Photos

Bielerhöhe Pass, Silvretta

The Bielerhöhe Pass (el. 2071 m) is a high mountain pass in the Austrian Alps between the Bundesländer of Vorarlberg and Tyrol.
It connects Montafon in Vorarlberg and the Paznaun valley in Tyrol. At the top of the pass are several restaurants and hotels.
The pass is closed to normal traffic from November to April. Mini-buses run during the winter to take skiers to the ski resort.
Nearby is the highest peak in Vorarlberg, the Piz Buin (3312 m) and the Silvrettasee, which is frozen solid most years by the end of January and covered with snow.

Silvretta, Vorarlberg

The Silvretta is a mountain range of the Central Eastern Alps shared by Tirol, Vorarlberg (both in Austria) and Graubünden (Switzerland). The Austrian states of Tirol and Vorarlberg are connected by a pass road (Silvretta Hochalpenstraße at 2032 m). The majority of the peaks are elevated above three thousand metres and are surrounded by glaciers. Thus, the area is also known as the "Blue Silvretta".

The Bielerhöhe Adventure begins at the Vermuntbahn in Partenen. From there it continues from Trominier in small buses through tunnels and the lofty mountain landscape of the Silvretta up to the Bielerhöhe at 2032 m. There, visitors are treated to incredible views of the gigantic mountain world including Piz Buin, at 3312 metres the highest mountain in Vorarlberg. Lake Silvretta lies at the heart of this breathtaking panorama. After the end of january it is covered with a thick layer of snow and ice that entices the visitor to go cross-country skiing on superbly prepared courses. In addition, the Bielerhöhe is an ideal starting point for a wonderful number of tours through the Silvretta region, the largest touring area in the province.

The Silvretta is surrounded by the Rätikon, Verwall and Samnaun ranges.
The Piz Buin is not the highest, but the most popular peak of the range. It can relatively easily be ascended from north or south through glaciers and stretches of easily climbing.
The Silvretta is famous for its skiing especially its many backcountry skiing possibilities. In the 1920s Ernest Hemingway was staying in the region for a winter (he lived at Schruns in Montafon, Austria. Later, he wrote a couple of short stories about his skiing experiences in the Silvretta. Some of these short stories are to be found in A moveable feast. (Silvretta & wikipedia)