History

The Montafon people are considered to be self-confident, small and headstrong. That's due to their history.

During the High Middle Ages the high-alpine pastures and dairy farms spread in the Innerfratte area.

Around 1300 Walser Germans immigrated from what today is called the Swiss Canton of Wallis. "Sant Galli in vallile", as the place was called in 1304, was a part of the Bludenz parish. In 1483, at the latest, the autonomous parish of St. Gallus was founded. A daughter church was built in 1499 in Gortipohl (from Rhaeto-Rhomanic "Cort de Paolo, curtapal, Gurtapal, meaning "Paul´s Court"). There were times when St. Gallenkirch was temporarily the most populated village in the district of Bludenz. Its population had been growing considerably until the middle of the 19th century. As a consequence many farmers were not able to gain a living anymore, and so they migrated.

Since the 50ies the villages of St. Gallenkirch and Gortipohl have changed considerably under the influence of tourism.

1969: beginnings of the Garfrescha ski area - one 2-person chair and a few T-bar lifts. Since 1972: connected to the attractive "Silvretta Nova" ski area via the Versettla area. In 1981 the "Valiser Cable Railway", then the biggest circular cable railway in the world, started operation, and St. Gallenkirch became Vorarlberg´s biggest skiing resort in terms of ski-lift capacity.

Special features ...

Dialect: this is their real mother tongue. German is only learned at school. The vocal "E" is especially significant.

Traditional Montafon dress: It ranges among the most beautiful and elegant traditional dresses. They also have various headgear such as otter fur cap, hat and a sort of crown.

Customs: on Jan 1 children go from house to house to wish its inhabitants "A good New Year"; "Funkasonntig" (Sunday following Ash Wednesday): a bonfire that is supposed to drive out the winter.