and has an average 24-hour continuous sound exposure of at least 55 dB(A), is up to approx 100 m. In some streets east of the train station, some of which are densely lined with residential buildings, there are even constant levels of between 60 and 75 dB(A). In the middle section of Werdenbergerstrasse, which has been converted into a pedestrian zone, only a short section of just under 100 m is exposed to sound levels of < 55 dB(A), averaged around the clock.

Due to a decrease in the sound pressure level when sound propagates outdoors of only approx. 3 dB per doubling of the distance, the noise emissions from the A 14/S 16 and road traffic in the Bludenz/Nüziders settlement area up to the peaks of Hohen Frassen, Elsspitze and Gamsfreiheit , can be clearly heard in many slopes criss-crossed by hiking trails in the north and northeast of Bludenz and in the hillside settlements such as Rungelin, Halde and Oberdaneu.

 

Pilot test against alternative traffic

For many years, the city has been struggling in the winter season with the congestion of the low-level road network caused by ski holidaymakers who try to escape traffic jams on the A 14 / S 16 in the direction of Arlberg and Montafon by switching to state and secondary roads. For the first time, on one of the most popular alternative routes, Klostertaler Straße = Landesstraße 97 between St. Peter's Monastery and Bings, driving bans were issued for transients on a busy Saturday in February 2023 due to the change of holidaymakers in the tourist resorts, in order to protect car drivers even when the highway/ To prevent the expressway from passing through the municipal area. A traffic light on the L 97 artificially created delays and was intended to influence the navigation devices so that they guided the drivers onto the expressway. However, the success of the first attempt was very limited, so work continues to curb alternative traffic.

 

Bus

Public city transport has consisted of three since March 21, 1997 and has consisted of four city bus lines since December 2022, which connect the districts of Südtirolersiedlung, Brunnenfeld and Rungelin and now also the community of Bürs with the train station. Lines 501 and 502 run every half hour on weekdays from around 6:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Line 503 mostly runs every hour; it is out of service on Sundays and public holidays. The city bus routes close on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays between around 5:30 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. The city bus timetables are coordinated with the train timetable.

Electric buses will run on a line called Ringlinie 504 to Bürs, which has been set up since the timetable change in 2022 and will initially run in trial operation for two years. This line also connected the two large shopping centers in Bürs to the city bus network.

Country bus lines run from the post office and Bludenz train station to Walgau, the Brandner Valley and the Klostertal.

All buses and trains in the Bludenz area can be used with tickets from the Vorarlberg Transport Association.

 

Bicycle

There are several cycle streets in Bludenz. A national cycle path runs along the Ill near the A 14 and along the Alfenz parallel to the S 16. A continuous cycle path connection Bludenz – Bürs was completed in 2022.

 

Local heating project

Bludenz and Bürs want to jointly build a district heating network called “local heat Bludenz-Bürs”, which according to initial plans is around 11 km long, in order to, among other things, reduce the consumption of natural gas and the dependence on it (in the first four months of 2023, Austria still covered its natural gas needs to between 47 and 74% from Russia). In Bludenz, around 87 percent of all households relied on natural gas or heating oil (which are actually only available abroad) in mid-2023. For this purpose, a biomass heating plant that will be fired with local wood and wood residues will first be built. In a second expansion stage, it is planned to feed the waste heat from Lünerseewerk II into this network. Potential objects that could be connected to this district heating network are in Bludenz, for example. B. the South Tyrolean settlement, the state hospital, the train station and the ÖBB workshops as well as the Mokrysiedlung and in Bürs, for example, the Zimbapark and the development in the area around the St. Martin church. The establishment of an operating company is planned for the project (shares: City of Bludenz 26%, illwerke vkw AG 69%, Agrargemeinschaft Bürs 5%).

 

Muttersberg cable car

The former gondola cable car, whose valley station is in Hinterplärsch, was replaced in 2002 by a detachable single-cable gondola with eight-person gondolas. The journey time each way is around ten minutes. The railway is in operation daily from around the end of April to the beginning of November, otherwise Friday to Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. During the period around Christmas and New Year's Eve, operations are suspended due to maintenance work.

 

Public facilities

In Bludenz there are eight kindergartens, five elementary schools and one middle school.

In January 2003 there were 5,064 students in the area, of which 844 were at general secondary schools (AHS; Bundesgymnasium and Bundesrealgymnasium Bludenz) and 2,875 at vocational secondary schools (Federal Commercial Academy, tourism schools). There is also the state vocational school in Bludenz (LBS: metal, mechatronics, automotive, trade and office). The middle school is also located near the school center on Schillerstrasse.

Other facilities include a music school and the Bludenz adult education center.